A well-bred Bouvier is normally a healthy dog. The breed does not have too many serious medical conditions that threaten it (as compared to some other breeds), and a reputable breeder will guarantee that the Bouviers they breed are not just healthy as puppies, but free of genetic defects as they mature. The Bouvier has an excellent life expectancy for a large dog, the average appears to be about 12 years.

However, genetic problems, can shorten this average and are often perpetuated by uneducated or uncaring breeders. Anyone who says "we don't have that problem in our lines", but whose breeding stock is not certified clear of these genetic conditions is fooling themselves and lying to the rest of us. Those who say, "well, this dog only has a a slight problem, so I will breed him/her anyway," could be ignoring a condition which will only worsen in the second or third generation, and may severely limit the dog's life or quality of life. Conscientious breeders put the health and soundness of Bouviers first, before profit, for health clearances are costly, but valuable tools. They are concerned not just with a current dog or litter, but with the state of ALL Bouviers for the future.

If you are buying a puppy and want to ensure you are getting the healthiest dog possible,

1.  Insist on health clearances (insist on actually seeing certificates or certification numbers so you can verify, independently).
2.  Insist on a written guarantee of genetic health that covers the dog as an adult. Many genetic defects do not become apparent until after the dog turns two years old.
3.  Study the pedigree - Be sure the parents and their parents have had every genetic health clearance possible.

While doing all these things will not 100% guarantee you are getting a genetically perfect dog, they should tremendously lessen the chance that your dog will be burdened with a severe malady (which may cost you a fortune in vet bills, not to mention possibly losing your dog).

Potential genetic problems in Bouviers include (but are not limited to):

Hip Dysplasia - a deformity of the hip joint(s), either in the hip socket, ball of the femur, or the fit of the ball in the socket.

Elbow Dysplasia - a deformity or degeneration of the elbow joint.

Cardiac - Sub Aortic Stenosis - a heart valve defect which is life threatening.

Thyroid - Auto immune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease), which normally appears at 2-5 years.(The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals - OFA - is a registry originally created to record dogs with radiologist approved hips, but it has expanded to include registries for elbows, congenital heart disease, thyroid, and more.)

Eyes - Genetic eye disorders are not too common, but do exist. Cataracts, entropian & ectropion conditions, and glaucoma (which can lead to blindness or actual loss of the eye), have been reported. The Canine Eye Registration Foundation - CERF - maintains a registry of dogs found to be free of genetic eye defects by a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist. (There is no registry yet for Glaucoma.)

There are links on this site to OFA (hips, elbows, cardiac, thyroid) and CERF(eyes), which are registries of genetic evaluations & certifications on tested dogs. You can learn more about these conditions at these sites. If you have the Bouvier's name or AKC registration number, you can also verify its certifications.

Also among these links are several good sources of other health information.