Bouvier des Flanders
HISTORICAL SUMMARY:
The Bouvier des Flandres, as its name indicates, originates from the region of Flanders, a region considered both Belgian and French, without any natural boundary separating it. The herdsmen and herdsmen of Flanders, who needed good dogs to drive their herds, selected the dogs according to their qualities, behavior and physique. Qualities that the current Bouvier des Flandres inherited.
Country of Origin: France.
GENERAL APPEARANCE L : short With a short, stocky torso, strong, well-muscled limbs. The Bouvier de Flanders gives an impression of power without rusticity. It must be judged in its natural position, without any contact with the presenter.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : The length of the body, from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock, should be approximately equal to the height at the withers. The proportion of the length of the skull in relation to the length of the muzzle is 3:2.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT: It has a calm, sensitive, balanced and fearless temperament. Through the fire of his gaze, he reveals intelligence, energy and audacity. He must absolutely conserve his aptitudes for work. Any deviation that could harm them must be penalized.
CRANIAL REGION
skull : Well developed and flat; a little longer than wide. The upper lines of the skull and muzzle are parallel. The frontal groove is just marked.
Stop: Slightly marked, more apparent than real due to the raised eyebrows.
FACIAL REGION
Truffle : In profile, the upper line of the muzzle continues in a smooth convex arc at the tip. Well developed, with well-opened nostrils, rounded edges and always black.
Muzzle : Large, powerful, bony, with a straight topline, tapering towards the front, without being pointed. Shorter than the skull by a ratio of 3:2, and its girth, measured just in front of the eyes, is almost equal to the length of the head.
lips : Well closed and heavily pigmented.
Jaws and Teeth : Powerful, of equal length, being able to articulate the incisors, equally, with the scissor bite, or touching the top with the pincer bite. Strong, white and healthy teeth. The dentition must be complete.
cheeks : Flat and dry. Slightly protruding zygomatic arches.
eyes : Of frank and energetic expression; neither prominent nor deep in the orbits. Slightly oval in shape, they are inserted in a horizontal line. The color should be the darkest according to the coat. Light or predatory eyes should be severely penalized. Black eyelids, no sign of depigmentation. The conjunctiva should never be apparent.
Ears : Triangle-shaped; very straight carriages; set high and mobile; it is recommended that the cut be proportional to the size of the head.
Ears not amputated:
Position: Set on high, above eye level, the fold should not extend beyond the upper plane of the skull.
Shape and size: Semi-long, in the form of an equilateral triangle, slightly rounded at the tips, falling close to the cheeks, except for a slight distance at the insertion; neither folded nor curled; proportional to the size of the head; covered with short hairs.
NECK : : It should be free and high enough. Strong, muscular, gradually widening to the shoulders; its length is slightly shorter than that of the head. Nape powerful and slightly arched. no dewlap
TRUNK
Top Line: Topline of back and loin horizontal, taut and firm .
Withers : Slightly protruding.
Back : Short, broad, muscular and well stocked; no appearance of weakness, yet flexible.
Loin : Short, broad, muscular, straight or slightly arched. The passage from the back to the loin must be firm, without interruptions.
Croup : In continuation to the upper line, merging imperceptibly with the pelvic girdle. Moderately wide in males and more developed in females. The drooping croup is a defect
chest : Wide and well let down to the level of the elbows. It must not be cylindrical. The first ribs are slightly arched; the others, well sprung and very sloping back, giving the desirable length to the chest. Flat ribs will be severely penalized. The distance between the front of the breastbone and the last rib should be large, about 7/10 of the height at the withers.
Bottom line : The lower part of the chest rises very slightly towards the slightly tucked up belly. The flanks are short, especially in males.
TAIL: Set relatively high and should be in alignment with the spine. Some dogs may have congenital anurism and should not be penalized. The tail should be docked within the week of birth, leaving two or three vertebrae. In countries where docking is prohibited, the entire tail is allowed.
MEMBERS
PREVIOUS : Strong boned, well muscled. They are perfectly straight and parallel seen from the front.
Shoulders : Scapula well placed back, well adjusted to the thorax and with strong and dry muscles. Scapulohumeral joint well angulated.
arms : Moderately oblique.
