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Readings on the Bouvier. |
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by Nora Snyers in WOEF 1993. 'The Bouvier Des Flandres: stubborn & so tender' by Gérard Sasias in Atout Chien 1995. 'Von Gewdraa Oel puts his stamp on the show. Few Bouviers on the annual meeting 1997' by Véronique Vanderveken in WOEF 1997. 'International Bouvierday on the 31th may of 1998: an necessary promotion' by Véronique Vanderveken in WOEF 1998. The official appellation of this breed - the Bouvier Des Flandres - makes me a bit peevish.
It's an artificial definition invented by some French speaking citizens that has nothing in commom with the
original name of the breed, nor with the language of the people who created it.
The (breed) Schipperke can praise himself lucky that he's called Schipperke & not 'Little Sherperd of Brabant'
or something like that… . A dogs live. All over the world people created dogs for their needs. Where there are lots of cows, men needed sturdy cattle-drovers to keep the cattle on the field, drive the cattle to and away from the stable, bring it to the abattoir,… . Why the cynological people focused their eye on the cattle-drover and recognised it as a breed is unknown. Sure is that there were a lot of cattle-drovers in Brabant (Northern part of Belgium) , but not a word is written down about them. The Ardennen (Southern part of Belgium) sure had their bouvier, that's written in old texts, but the one, today, who can find one of these (with full pedigree) can come to me and show it. No, seriously, only the Flemish Cowdog made 'history'... . Why? Was he a better working dog than the others? I think that most of the cynological people did not look at the dogs function in the first place. Something else must have catched their attention. The rough appearance? The lonelyness of the dog, alone in the grandiose Flemish fields? When they found him in towns and hamlets of the 'Westhoek' (Northern coast part of Belgium), he must have looked less civilized than he does now. He had real 'piekhaar', a harder, shorter & pricking coat. The eyebrown and beard was shorter, so was the hair on the legs and that made him look much bigger. They didn't threat him softly. He could never come inside, not even in the stable. He had to work, night and day. During the day on the fields, at night he had to guard the farmyard. He didn't even had a kennel: a sloping plank against a tree or wall was his only shelter against rain, cold and wind. Most of the time he was chained and laid permanently in mudd. About his food, I haven't read anything. It wasn't much. Although he had to be strong, because a farmer who couldn't afford a horse putted him in front of the milkcart, or he had to turn around the heavy churnwheel. He had a real 'dogs live'. Of course the 'piekhaar' had to show autority, because cows are more difficult to manipulate than sheep and can be dangerous too. You have to be a dextrous jumper to avoid a hoofbeat. A 'piekhaar' had to be strong, quick, imposant, dextrous, fearless and autoritair, could never be ill, had to work in every weather and had to be willing and docile, ready to obey his boss. Conclusion: he had to be perfect… . Bullbiters & 'rekels'. Other countries have their cattle-drovers. Let's mention some… the small British Welsh Corgi, the German Rottweiler, the Swiss Sennenhunde,… . With his harsh coat the bouvier is an exception. Where did he get that 'piekhaar'? Just look at him and you will see that he is broader, more powerfull and build heavier than the 'normal' sherperd. That quality you can only get in one group: the mastiffs. In our region the mastiffs were represented by the 'Brabantse Bullenbijters' (Bullbiters of Brabant) and the 'mâtins' or 'rekels', who chased big wildlife and were cartdogs too. Our famous Belgian cartdogs (who were never recognised as an official breed) sure gave some chromosomes to the gene-dish of the bouvier. That explains the differences in temperament between the bouvier and the 'normal' sherperds. The bouvier is not a pure mastiff. He's too willing to be, his 'will to please' is not a mastiff-quality. About the other ingredients of the gene-dish are a lot of stories going around. Mostly the Briard and Picard (already mentioned before?