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Bouvier des Flandres

The Bouvier des Flandres was developed in 18th-19th-century Belgian Flanders as a cattle-drover and all-purpose farm dog.

Calculate Bouvier des Flandres age
Lifespan11.3 yrrange 10–12
SizeGiantHerding Group
Weight70–110 lb31.8–49.9 kg
Senior at5 yrgeriatric at 8

Gallery (3)

About

About the Bouvier des Flandres

The Bouvier des Flandres was developed in 18th-19th-century Belgian Flanders as a cattle-drover and all-purpose farm dog. The breed nearly disappeared after World War I before being rebuilt from a small number of surviving dogs.

Aging

How Bouvier des Flandress age

RVC VetCompass places median lifespan at 11.3 years (n=230). Elbow dysplasia (8.0%) and subaortic stenosis (a congenital cardiac defect) are the signature concerns; gastric dilatation-volvulus is also elevated given the deep-chested body.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 11.3 yr · range 10–12Senior careSenior at 5 · geriatric at 8Common health issues6 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
70–110 lb(31.8–49.9 kg)
Height
23.5–27.5 in(59.7–69.8 cm)
Coat type
Wire
Colors
BlackBrindleFawnGray BrindlePepper & SaltGrayBlack & BrownBlack & FawnBlack & GrayWhiteBlack & WhiteBrown
Temperament

Temperament

How Bouvier des Flandress tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

courageousloyalstrong-willedprotective
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Cardiac Defect

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Cardiac Defect land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Bouvier des Flandres physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.