Breed Discrimination ChartIdentifying Bouvier vs other breeds |
When a rescue person is called to the pound or shelter to identify or bail out a dog that might be of that person's adopted breed, there is always the question of whether or not the dog is actually that breed or some other. This article presents a chart for the Bouvier and breeds with which it might be confused, showing "standard" or usual appearances and the common alternative appearances one may encounter, and giving my estimate of the likelihood or risk of misidentifying one breed as the other.
This article and the companion article How to Identify Bouvs at the Pound (describing the breeds most commonly confused with Bouvier) arealso intended as an example of how rescuers in other breeds that suffer potential misidentification could present their own chart of information. In doing so , be sure to consider the "off type" dogs and the ungroomed or inappropriately groomed dogs. Of course for some breeds, there are few or no others with which they might be confused.
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When a rescue person is called to the pound or shelter to identify or bail out a dog that might be of that person's adopted breed, there is always the question of whether or not the dog is actually that breed or some other. Dogs that land in the pound are usually very neglected in their grooming and they may not be typically conformed specimens of their breed and they may not have been subjected to the ear and/or tail alterations specified by the standard for the breed. In short it is rare that they look like the photos in the breed books or on the wall charts one sees at shelters and vets' offices. And for some breeds there are certain others that look extremely similar even when the resemblance to the textbook specimen is perfect. For my breed, the Bouvier, there are several other very similar looking breeds plus more that could be confused with a really off type Bouv.
The photographs on shelter websites or sent to you by e-mail, while very helpful and a great step in the right direction, often show the dog badly posed so some features are not visible (eg front or 3/4 front views with tail not visible) or behind chain link or in poor lighting , and too often these photos do not give an indication of size. (To any shelter photographer who reads this article, please try to take your photos in side view and with a yardstick in the photo, preferably vertical next to or behind the dog.) Without size, there are some small breeds that, especially when ungroomed, could be mistaken for a Bouvier. I am not discussing these small breeds in this article. So a photo may allow you to see that the dog is definately not a Bouv, but it won't allow you to be sure that it is indeed a Bouv. As you will see below, in some cases even an "up close and personal" examination may not allow you to be absolutely 100% certain, though in most cases it will give you 95% certainty which is plenty good enough to decide to bail the dog out and save its life.
I present here a chart in which the "standard" or usual appearances are in plain type and the common alternatives are enclosed in parentheses. Potentially or definitively distinguishing features are boldfaced..
Please remember that any breed which is supposed to be cropped eared may easily be left uncropped, ie natural eared ; but breeds that are supposed to be natural eared will probably never apear cropped. (It is still possible that a natural earred breed might appear with one ear mutilated or perhaps surgically trimmed after an injury. If the unfortunate dog has been in a drug dealer's posession, it is possible that ears have been hacked short with a pocket knife to make the dog look fierce ) Likewise for tails : docked breeds may appear natural tailed, but natrual tailed breeds should not appear docked , though an individual might appear with a tail that has been amputated due to an injury, but amputation will usually leave a tali longer than the customary short dock. Occasionally dogs will be docked longer than the standard stipulates, usually because the vet was not instructed properly as to the standard; likewise ear crops may not conform to the shape and size dictated by the standard.
(Note to those in breeds (eg German Shepherd) with natural ears : breeds whose ears are supposed to stand erect may often require a lot of human help to do so and thus individuals may have semi-erect or dropped ears; breeds (eg Collie, Shetland Sheepdog) whose ears are supposed to tip over into semi-erect may need human help to do so and thus individuals may display erect ears. Likewise in natural tailed breeds, individuals' tails may show more or less curvature or kinking than is usual for the breed or may be carreid differently from what is usual and carriage may vary with emotional state.)
For sizes , in all breeds there will be those individuals markedly larger or smaller than the range comonly accepted as correct. Immature individuals, individuals that have been starved during their youth, and those who have various health defects may be stunted to a size substantially below the norm.
