The Bouvier des Flandres is a big beautiful longhaired dog. At least he probably is in most of the pictures you've seen. The beauty you see in the pictures is the result of bathing and excellent grooming. If you plan to have a Bouvier des Flandres as your pet, you will need to either learn how to groom or be acquainted with a groomer that can service you and your dog every 6 to 8 weeks.
Although many believe the Bouvier do not shed, they do still lose a little hair between the under coat and over coat of their hair. The longer hairs of the outer coat prevent the loose hairs from underneath from falling out. Instead, this loose hair usually becomes matted and can be a real mess if it's not taken care of. The Bouvier requires a weekly combing and brushing to keep the coat looking clean, glossy and neat. Brushing and combing your dog's hair regularly will prevent the hair from having time to mat up underneath. Make sure your Bouvier gets a nutritional diet and ample exercise, as this will also help his coat to look healthy.
Some owners give their Bouvier baths in their own bathtub with dog shampoo, making sure to properly rinse them. Others take them to a professional groomer to be bathed. The Bouvier doesn't need a bath that often; in fact, bathing them too often can strip them of their natural oils on their body. Regular line brushing followed by combing through their hair will help to keep the hair clean as well.
Cleaning your dog's ears is a part of grooming that many owners fail to do. Clean ears are a very important part of dog grooming. Many dogs will get ear infections or yeast infections in the ears and without cleaning, go unnoticed. Clean the dog's ear canal with a cotton ball dipped in dog-ear cleaner. Make sure you thoroughly dry the ear as dampness can cause problems for the dog. You may also put some ear powder in the ear to keep it dry. Always be very careful around the eardrum so as not to damage it. If you are uncertain as to how to do this, consult your vet and he can show you the steps. Many owners choose to brush their dog's teeth with a dog toothbrush and paste or baking soda. Clipping his nails is an important part of grooming. This should be done from the time your Bouvier is very young, so they grow accustomed to having it done. Make sure you don't cut too deep to avoid bleeding.
Depending on your individual Bouvier, you can have your groomer show you tips on what would look best. If you groom him yourself, this is a great opportunity to reinforce his basic commands (sit, stay, down, etc.).
Always brush the coat thoroughly before you begin grooming. Brush up one way and then brush the hair back down. Brushing both ways gets rid of a lot of dirt as well as dead loose hair. The skull should be sheared to 1/2" in length, but the body will be left at 2 1/2" long. Use scissors to trim the eyebrows, going from the outside to the center of the eye. Making sure to have the legs full with straight lines, trim the hair between their toes and shear around the feet. If you are not sure of yourself, have a professional groomer show you the first few times.
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