Over 21 years, we have had 4 Bouviers, often two together. Firstly, they need to be with you ALL the time and will not thrive unless they are. They get bored easily and need good walks and appreciate 'rough' play - you need to be able to wrestle a 200 lb bear! The males require strong leadership and know who is the boss, otherwise they will take over. They have a tremendous sense of humour and love to get one over on you e.g. sneeking up to you in the dark and suddenly lunging at you, barking loudly - a great laugh for them, a near heart attack for you. People with a well developed sense of smell should think twice about having a Bouvier, they all have the ability to produce unbelievable smells from the rear end (whatever the diet) and are incredibly proud of this ability - looking at you in a questioning sort of way, enough to say 'what did you think of that one then?' Grooming is a nightmare, particularly after a country walk on a wet day, when you arrive home with this huge wet, mud caked animal. They slobber quite a bit and can leave 'snail-trails' on nice carpets. They also like to hog the fire-grate. Their character is as huge as their physical presence and cannot be ignored. They quickly integrate into a family, but also become, by far, the most demanding member in every way. We love them and couldn't really contemplate another breed.