Difference between a Black Russian Terrier and a Bouvier des Flandres

As an owner of a Black Russian Terrier (BRT), how many times your BRT has been mistaken for a Bouvier des Flandres?

Yes, walking down the street, you can hear the whispers of a young person telling his mother or father, there’s a Bouvier, or even an adult stopping to complement you on you Bouvier. Yes, and then you have to explain to them that your Black Russian Terrier is not a Bouvier. They look at you at amazement and try to explain their mistake. Well you cannot really blame them, can you? If you do not know the breeds, they look alike, however, at first glance you can recognize that both dogs are completely different.

Black Russian Terrier courtesy Iz Teremka BRT Kennel

Bouvier des Flandres

All pure breed dogs throughout the world are classified into Groups. The Black Russian Terrier belongs to the Working Group in North America and is classified by the Federation Cynologique Internationale under Group 2. The Black Russian Terrier originates from Russia. The Bouvier des Flandres originated from Belgium and is classified in the Herding Group in North America and belongs to Group 1 of the Federation Cynologique Internationale.

The male Black Russian Terrier when fully mature can reach a weight of 150 lbs (68kgs). The females are much lighter and can reach a weight of approximately 105 lbs (48kgs). The Bouviers male and female can attain a weight of 60 lbs to 90 lbs (27kgs to 40kgs). Comparing a mature Black Russian Terrier male against a mature male Bouvier, the Black Russian Terrier is a much larger and heavier dog.

The Skull of the Black Russian Terrier is somewhat wide and round, but not too pronounced cheek bones. The ears are medium in size, triangularly shaped, set high, but not above the level of the skull. The ear leather is dense, rounded at the bottom, hanging with the front edge lying against the head and terminating at approximately mid - cheek  muzzle is broad with a slight tapering towards the nose. A moustache and beard emphasize volume and give the muzzle a square shape. Viewed in profile, the topline of the muzzle is parallel to the topline of the backskull. The nose is large and black.

The Skull of the Bouvier is well developed and flat, slightly less wide than long. When viewed from the side, the top lines of the skull and the muzzle are parallel. It is wide between the ears, with the frontal groove barely marked. The Ears placed high and alert.  If cropped, they are to be a triangular contour and in proportion to the size of the head. The stop is more apparent than real, due to upstanding eyebrow. The proportions of length of skull to length of muzzle are 3 to 2. The Muzzle broad, strong, well filled out, tapering gradually toward the nose without ever becoming snipy or pointed. The Nose is large, black, well developed, round at the edges, with flared nostrils. The jaws are powerful and of equal length. The teeth are strong, white and healthy, with the incisors meeting in a scissors bite.

The aforementioned are just examples of the differences between the Black Russian Terrier and the Bouvier des Flandres. For additional differences and information, the author suggest that you read the breed standards of both the Black Russian Terrier and the Bouvier des Flandres.