Grooming: Belco Farm Style

Photo credit: Edmee Bowles & Rose Ellen Jacobsohn - Belco Farm, Collegeville, PA (L-R: Elyidra (sp?), Ch. Marius, Elfrida du Clos des Cereberes Bouviers (circa 1950)

You might have observed how a Bouvier's appearance can vary significantly based on:

1) its grooming style, and

2) the coat genes it possesses.

Unlike many other breeds, Bouviers can exhibit a notable range in the curl and texture of their coat. Some Bouvier coats are even as straight as straw! (We'll create a separate post to explore the origins and variations in Bouvier coats.)

Grooming styles and preferences have changed almost every decade. The key point to remember is: a Bouv is a Bouv, regardless of how it's groomed. In this post, we're including a link to a .pdf that you can share with your groomer if you're interested in a practical, traditional grooming style for your Bouv.

Thanks to a generous caller, we received a grooming guide written and illustrated by Belgian immigrant Miss Edmee Bowles from her famous kennel, du Clos des Cereberes.

Download the Belco Farm Grooming Guide here.

Download Jim Engel's Grooming Guide here. (Illustration from Miss Bowles cir. 1979)

This is a 1970s/1980s "show cut" style that is sometimes easier for a novice groomer to follow. It is a longer coat style and will make your companion Bouvier look pretty at home.

It is not technically correct for today's AKC Bouvier show coat.

The Belco Farm .pdf includes an easy-to-follow (short) scissor-cut that is ideal for warm summers and active Bouviers. It can be done, and every Bouv will look very similar to the Bouvs pictured above, regardless of coat color, texture or curl. If you own a brindle coated Bouvier, this groom will lower the top coat sufficiently enough to reveal its beautiful brindle stripes.

Unlike today's "fluffly, rounded paw" trims. The farm cut trims around the nail bed exposing the toenails. Again, this is done for very practical reasons: trimming the fur that tracks dirt into the house and reducing painful matting between the toes.

The working, or farm, cut also brings back the original Bouvier silhouette. It's most logical: you don't want a working dog to get overheated, caked with mud, or require de-matting to prevent skin and parasite (think: ticks) issues.

If your Bouv is busy herding livestock, on patrol for criminals, or even just hiking the Appalachian Trail with you, it's probably too busy to be going to get it's hair done at the parlor every 6-8 weeks. We hope you find the Belco Farm Grooming Guide helpful.

For an alternative style, check out this video from Caya's Home in Holland and watch Europe's best Bouvier groomer explain how she does it.

See European Bouvier Grooming video here.