…) played the main role in these stories. I don't think the 'stay-at-home-farmers' made far and expensive trips to get a dog. You could of course get that rough coat from the 'Laekense Herder' (Laeken Sherperd). Brussels was closer to their farm… The Keltic connection? It can be found closer or farther. At the border of the 'Westhoek', in Koksijde stood the 'Abdij ter Duinen' ('Abbey of the Dunes'). There is nothing else left from it now than some walls and a magnificent stone dogkennel, on a strategic place and fitting for a big dog. The monks, that's what the cronicles tell, had a good relationship with the Brittish Island, especially with Scotland. Don't they have the Irish Wolfhound and his Scottish nephew, the Deerhound? With a rough coat, mostly grey and brindle? We know that the abbeys exchanged dogs and that these dogs were not so celibate as their owners. I bet on some Keltic contribution of the Abbey, some strong local 'rekels' and a bit of sherperd-blood. After some centuries that cocktail could give us the 'piekhaar'. Just around 1910 there was something written down about the 'piekhaar' by French speaking citizens who had cynology as a hobby. They named him 'bouvier'… . Quarrel When I look at the official history of the bouvier, it's obvious that it has been nothing else but a quarrel: about the color, the head, the hight, the coat, the type. At one moment there were two types: the type 'Moerman' and the type 'Paret'. New 'cynological people' bought some bouviers in farms and did some experiments with them. There were some judges who named theirselves 'specialists' of the breed. It seems to me that at a certain moment there were more judges than dogs. All of them with their own opinion. The biggest quarrel was about the color: one group said that the bouvier had to be big and black, the other group said he had to be nor black, nor big. The craziest thing is that none of them asked the owners and breeders of the animals what they thought… . Immigrant The Dutch came in the quarrel too. Before we come to that point, let us return to the color. Since ancient times a guard dog has to impress and is thus best dark. That doesn't has to say that he has to be completely black. I think that the original owners of the bouviers exactly knew how big and heavy a bouvier had to be to impress; and how quick he had to be to avoid the hoofs. They searched for a coat that protected the dog against rain, cold, as well as hot weather. The coat of the actual bouvier doesn't seem to reach that goal: it doesn't stop the rain anymore… . The bouvier-fanciers can comfort theirselves: the rough coat is the most difficult, and mostly all of the harsh coats tend to soften, due to a selection for longer beards and eyebrownhair and more coat on the legs. The result is that a bouvier needs a more regular grooming, good news for the grooming business… . The drama of World War I did not spare the bouvier. He didn't only see his homeland in gun-fire, trenches and barbed wire during four years, he was also shot down, starved, taken by the German. A part of the population went to more safe Belgian regions, to France and the Netherlands (here we are...). With the result that more bouviers are to be found there! That's not unusual, Belgium is a small country, and all of our breeds are better represented abroad then they are here. The bouvier, an immigrant, even took the number one of the list of the most popular breed in the Netherlands! We can be proud of our creation, the world is fond of it. Odium It took quite a long time to make the bouvier into a uniform breed. That is shown by the heterogeneous origine of the breed. In 1912 there were two standards. The first recognised the black color, the second didn't. After the first World War the bouvier was unemployed, the barbed wire of the trenches was now used to keep the cows in the fields. His only task was now to guard the farmyard. The farmers didn't need the bouvier that much anymore, they became unfaithful to him and his survival became depended of the fanciers, who didn't look at his functional criteria anymore, but at his appearance. Happily there were few people who understood that this workingcriteria was one of his biggest trumps and began to test him for defense. Gradually the bouvier evolved from a suspicious yarddog to a calm, self-confident dog with a high provocation-threshold (or should we say 'pik-threshold'). It took the breed a long time to get there: he carried the odium of the chained dog a long time with him. In 1921 the first bouvierclub was established and two years later, in 1923, the new standard appeared. The bouvier inspired some of our countries biggest breeders to a live long passion and devotion. Justin Chastel. In 1932 Justin Chastel showed his first bouvier, the first of a whole serie, that didn't stop untill today. Hopefully we will be able to see bouviers of 'de la Thudinie' at all shows. Chastel is called 'the father of the modern bouvier', and is recognised as in the whole world. He's one of the few breeders of our small country who build a reputation which stands more than 60 years. Dogs of 'de la Thudinie' are on every pedigree of any bouviers who proved himself. Chastel worked so consequently and grim on the building of a uniform bouvierfamily that the quarrel about color and type stopped and that everyone took his idea of the