AKC Standard for the
Bouvier des Flandres
General Appearance
The Bouvier des Flandres is a powerfully built, compact, short-coupled,
rough-coated dog of notably rugged appearance. He gives the impression of
great strength without any sign of heaviness or clumsiness in his overall
makeup. He is agile, spirited and bold, yet his serene, well behaved
disposition denotes his steady, resolute and fearless character. His gaze is
alert and brilliant, depicting his intelligence, vigor and daring. By nature
he is an equable dog. His origin is that of a cattle herder and general
farmer's helper, including cart pulling. He is an ideal farm dog. His harsh
double coat protects him in all weather, enabling him to perform the most
arduous tasks. He has been used as an ambulance and messenger dog. Modern
times find him as a watch and guard dog as well as a family friend, guardian
and protector. His physical and mental characteristics and deportment,
coupled with his olfactory abilities, his intelligence and initiative enable
him to also perform as a tracking dog and a guide dog for the blind. The
following description is that of the ideal Bouvier des Flandres. Any
deviation from this is to be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
Size, Proportion & Substance
Size
The height as measured at the withers: Dogs, from 24 1/2 to 27 1/2 inches;
bitches, from 23 1/2 to 26 1/2 inches. In each sex, the ideal height is the
median of the two limits, i.e., 26 inches for a dog and 25 inches for a
bitch. Any dog or bitch deviating from the minimum or maximum limits
mentioned shall be severely penalized.
Proportion
The length from the point of the shoulder to the tip of the buttocks is
equal to the height from the ground to the highest point of the withers. A
long-bodied dog should be seriously faulted.
Substance
Powerfully built, strong boned, well muscled, without any sign of heaviness
or clumsiness.
Head
The head is impressive in scale, accentuated by beard and mustache. It is
in proportion to body and build. The expression is bold and
alert.
Eyes neither protrude nor are sunken in the sockets. Their
shape is oval with the axis on the horizontal plane, when viewed from the
front. Their color is a dark brown. The eye rims are black without lack of
pigment and the haw is barely visible. Yellow or light eyes are to be
strongly penalized, along with a walleyed or staring expression.
Ears placed high and alert. If cropped, they are to be a
triangular contour and in proportion to the size of the head. The inner
corner of the ear should be in line with the outer corner of the eye. Ears
that are too low or too closely set are serious faults.
Skull well developed and flat, slightly less wide than
long. When viewed from the side, the top lines of the skull and the muzzle
are parallel. It is wide between the ears, with the frontal groove barely
marked. The stop is more apparent than real, due to upstanding eyebrows. The
proportions of length of skull to length of muzzle are 3 to 2.
Muzzle broad, strong, well filled out, tapering gradually
toward the nose without ever becoming snipy or pointed. A narrow, snipy
muzzle is faulty.
Nose large, black, well developed, round at the edges, with
flared nostrils. A brown, pink or spotted nose is a serious fault. The
cheeks are flat and lean, with the lips being dry and tight fitting. The
jaws are powerful and of equal length. The teeth are strong, white and
healthy, with the incisors meeting in a scissors bite. Overshot or undershot
bites are to be severely penalized.
Neck, Topline, & Body
The neck is strong and muscular, widening gradually into
the shoulders. When viewed from the side, it is gracefully arched with proud
carriage. A short, squatty neck is faulty. No dewlap.
Back short, broad, well muscled with firm level topline. It
is supple and flexible with no sign of weakness.
Body or trunk powerful, broad and short.
The chest is broad, with the brisket extending to the elbow in depth. The
ribs are deep and well sprung. The first ribs are slightly curved, the
others well sprung and very well sloped nearing the rear, giving proper
depth to the chest. Flat ribs or slabsidedness is to be strongly penalized.
Flanks and loins short, wide and well
muscled, without weakness. The abdomen is only slightly tucked up. The
horizontal line of the back should mold unnoticeably into the curve of the
rump, which is characteristically wide. A sunken or slanted croup is a
serious fault.
Tail is to be docked, leaving 2 or 3 vertebrae. It must be
set high and align normally with the spinal column. Preferably carried
upright in motion. Dogs born tailless should not be penalized.
Forequarters
Strong boned, well muscled and straight. The shoulders
are relatively long, muscular but not loaded, with good layback. The
shoulder blade and humerus are approximately the same length, forming an
angle slightly greater than 90 degrees when standing. Steep shoulders are
faulty.
Elbows close to the body and parallel. Elbows which are too
far out or in are faults.
Forearms viewed either in profile or from the front are
perfectly straight, parallel to each other and perpendicular to the ground.
They are well muscled and strong boned.
Carpus exactly in line with the forearms. Strong boned.
Pasterns quite short, slightly sloped. Dewclaws may be
removed. Both forefeet and hind feet are rounded and compact turning neither
in nor out; the toes close and well arched; strong black nails; thick tough
pads.
Hindquarters
Firm, well muscled with large, powerful hams. They should be parallel
with the front legs when viewed from either front or rear.
Legs moderately long, well muscled, neither too straight
nor too inclined.
Thighs wide and muscular. The upper thigh must be neither
too straight nor too sloping. There is moderate angulation at the stifle.
Hocks strong, rather close to the ground. When standing and
seen from the rear, they will be straight and perfectly parallel to each
other. In motion, they must turn neither in nor out. There is a slight
angulation at the hock joint. Sickle or cow-hocks are serious faults.
Metatarsi hardy and lean, rather cylindrical and
perpendicular to the ground when standing. If born with dewclaws, they are
to be removed.
Feet as in front.
Coat
A tousled, double coat capable of withstanding the hardest work in the
most inclement weather. The outer hairs are rough and harsh, with the
undercoat being fine, soft and dense. The coat may be trimmed slightly only
to accent the body line. Overtrimming which alters the natural rugged
appearance is to be avoided.
Topcoat must be harsh to the touch, dry, trimmed, if
necessary, to a length of approximately 21Ú2 inches. A coat too long or too
short is a fault, as is a silky or woolly coat. It is tousled without being
curly. On the skull, it is short, and on the upper part of the back, it is
particularly close and harsh always, however, remaining rough. Ears are
rough-coated.
Undercoat a dense mass of fine, close hair, thicker in
winter. Together with the topcoat, it will form a water-resistant covering.
A flat coat, denoting lack of undercoat is a serious fault.
Mustache and beard very thick, with the
hair being shorter and rougher on the upper side of the muzzle. The upper
lip with its heavy mustache and the chin with its heavy and rough beard
gives that gruff expression so characteristic of the breed.
Eyebrows, erect hairs accentuating the shape of the eyes
without ever veiling them.
Color
From fawn to black, passing through salt and pepper, gray and brindle. A
small white star on the chest is allowed. Other than chocolate brown, white,
or parti-color, which are to be severely penalized, no one color is to be
favored.
Gait
The whole of the Bouvier des Flandres must be harmoniously proportioned
to allow for a free, bold and proud gait. The reach of the forequarters must
compensate for and be in balance with the driving power of the hindquarters.
The back, while moving in a trot, will remain firm and flat. In general, the
gait is the logical demonstration of the structure and build of the dog. It
is to be noted that while moving at a fast trot, the properly built Bouvier
will tend to single-track.
Temperament
The Bouvier is an equable dog, steady, resolute and fearless. Viciousness
or shyness is undesirable