Size, Proportion, Substance
Size--The height as measured at the withers: Dogs, from 24½ to
27½ inches; bitches, from 23½ to 26½ 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, and 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 2½
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.
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