ideal bouvier. A great performance. His breeding method? A dose of inbreeding with a relentless selection. Chastel thinks it's wrong to mate different families frequently. It can give some good results but it is futureless. In the first place he looked at fundamental qualities: character, type and movement. He was convinced that a good breeder must be a 'user', that he should work with his dogs, otherwise he can never get a good overview of the temperament and character. The character is as complex as the appearance and a good breeder should keep that in mind when mating two dogs. If a breed looses an eminent characterquality, the breeders are responsible for that. The goal is not only to breed the exceptional animal that wins a lot of titles, but breeding a bloodline that passes on the normal breedcharacter. This were some ideas of the book that Chastel published. He adds that the owner of a bouvier should not expect his dog to be a hero, but that he should be really dissappointed if his dog wouldn't defend him when he's in danger. A second kennel, also a pillar in the construction of the breed, is certainly 'Du Posty Arlequin' of Grulois. Belgian compromise. The definitive standard of the breed is the one from 1965. We can say that the breed is only recently recognised. The quarrel about the ideal appearance lasted for years and this standard is probably the the golden mean. The real cradle of the breed - de Westhoek, Roeselare and Gent - is in Belgium, but also in French-Flandres (were people still speak flemish) people said the breed was 'theirs'. The French didn't want a black bouvier, the Dutch (here they are again...), who adopted the breed during World War I and bred it, liked the black. The bouvier who didn't had to jump for a hoof anymore, could be bigger and stronger. The case was ended with a big compromise, like everything in the Belgian tradition: the breed was French-Belgian, got the pompous name of 'Bouvier Des Flandres', could if needed be purely black, with a maximum height of 68 cm. The type that Chastel created was the ideal for the showring. Ends well, you can't turn back history… . Noska and Manno. She's dark, wrapped in a mass of rough and dark hair. Once in a while when the sun comes from behind the clouds, you can see one of her dark eyes. Her name is Noska and her breeder got the title 'Topfokker van het Jaar 1992' (Topbreeder of the year 1992) thanks to her. Her small and cropped ears move above the mass of hair and her big feeth are jumping in the air, all four together. She got a charming pink tongue. When she likes you, she lies herselves down trying to give you her feeth. You can touch her strong ribs. She's frank and friendly, without suspicion, the opposite of the rough appearance a bouvier has. That doesn't mean she can't throw herself at the agitator. She bites the sleeve with all of her teeth. Her silhouette has something compact, shortly build, like the standard wants it.'Cob' they call that. The small tail that she kept, is moving funnily in all that hair. When you see her eyes under her eyebrowns, she gives you the look of a honest, rustic dog. Noska - she was the figurehead of her kennel in 1992 - is almost black. Manno, the older male, is slate-coloured and got more prices that the little lady. He's a real 'manneke' ('guy'), with strong and big hips, a broad back, a short body, a great coat and both fierce and kind-hearted eyes, a dancing movement and the quality of turning very quickly. He likes defense and bites very well. Don't mock at him. But I can touch him, throwing my arms around him. A darling of a 'piekhaar'. I ask the breeder about the qualities of these two dogs: 'A good pigmentation, good teeth, a closed eye, a parrallel skull and muzzel, a strong back, a good ears- and tailsett, a frank movement, good coats, a fierce attitude in the ring, they score high points in the charactertest and the CQN ànd are HD free'. It's difficult for a Belgian dog to become a champion, they have to get a working certificate, where the Dutch dogs 'only' have to be beautiful… . Maternity. The breeder works with his dogs and that takes a lot of his time, but he thinks it necessary to keep beautifull ànd good bouviers. That way he can show his dogs in Working Class. A visit to the kennel, where 11 bitches are jumping. With Manno the kennel has 3 males and two pups. They stay in neat kennels, near a green grassfield. There's also a special maternity where mom and pups spend the first days after birth. It's spotlessly clean out there and I admire the special floor, used in clinics too that keeps contaminations out. What surprises me is that I can put my fingers thru the wiring, the bouviers bark but let my fingers whole and are curious. The pups are not shy at all, they jump and are extremly curious. I like all the dogs here, small and