A Bouvier's coat is profuse and boasts a coarser outer coat with a much closer and denser undercoat which means they are quite high maintenance when it comes to keeping things looking tidy and a dog's skin in good condition. Particular attention has to be paid to their moustaches and beards because they get quite wet when dogs drink and food tends to stick in them when they eat too. If not cleaned every day, not only do their moustaches and beards get a bit smelly, but it provides the perfect environment for bacteria to flourish.
A Bouvier's coat should also be hand stripped a couple of times a year which is especially true during the Spring and then again in the Autumn when, like most dogs, they tend to shed the most hair. It's also important to check a dog's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up in a dog's ears, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure when it comes to ear infections.
Bouviers are not high energy dogs, but they do enjoy being out and about as often as possible. They need to be given a minimum of 60 minutes a day and ideally this should be a shorter walk first thing in the morning and then a longer, more interesting walk in the afternoon. They also love to be able to spend as much time as possible in the garden, weather permitting. However, garden fencing has to be very secure to keep these large dogs in.
With this said, young Bouvier puppies should not be given too much exercise because their joints and bones are still growing and too much pressure on them could result in causing a dog a few problems later on in their lives. They should not be allowed to jump and down off furniture, in and out of the car or up and down stairs because it puts too much pressure on a puppy's growing joints.
If you get a Bouvier des Flandres puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same puppy food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.
Older dogs are not known to be fussy or finicky eaters, but this does not mean you can feed them a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature dog twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening, making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements. It's also important that dogs be given the right amount of exercise so they burn off any excess calories or they might gain too much weight which can lead to all sorts of health issues. Obesity can shorten a dog's life by several years so it's important to keep an eye on their waistline from the word go.
