Are Bouvier Dogs Aggressive?

Moxie: Are Bouvier dogs Aggressive??
I am very interested in buying a Bouvier. All my research says the Bouvier dogs are supposed to be friendly, but not overly outgoing.
But, when I mention it to some people who show dogs and work with dogs, I get the same answer: The Bouviers are dog aggressive and don't like people."
Are they just seeing badly bred or untrained Bouviers?

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Answers and Views:

Answer by Sandra R
Bouviers are love sponges. They really think that they are lap dogs. Like any dog that is not well-socialized dog aggression and guarding can become an issue. Look what they were originally bred for. Tada.

This is more of a training issue than anything else. Never met an impatient Bouvier yet.

Answer by Starlight
Bouviers are not naturally aggressive but they need to be well socialized and trained at an early age. Most of the ones I know have been a little hyper around strangers, however as I always say the dog is a reflection of the owner.

Answer by Gabrielle B
Bouvier des Ardennes or Bouvier des Flandres :)

Answer by Poppy
I've been fortunate to have had and still have Bouviers for fifteen years. Not recommended for first-time peeps, very protective of family, suspicious of strangers can be dog aggressive, very empathetic towards family members, very loyal, bossy, dominant, indoor dog, high maintenance coat, drippy water beard, affectionate with family members, aloof, please don’t shave or cut the beard ever, a firm loving hand to be the pack leader. A breed, if you are lucky enough to have one is the absolute very best!!! Do your research people,, and the very best of luck!

Answer by DachsieLvr
Personally, I think it's training/badly bred like you said. Everybody loves Goldens and are the first ones to rag on Pit Bulls until I tell them that I nearly got mulled by a golden (luckily he was muzzled), and some of the sweetest dogs I have met have been Pits.

It's horrible to say but people discriminate against a lot of breeds for the wrong reasons. They should discriminate against the owners who let their dogs get away with it. I have to say I have not come across many Bouviers, but I am still a firm believer that any dog can be a horrible dog if they have horrible owners.

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Answer by borderbethie
I have been able to groom and show quite a few Bouviers (des Flanders) and not one was aggressive. They are strong herding dogs and do need good obedience training. The ones I have known are affectionate to their owners, but not a "needy" type of affection. They are content with praise and petting but don't NEED to be, excuse the expression -up your butt like some other breeds.

They can be protective of their homes and their people. Friendly yes, but not the slap-happy type of friendly dog that will go with anyone. As an example, I met a lovely champion stud dog at a show. I talked to his owner, got to pet him, and talk to him for a few minutes - he was fine, friendly, mannerly. About an hour later the owner asked me to take him into the ring because she has another dog in at the same time. He was comfortable with me and we won the class.

They do need professional grooming every 6 weeks and need at least weekly grooming to keep the coat from matting. If they are untrained they can be headstrong and hard to handle.

Answer by Debi Butler
I have an 8-year-old male Bouvier. Captain Jack is as sweet and loyal toward me as can be. However, he has been unpredictable with others. He snapped at a child in the vet's office when she went from petting him to trying to hug him. He snapped at a teenage friend of my daughters who was just sitting on the couch petting him. He hasn’t broken the skin but these are concerning issues. When he was younger he would growl at people he didn’t know even if we were standing next to him.

I don’t think it’s the breed, but it is my dog. I extensively researched the breed, husband is an ex K-9 handler so we know how to manage dogs. I don’t think it's how he was raised. He just gets something in his head that will either make him growl or snap. So…we can’t allow him around others without one of us extremely close by. I would give careful consideration to bringing one into a family with children. They will protect the family but kids have friends, and that could lead to issues. Would I recommend this breed, absolutely, are they messy yes, are they worth it yes, every minute!

Answer by Poppy
I think they are very rarely unpredictable, in fact just the opposite. If he’s snapping it’s probable he will snap again. It sounds like you keep Jack out of trouble. I agree regarding socialization. My Bouvs let anyone or anything into my home that I allow in without exception.

Read more:

• Do Bouvier des Flandres dogs drool alot?
• Dealing with Aggressive Dog Behavior
• How to Stop Dog Aggression towards Children

Answer by Bryce B
I've owned rotty's, pits, german shepherds, and dobermans. Most dogs that have been tagged "aggressive" can be. but it all depends on training. dogs want nothing more in life than to make you happy. if you are happy when your dog is a loving companion, he will be. if you're happy when he's tearing the flesh off of another human, he'll do that instead.

You have to always remember, a dog is a dog, not a human. canine rules aren't like human rules. if a little kid is messing with a big dog, the dog can't tell him to stop or run and tell on the kid, the dog can only bite. if a dog is put in a fight or flight situation he will ignore everything he has been taught and react.

Answer by marci_knows_best
I have heard that Bouviers are not super outgoing (like goldens are) but that is not necessarily a bad thing. A well-socialized, well-bred Bouvier is very unlikely to be dog aggressive or not like people. They are herding dogs, and most of the herding group tend to be strong-willed and a little bossy. That comes with the territory. They absolutely need obedience training, but so do most breeds.

They are not the dog for everyone, but in my somewhat limited experience, they are great and not aggressive dogs. The Bouvier Club has a very good info page on owning their breed.
http://www.bouvier.org/
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