big. I see that they are all in a seperate kennel: there has to be a good reason for. The breeder looks to the future: in one of the kennels I see a bitch with small uncropped ears, well started on the head and hanging down. He bought her in the Netherlands (where the cropping is forbidden since a long time now), she comes from a famous Dutch kennel from witch the dogs come for 3/4 out of his bloodline. She will, if needed, add the good uncropped hanging ears into his kennel. The dogs out of this kennel come from a cocktail of the 'de la Thudinie' and Dutch dogs with worktemperament (special working-bloodlines). When the breeder started in 1975 he saw the problem of the movement. Still now he has to be carefull to keep the worktemperament and the strong, right back. Late-flowering. What is the character of the typical bouvier? There are many words for it: kind, social, friendly for kids, willing to work, frump, good guarddog, honest, quiet, affectionate, can adjust himself, is a late-flowering dog. You can't work with him too much, when he's young. This element is clear in his learning-process, where the owner should be very patient. A high percentage of the dogs out of this kennel succeed for the workingtests, especially the bitches (!). They are convinient for obedience and 'Veldwerk' ('Fieldwork'). They work a bit slower than a Malinois (who doesn't?) and don't like the heat at all. The are good jumpers, willing too, so agility is a sport for them. The pups are born very dark, the breeder selects them at 6 to 7 weeks. The pups have such a strong characters then that this is very easy. Playing is all they are interested in! Most of the pups come back for grooming, that way it's easy for the breeder and his wife to see the results of their selection, they learn everything about the positive and negative points of a combination. An important advantage for a serious breeder. A lot of buyers here want to work with their dog. The breeder is very happy about that, because every breeder is dependent of what the owners will do with their dogs. He starts to breed the bitches at the age of 5 (after conformation and the CQN) and 2 or 3 litters are more than enough. The bouvier is a strong, healty and vital dog who can easily reach the age of 10, sometimes even older and stays normal untill the end. Like in every breed there are some hereditary problems, but they are rare and a good breeder selects carefully and tests the parents. The bouvier, the 'piekhaar', a dog from our country: solid, reliable, grim of outward, warm of hart… . The club announces: Belgische Club Belge du Bouvier Des Flandres. Connected at the KKUSH (Koninklijke Kynologische Unie St. Hubertus - Royal Cynological Union St. Hubertus) with number 70. The Bouvier is first mentionned with the Belgian breeds by Prof. Dr. Ad Reul of the veterinarianschool in Kuregem in the year 1894. Around 1912 they appeared in the North of France and the region of Roeselare. Charles Huge published the first detailled description of the bouvier in 1919 under the name 'Bouvier Belge'. In 1921 Ph. Gryson of the kennel 'de la Lys' established the Club du Bouvier des Flandres in Gent. In 1937 a common standard was created by the Belgian and French Club. The Belgian Club changed his name in 1947 into 'Club National Belge du Bouvier Des Flandres' with Florimond Verbanck, Félix-Eugène Verbanck and August Fransket in the comitee, all tree well-known cynologues and breeders. Félix Verbanck made the Bouvier to what he is today. The most important Belgian and North-French breeders selected their Bouviers and mated them with his good advises. A new common standard for Belgium and France was approved by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale). In 1974 Justin Chastel, owner of the kennel 'de la Thudinie', became president. He had promoted the type of Bouviers that we know now for 40 years then, with great succes. In 1990 Leo Goyvaerts (Topbreeder 1992 with the kennel Von Gewdraa Oel) became president, a true fancier of the working dog with attention for his beauty. The official clubname is now Belgische Club Belge du Bouvier Des Flandres. The members pay attention at the character of the Bouvier. His use as guard- and defencedog is an important quality for them. To keep that quality they organise selectiontests (charactertests), CQN (Certificat de Qualité Naturelle - Certificate of Natural Qualities) for defense and tracking, and specialty shows. Every serious and sporty fancier and/or breeder is welcome as a member. Warning: there's an other club for the Bouvier Des Flandres ('Vereniging voor Vlaamse Koehonden') but that one is not recognised by the KKUSH. Note that the Comitee of the Belgian Bouv Club has changed since 1993. Translation by Véronique Vanderveken of the article of Nora Snyers in WOEF, copyright 1993. 
