ORIGIN AND HISTORY
The Bouvier des Flandres was developed from a rough-coated cattle dog native to northern France and Belgium. Flanders is an area that covers parts of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands, and both France and Belgium have claimed the Bouvier des Flandres as theirs—so much so that the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) dubbed it the “Franco-Belgian” dog.
The Bouvier des Flandres was a messenger and ambulance dog during World War I, and it’s fortunate that this brought him recognition and visibility because when Flanders was nearly destroyed during the war, so was he. A Belgian army veterinarian, Captain Darby, can be credited with saving the Flandres breed through the war years. Today, the Bouvier is on the job in places all over the world, where he is also treasured as a first-rate companion.
Read more about the Bouvier Des Flandres.
Excerpted from World Atlas of Dog Breeds, 6th Edition. © 2009 T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Used by Permission.