Body type may vary within the breed, with individuals being more chunky or more slender than the standard specifies. dogs overweight or underweight may appear to have modified body type. Immature dogs may be less filled out than mature ones. Dogs deprived of adequate excercise may lack muscular development.
For colors , those colors that are mentioned by the standard as forbidden or discouraged probably do occur from time to time.
Coat profusion, length, and texture can vary a lot. The coat of any long-haired ungroomed dog may be matted and filthy, and skin infection or other disease may cause coat to fall out. Matting can cause the coat to look more or less "corded" = ropelike, similar to the human "Rasta" hairstyle.Any long haired dog may be clipped, and if recently clipped may appear short haired. Often the body type of a clipped dog of a breed normally heavily coated will look dramatically different from that of the same dog with a normal coat. (Eg, think of the difference between Rough Collie and Smooth Collie !)
I have grouped and color coded breeds according to amount of risk that there could be misidentification of that breed as a Bouvier or vice versa. Generally it is more likely that a less common breed will be identified as a more common one than vice versa.
The chart below may require you to scroll horizontally. I know many users just hate to have to do that (I sure hate to), but there is no other way to organize this information adequately.
| BREED | EARS standard (non-standard) | TAIL standard (non-standard) | COLORS standard (non-standard) | SIZE in inches at withers | COAT length & texture | OTHER | likelihood of confusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bouvier des Flandres | cropped (natural = hanging or semi-erect) |
docked 1"to 2" (docked to longer length) (natural) |
black, light to dark grey, grey brindle fawn/buff (near white, white, brown) |
22" to 28" (larger or smaller) |
moderately long &harshly shaggy; (many are softer coated) (rarely may be wire-coated); (may be matted, appearing corded); (may be groomed like Giant Schnauzer ) |
breed "signature" = beard & hair over eyes (may be trimmed off) |
(not applicable) |
| Giant Schnauzer | cropped (natural = hanging or semi-erect) |
docked (natural) |
black pepper & salt |
similar to Bouv | naturally long & shaggy but groomed with torso clipped & sides of face clipped ; rarely may be wire-coated |
most are a bit more narrow than most Bouvs ungroomed looks much like Bouv also has beard and hair over eyes |
very high risk some members of each breed look like other breed |
| Black Russian Terrier | natural = hanging |
docked to 1" to 2" (longer dock) (natural) |
black or "ashen" = black with white hairs scattered | most are larger than normal medium sized Bouvs | shaggy like Bouv ; face hair like bouv | rare in most parts of USA | very high : indistinguishable from Bouv |
| Briard | natural or cropped |
natural , usually carried low, with "hook" on end |
"any color but white", thus including most Bouv colors | similar to Bouv | similar to Bouv but a bit longer & silkier |
double dewclaws on rear legs | high risk, unless one checks for rear dewclaws |
| Old English Sheepdog | natural = hanging |
docked short or naturally bobbed ; (naturally longer) |
grey or greyish with lots of white on head, chest, feet | similar to Bouv : at least 22" | longhaired shaggy, but not as harsh as correct Bouv coat | the extensive white is the distinguishing feature | Bouv ID'd as OES / OES mix : medium to high risk OES ID'd as Bouv : low |
| Standard Poodle | natural = hanging | docked longer than Bouv |
any color, thus including most Bouv colors | 22' - 26' | short & curly or longer & corded; various styles of clipping & groming |
ungroomed, long haired can look like Bouv | medium high risk : Bouvs ID's as "Poodle mix" ; medium risk ungroomed Poodle ID'd as Bouv |
| Irish Wolfhound | natural = "rose shaped" |
natural, usually carried low | grey, fawn, brindle | at least 30" female, at least 32" male | shortish very rough = harsh like old style working Bouv | body type is sighthound, like a very tall rough coated Greyhound | medium risk |
| Scottish Deerhound | natural = "rose shaped" |