When people in France, as well as in Belgium & the Netherlands talk about 'the Bouvier', they refer to the 'des Flandres' one. It's the truth that other breeds are more popular but don't have his reputation: the Bouvier-type, referring to his rough and dynamic character, a bit independant but willing to work. He kept the appearance of a working dog, strongly build, but under his rough coat there's a good base. Brave & robust Concerning his molossian part, we could consider the Spanish dogs (the region was dominated by Spain for a long time). Untill the 14th century there was the bullenbeisser (cattle-biter) & later on the Belgian cartdogs. This origine could be seen at the first conformation shows around 1880-1890. Some of the judges said that the ears were the link to name a dog a Bouvier: naturally upwards, often cropped... . It was not the appearance that interested the fanciers. They had a very brave and robust character. It was that character that rescued them from vanishing. Their future was definitive in 1965 with the new standard. That seems late but is easy to explaine. Flandres is Flemish as well as French: that didn't help to create a commom standard. A lack of a commom standard led to a very large genetic variety. It's almost a miracle that the Bouvier is a French-Belgian breed. Popularity The region was the centre of the First World War. A lot of the Bouviers were used to military goals (guardian...) and the breeding suffered. We won't mention the discussions and differences between the 'French' type, the type of 'Moerman' or 'Roulers', the type of 'Paret' (later on carried thru 'de la Thudinie'),... who don't have any interest since decennia. There was enough material to create several varieties or breeds. Their breedingbase wasn't as strong anymore to create and keep them. The Belgian breeding program was one of great dynamism in the twenties (the Belgian club was created in 1921, made a new standard two years after) but was slown down by discussions about bloodlines, coat,... and the second World War. Since 1965, the ideal description of this dog, the standard, hasn't been updated. It describes a cobby dog, compact, just enough power to be mobile and quick in action. Opposite to other breeds, the selection didn't lead to bigger dogs. The male can have 40 kg, where other sherperds-breeds reach easily 55 kg. In the sixties and seventies it looks as they were more popular here. The dogs of a breed (or looking like) progressed, but not the Bouvier. The number of dogs registred in the Livre d'Origine Français (French Kennel Club Book) is the same as 30 years ago: 600-700 a year. When a person visits a breeder he knows the breed. Mention that despite of the small population the Book is a closed one: a dog who's origine is not known for 3 generations, isn't registred in the LOF but in an other Book. In France, unless his good reputation, he's a dog of only some fanciers. He's a bit more popular in Belgium, in the Netherlands he was the 'number one' breed for some years. He represents a dog who is traditionally appreciated for his grey or black coat, his temperament, his solid structure. It's in the Netherlands that the populations is the biggest: at least 40.000 Bouviers... of diverse quality... . Rough coat & ardent character The breed is not very extended elsewhere: 1500-2000 births a year in the States, 100-200 in England. Why? Is it because fanciers adopted him? He became an original breed. But not an excentric one. A great guardian, a bit more daring than quiet, rough, who needs a lot of activity. A while ago, that activity was less found on the working fields: but it's there that he build his reputation of a biting and self-willed dog. It's the thruth that the recent competitions are not really ideal for this kind of breed. Now, we can see him in defence competition again, and also on the tracking fields. Training at a obedience, défense or tracking club (where men know his character!) can only be positive. A mixture of strenght and tenderness He has an extraordinary balance, but is late-flowering and is only mature at the age of 2 1/2 or 3. The Bouvier requires a boss who is patient, but determined. He has to gain the trust of this stubborn dog, rough, direct, self-willed, but when he gains it he keeps it forever. He will never the less keep his stubborn and independant character. With kids he reveals a total security and a patience of an angel. Talking to breeders, you will always hear of their contact as a child with Bouviers. They learned them to walk, kept their biggest secrets,... It's this mixture of strenght and tenderness, dynamism and calm, will to please and character that attracts the Bouvier-lovers. Aren't you attracted by that serious strenght? Translation by Véronique Vanderveken of the article of Gérard Sasias in Atout Chien, june 1995, p. 66-69.
