The bouvier des ardennes is a breed shaped by the local mountain climate, where only the toughest dogs could survive. The breed was recognized by the Belgian kennel club in 1923, though the first attempts at forming the breed took place as early as the later half of the 1800s. The breed standard, however, wasn't written until ten years later and not published until 1963. By then, the breed was believed to be extinct, having suffered greatly after the 2nd world war, but surprisingly, a few dogs were found in 1985 in the mountains. A breeding program was started to save the breed, though things were going slow until in 1996 more dogs were found - this time a line of dogs that could trace their family tree in the 1930s, and were by their owners considered excellent cattle dogs.

The bouvier des ardennes should be a medium-size, square-shaped dog, rustic and compact with unusually heavy boning for its size. The breed can most easily be summed up as "Short, compact and muscular". It is best shown in a natural stance and is impressive to watch. The breed has fast movements. The coat is fairly long and shaggy with very thick undercoat.