The Bouvier des Flandres is a very talented working dog that competes in may canine events such as tracking, French ring, Mondio ring, IPO, Schutzhund, Obedience, Herding, and Agility.
For those unfamiliar with Mondioring, it is an entire group of exercises completed by the dog and the handler in obedience, agility, and protection. Most of these are protection sports. The exercises go almost nonstop without interruption. The main purpose of the events is for the dog to compete with distractions. The dog must show control and willingness on and off the leash.
The French Confirmation sports events are shows that the Bouvier des Flandres cannot be shown in until they reach the age of a year old. He may compete in other shows before the age of one, but not in the Confirmation. The purpose is to show that the dog is everything his breed should be as far as standards are concerned. The character of the dog is judged, and he cannot be shy, fearful, or dangerous. They are given a character test known as the TAN and TC Character test. The TAN test is a test of the dog's natural aptitude and the TC tests the dog's character. Once the dog passes both these tests, they are considered "confirmed". Once they have been awarded the French Confirmation, they are allowed to reproduce and his initial pedigree is changed to a "definitive pedigree". The pedigree will indicate that the dog is of breeding standard.
Part of the dog's test is to determine how courageous he is as well as fearful. His reaction to a gunshot is tested as well as his ability to protect his owner when an individual attempts to show aggression towards the owner.
They are also given a herding test to see how well the herding instinct is in the dog. If they are successful, they will get an award called a Certificate of Natural Herding Instinct.
The French Bouvier Club also has classifications for dogs based on their overall good health. They will be required to provide the results of an X-ray of the dog's hips as a guarantee that the dog does not have hip Dysplasia. The Bouvier des Flandres will get a number of points based on the X-ray results. The results of this test are put together with the results of the other tests, which showed the dog's instinct and character. All these combined contribute to the dog getting confirmed.
The Bouvier des Flandres is a dog that competes in the different levels of Schutzhund, agility (jumping) events, and obedience. Titles in some of these events must be earned before some of the dogs can attempt to earn their "confirmation".
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