Outside the temperatures where rising above the 32°C.
Despite the fact that all the doors were open, the hall Manifragi in Waver was an oven.
The people suffered from the hot weather, the bar did good business,... And the dogs? Only 46 dogs were entered on what should be the most important day of a club. Charactertest You could count the dogs entered in the workingclass on one hand. The male-winner of that class has an IPO3.
An exception. In the last clubmagazine there were only 2 Belgian Bouviers who got this workingcertificate
since 1988. How is the workingtemperament of this breed doing? Rather well, judging the rising
number of Bouvs attaining CQN, IPO and fieldwork. Results Translation of the article of and by Véronique Vanderveken for WOEF, copyright 1997
Beautifull spring weather, nice surroundings and a relaxing atmosphere: that's how the International Bouvierday
can be called. It was organised by the Heistse Honden Club under the responsability of the Belgian Bouvier des
Flandres Club. The programm was conceived as demonstrations who revealed the magnificent workingtemperament of this breed:
IPO-RCI, Mondioring, Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehonden Vereniging (KNPV), obedience, charactertest, CQN, defense
and Ringsport. The margins of the standard. I heard some voices in the public saying that these dogs missed some control & that some excercises weren't finished properly: 'if they bite it's OK...' . It was a demonstration and very spectacular for an outsider. These magnificent working Bouviers were a bitter example of a problem witch also this breed faces: the gap between 'workers' and 'showers'. Most of the dogs of the Mondioring and KNPV were just fitting between the margins of the standard. Here raises the question if a Bouvier only has to be beautifull to stand in the show ring or that he only has to take the agitator and further has to be called vicious and not social. In both cases the answer has to be a resolute NO ! To the letter of the standard we can say that a working dog wasn't a reflexion of the needs of dogshows but one of the needs of its user. We must not forget that in the beginning of this century, its appearance and character were build and selected for and by its work and not by its presence in the showring. A dog can, nor might call himself Bouvier des Flandres if he's not between the margins of the standard: nor by appearance, nor by character! In the coming years there's a lot of work to do for the club, the breeders and the owners. The club should promote the different disciplines. It might be good to start at the base with an extensive charactertest... . The breeders will have to be more carefull when selecting sire and dam and thus balance on the edge in the search of the ideal temperament and appearance. If a breed tends to lose its character, only one group will be pointed at: the breeders. Their goal must not only be to breed that one magnificent dog who wins every show, but has to be in the first place to continue and create sound bloodlines. Every fancier knows that a Bouvier is a nice working dog but he doesn't fit for everyone. Potential owners should be aware that he needs a consequent but soft hand to guide his enormous character; that he needs lots of movement to grow soundly and that he needs first of all to live in a family. The nice obedience demonstrations showed that the Bouvier is a nice partner for this discipline. He can easily get to the level of Program 1 and 2. With lots of attention and enthousiasm he heels - even through water - does the recall and retrieves with pleasure. The attendance on this day was, despite the small publicity that was made, rather good. Under those present were owners, fanciers, breeders from Belgium, Holland and two of the States. They all enjoyed the punctual organisation and the neat site of the Heistse Hondenclub. An International Bouvierday: a nice initiative that must be repeated. All those present were sure about one thing: there's nothing better than the rough & truth love of a Bouvier, a sage dare-devil. Let's hope that all newborn Bouviers will still be worth that name... . Translation of the article of and by Véronique Vanderveken for WOEF, copyright 1998
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