Grooming Equipment
Grooming
It takes both some time and some eqiupment in order to keep your Bouv in a good condition. Above, you can see some of my scissors, combs, brushes etc. that I use. The bouv is double-coated with both undercoat and guard hair. The coat should feel harsh, dry and be matt. One need to spend a couple of hours monthly (or even better – a few moments weekly) plus get your Bouv trimmed 4-6 times per year to keep the coat in a good condition. Maybe even more often if you plan to enter a few shows.
It is a good idea to buy a grooming table and train you pup to stand still on it. This will save you both time and frustration in the future…
I usually start with removing enough undercoat (wool) with a dematting rake so that the coat feels harsh. Actually, I have several different dematting rakes, some for removing mats and some for removing the wool. After that I use a long-toothed comb to brush the entire coat. When I’m finished with this it is time to take a bath. There are several different schampoos one can use but I make a mix of water and washing-up liquid which really makes the coat clean and matt. Don’t use a conditioner – it makes the coat to soft. After bathing I use a hairdryer and a brush to get the coat more fluffy and to make it easier to cut it correctly. See how to cut a bouv by clicking here.
Also check you Bouv’s ears once or twice a month to prevent inflammation. Pluck the hair inside the ears and keep them clean with the help of a proper ear cleansing liquid and some cotton pads.
Don’t forget to cut the nails with a nail clipper twice a month.
Elvis on the grooming table
Excercise and training
The Bouvier is a large breed that needs to be excercised daily. It will happily keep you company biking or jogging when ”grown up” (about 1,5 years or when you have x-rayed the elbows and hips). Jogging and biking will also get your bouv in perfect shape and well muscled.
Personally, I think that a dog is happiest when they can have a daily walk free from the leash. That of course, depends on where you live and your training of your Bouv. Look for places that are fenced where you can let your dog have a good time every now and then or walk it in a tracking line or an extra long leash if you live in the city or aren’t sure that your dog will stay with you off-leash. If you excerise your dog at a daily basis like this it will not drive you crazy the days that you are unable to take longer walks due to illness or something else.
Essentially equal is your basic training together with your bouver. A minimum is to participate in a puppy class and an obedience class for young dogs. Your bouvier will grow up to be a large, strong and quite stubborn dog eventually… If your dog lack the approproate training it may be dangerous both for others and for itself (for example chasing other animals or cars). This training is something you do every day – all you bouv’s life even if you don’t think about it. I do believe that Bouviers are quite easy to train and that they want to please their owners but still it is a strong and independent dog as a grown up. I recommend that they should have a few but unnegotiable rules.
Picture from a walk in the woods
Any bored dog will make up their own occupation. Likely not ones that you approve of, for example digging, barking or excessive guarding. If you activate your Bouvier it will be a happy, harmonic and calm dog. For example you can make it search for food or toys, learn it to fetch your slippers or play ”hide and seek” with it. The Bouvier will also be glad to keep you company wherever you go (where dogs are allowed) so keep it stimulated by visiting friends, taking walks in the city or to follow you to work.
Nutrition
Nutrition is a highly discussed subject and it is hard to give recommendations or advice. Every dog is different when it comes to metabolism, stomach issues and perhaps allergies (though allergies is still unnusal in this breed). Always ask you breeder what kind of food they use and why.
In general, I find it most important to give food that is designed to provide your dog all the nutrient it needs. Often, that is a dry feed (good for the teeth) that you buy from a pet store or your veterinarian. Another thought of mine is that to keep it simple. Choose a brand of food with ingridients that your dog can digest and that your dog likes. Rembember that most cheap brands from your local food store contains ingridients that your dog can’t digest (like cereal grains). Actually, you pay for something that your dog can’t use - it only comes out you know where…
In summary, it don’t have to be more expensive to buy a more pricy brand because you don’t have to feed them the same quantity as with cheaper brands. There are examples of owners that reduced the quantity with almost 50 percent when buying a quality brand!
Of course there also are expensive brands that contain ingridients that you dog don’t need (such as chamomill, aloe vera, licorice root) so always check the ingridients list and look for good protein sources such as chicken, fish, lamb, bone flour etc. These ingridients should be the most substantial. The nutritional need varies from dog to dog and also depend on age, activity level and health status. Use your common sense and consult your breeder/vet/petstore.