natural, usually carried low | grey | at least 28" female, at least 30" male | shortish very rough = harsh like old style working Bouv | body type is sighthound, like a rough coated Greyhound | medium risk |
| Portugese Water Dog | natural = hanging |
natural | black, brown, white | 16"-22" | curly or looser, wavy = more like Bouv | those with wavy coat can look like small Bouvs | medium risk |
| Wheaten Terrier | natural = hanging |
docked longer than Bouv (natural) | wheaten = beige, similar to "buff" = "fawn" | about 18", 35 lbs (larger or smaller) | soft , somewhat wavy (shaggy if ungroomed) | ungroomed can look like small "fawn" bouv | medium risk |
| Otterhound | natural = hanging very long |
natural carried high | black, grey, yellow, reddish | 24"-26" | long & shaggy | an uncommon breed | medium to low risk |
| Wirehaired Pointing Griffon | natural = hanging |
docked to about 6" (natural) |
steel grey with chestnut markings, grey mixed with chestnut, white & chestnut, chestnut | 20" to 24" ; body type = Pointer | shortish wirey coat, slight beard | grey with very limited chestnut could be mistaken for grey brindle Bouv ; behavior much more active. | medium to low risk |
| Puli | natural = hanging |
natural, usually carried over back | black, grey, white | 16"-19" | shown "corded" = a controlled matting into ropes of hair, may be brushed out ; lots of hair on face |
corded could look like small matted Bouv ; brushed out could look like small Bouv. behavior much more active. | medium to low risk |
| Bearded Collie | natural = hanging |
natural | black, grey, slate, reddish, sand with fair amount of white on head, chest, feet |
21"-22" | long haired, flowing | coat colors are streaky (mottled) in mature dogs, more solid in immature | medium to low risk |
| Kerry Blue Terrier | natural = semi-erect |
docked longer than Bouv, carried high (natural) | "dark blue" = blued grey, "every shade from silver to steel" | 17"-20" | soft silky wavy ; groomed short for show ; has beard | ungroomed could look like small Bouv | medium to low risk |
| Tibetian Terrier | natural = hanging |
natural | white, golden, smoke grey, black, bicolor, tricolor | 12"-16" | long wavy | could look like small Bouv | medium to low risk |
| Belgian Shepherd Laekenois | natural = pricked |
natual | grey, beige, bicolored | 23"-25", some larger or smaller | very harsh , shorter than Bouv's coat | relatively uncommon even in Europe | low risk (because of rarity) |
| Polish Owczark Nizinny | natural = hanging |
docked (natural) | any color | 16"-20" | long & shaggy | uncommon in USA, though some have been imported | low risk (because of rarity) |
| Bergamasco | natural = hanging |
natural | black, grey, nearly white | 22"-24" | long harsh , rough & wavy | very rare in USA ; flock guardian in Italy, France & Spain | low risk (rarity and color) |
| Bouvier des Ardennes | natural = erect or semi-erect |
docked or natural bobbed | all colors, thus including Bouv colors | about 24", 55 lbs | long bushy ; has beard & moustache | very rare in USA ; very rare even in homeland, was thought to be extinct | near zero risk (because of extreme rarity) |
| Picardy Shepherd | natural = erect |
natural | grey, grey-blue, grey-fawn | 24" - 26" ; body more slender than Bouv | very harsh & shorter than Bouv | rare in USA, though not rare in France; in 2005 film "Because of Winn Dixie" |
low risk (could increase if film leads to puppy mill breeding) |
| Pyrenean Shepherd | natural = semi-erect |
docked (natural) | grey, silver, white, yellow | 16"- 20" | long & coarse & thick ; may or may not have beard | rare in USA, though not rare in France | low risk (because of rarity) |
| Catalan Sheepdog | natural = hanging |
natural or docked | grey, black, cream | 17" to 19" | long wavy coat | rare in US, but now being imported & publicised | low risk (but may be increasing where breed more common ?) |
| Cao da Serra de Aires | natural = hanging |
natural | grey, fawn, wolf, black, yellow, red, chestnut | 17" to 18" | long slightly wavy coat | rare in USA | low risk (because of rarity) |
| site author Pam Green | copyright 2003 |
| created 2001 | revised 2/17/05 |
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