Elbows : Working well adjusted and parallel; close to the chest and correctly facing forward, turning neither out nor in.
Forearms : Viewed from any angle, parallel and vertical. Well muscled with strong bone.
Carpals : In the same plumb as the forearm. The pisiform bone is the only protruding part. Strong bone.
Metacarpals : Very short and with very little inclination. Strong bone.
Paws : Short, round and compact, not turned in or out. Fingers closed and arched. Strong, black nails. Thick and hard pillows
HINDQUARTERS : Sensitively placed on an imaginary line, starting from the highest point of the hip (iliac crest) and perpendicular to the ground.
Knees : Sensitively placed on an imaginary line, starting from the highest point of the hip (iliac crest) and perpendicular to the ground.
Legs : Moderately long, well muscled, moderately angled.
Hocks : Short, wide, muscular and firm. Viewed from behind, they are straight and parallel in a stay position. In motion, they must not turn in or out.
Metatarsals : Robust and dry, more for cylindrical; perpendicular to the ground when the dog is in a natural “stay”. No ergos.
Paws : Round, solid, fingers clenched and arched. Strong, black nails; pads, thick and hard.
DRIVE : The Bouvier des Flandres must be harmoniously proportioned so as to allow free, fluent and confident movement. The step and trot are their usual movement, although there are also those who do the halted step or camel step. At a normal trot, the Bouvier des Flandres covers its front footprints with its hind steps.
SKIN : Firmly adhered, without significant looseness. The edges of the eyelids and lips are always very dark.
COAT
By : Very full, it forms with the undercoat a protective layer perfectly adapted to the sudden climatic variations of the land of origin of the breed. Rustic to the touch, dry and matte, neither too long nor too short (about 6 cm), slightly bristly without being wooly or curly. On the head it is shorter, and almost shallow on the outer surface of the ears, whose inner pavilion is protected by a moderately long coat. The upper lip covered with mustaches and the chin with a thick and bristling beard, giving the bearded expression characteristic of the breed. Eyebrows covered with raised hair, accentuating the shape of the eyebrows, without veiling the eyes. The hair is particularly thick and full on the upper part of the back, shortening towards the limbs, but remaining all rough. Short hair should be avoided as it denotes a lack of undercoat. The undercoat is a layer of fine, dense hair that lies under the covering coat, forming a waterproof coat with it.
COLOR
It is usually grey, brindle or brindle. The black coat is equally accepted without being favored. Light coat is not allowed. A white star on the chest is tolerated.
SIZE : Males: 62 to 68 cm.
Females: 59 at 65 cm.
FAULTS
Any deviation from the terms of this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well being of the dog.
SERIOUS FAULTS
• Shy dog.
• Molossoid appearance; very heavy dog.
• Body clearly too long (slight tolerance for females); very light.
• Too massive head; very marked stop.
• Marked frontal furrow; very prominent zygomatic apophyses.
• Domed, narrow skull; very pronounced occipital crest; total lack of parallelism between the skull and the muzzle.
• Muzzle too long; pointed truffle.
• Saggy or thick lips.
• Jaw twist; malocclusion; small, diseased and poorly aligned teeth.
• Clear, globular eyes; atypical look.
• Whole ears furrowed, forming folds (lobular).
• Cylindrical neck; dewlap.
• Sealed or plucked back.
• Major defects in plumbness; hocks too bent; very still dog.
• Silky hair; absence of undercoat; voluminous, shiny, groomed hair.
• Lack of trim on the head.
• Pigmentation defects: nose, lips and eyelids
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Lack of typicality.
• Depigmented nose or color other than black.
• Pointed muzzle.
• Overshot or undershot.
• Missing any tooth other than PM1.
• Different colored eyes.
• Entropion or ectropion; depigmented eyelids.
• Coat chocolate brown, white, salt and pepper, faded, any blond color, from light to red, even tan.
• Size outside the limits of the standard.
• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.
GRADES
• Males must present both testicles, of normal appearance, well let down and accommodated in the scrotum.
• Only clinically and functionally healthy dogs with typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.