Bouvier des Flandres

Here is another multi-skilled herding breed - the Bouvier des Flandres. Poirot's intelligence, determination and protective nature has made our sheepdog a natural watch and guard dog. He is exceptionally big and strong but also has a very big heart.

Poirot is constantly on the watch, alert to the surroundings. And though he is somewhat leery of strangers, he has such a balanced, non-aggressive personality, along with a very protective nature, that I feel very safe with him watching over the kids. He loves to play with them, but due to his size, I have to watch out when he is with the smaller children.

Poirot needed to learn socialization skills starting from puppyhood. But once he understood the concept of friends, he became an excellent companion dog. Firmness with a kind and patient hand is what Poirot needed. If you have your heart set on one of these dogs, watch out that your puppy doesn't display excessive shyness, because that usually will lead to a much too-timid adult as he matures. On the other hand, some of this breed's puppies are uber-dominant, continually beating up on their siblings. You can guess where that will lead as they mature - dogs so alpha that training them can be problematic. I tried to choose a pup somewhere in the middle, and the breeder helped. I also noted what the personality of their mother was, because that's a guide to the mature make-up of the puppy.

My dog Poirot has grown up to be a well rounded and stable companion. As he's matured, he's outgrown some of the bad habits that he'd developed out of boredom. The Bouvier can adapt to city and apartment life in spite of its size, but will need plenty of exercise in those circumstances. Plan on daily walks or runs in the park - and not the five minute sort of walk, either. You'll need a couple of hours a day to keep a Bouvier happy and well-adjusted. My Poirot really needs the sheep and cattle work that my little ranch provides. I keep him plenty busy, give him equal amounts of love and attention and he has paid me back as a very loyal dog.