The breed’s name derives from the wordbouvier, which means “cow-herder” in French. A beautiful example of the modern Bouvier des Flandres is Belg. Ch. Noska von Gewdraa Oel.
The exact origins of many breeds have never been documented or are said to be buried in history, because these breeds already existed centuries before any interest in “pure-bred dogs” began. For other breeds, their actual histories can be traced and their evolutions can be documented easily. Fortunately, with the Bouvier des Flandres much information is available on the breed’s beginnings and early history, although it is still rather difficult to trace the exact origin of the breed.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The wordbouvier translates from the French to mean a person who tends bovines; therefore, it means “cow-herder” and, as a derivation, also “cow dog.” This has the same meaning as the DutchKoehond. Mostly, when using the name “Bouvier,” it is the Bouvier des Flandres to which one is referring, although there are many other breeds that are used as cattle dogs.
Many characteristic Flemish names have been given to the Bouvier des Flandres, such as “Boever” (from the Frenchbouvier); “Pikhaar” (pick hair) or “Pik,” which refers to the “picking” or rough hair; and “Vuilbaard” (dirty beard), referring, of course, to his beard and mustache, which soak up water when he drinks and become soiled.
The legendary Nic was of unknown origin but was a military dog and a well-known Belgian champion who died in 1926 and is considered as the founding sire of the Bouvier breed.
WHERE DOES THE BOUVIER COME FROM?
The complete and official name of the breed is Bouvier des Flandres, which is French, meaning “cow or cattle dog of Flanders.” In Dutch, the breed is named “Vlaamse Koehond” (Flemish cow dog) or “Vlaanderse Veedrijver” (cattle drover of Flanders). As the name indicates, the Bouvier originated in Flanders, which during the Middle Ages was a county that occupied territories of the presentday Frenchdépartement of Nord, the Belgian provinces of East Flanders and West Flanders and the Dutch province of Zeeland. Because the Bouvier originated in Flanders, which was Belgian as well as French, the breed is considered to be both Belgian and French. Consequently, both Belgium and France are responsible for maintaining the official Bouvier des Flandres breed standard of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the main kennel club of continental Europe with member countries around the world.
BELGIAN BREEDS ON STAMPS
On May 26, 1986, four postage stamps were issued in Belgium to honor the Belgian working breeds. The Bouvier des Flandres and three Belgian Sheepdog breeds—the Malinois, Tervuren and Groenendael—were featured on the stamps.
THE CRADLE OF THE BREED: AN ABBEY
It is generally known that monks have given saints’ names to certain breeds, such as the St. Bernard and the Belgian breed the St. Hubert Hound (Bloodhound). We know, thanks to the research of Louis Huyghebaert, a major Belgian canine authority, who in 1948 published the history of the Bouvier in the Belgian magazineL’Aboi (meaning “The Bark”), stating that the monks of the abbey Ter Duinen were the first breeders of Bouviers. He also states that the Bouviers at that time were too common and too rustic (rough and unrefined) to be given the name of a patron saint.
The abbey Ter Duinen was founded in 1107 in Coxyde, on the western coast of Flanders. It became the biggest and most famous abbey in Flanders. The monks had their own fleet and they imported dogs from England, especially large, gray-brindle, rough-coated sighthounds, said to be Scottish Deerhounds and Irish Wolfhounds. The imported dogs were bred to the regional farm dogs. Through selective breeding, a large ro
