Hi All,
New to this site. I am a proud owner of a BRT. You can find a lot of information about them on the American Kennel Club website as well as the site for the Black Russian Terrier Club of America.
The big difference, from what I know (and I did TONS of research before getting our dog), between a Bouvier and a BRT is their "job." That is, BRTs are meant to be guard dogs and remain with their pack. The Bouvier (again, from what I have read) are herding dogs. Therefore, they tend to herd their pack, they tend to be much more high energy than BRTs. Our girl is a couch potato and, many times, has to be taken on what we call a 'forced march.' She wants to be where we are, and if that's in the living room watching TV, then so be it!
We have trained her a lot. She has taken two obedience classes and has passed her Canine Good Citizen certificate. Next up is the Therapy Dog International test. Because they are a working dog, they need a job. And, often, it's protecting you, their pack leader, or others.
It's really important to make sure that you know the purpose of your dog's breed. Though BRTs and Bouviers look a lot alike, their jobs in terms of their breed make up is quite different.
I consulted the American Kennel Club via telephone and they put me in touch with different breeders around the country. It's been a wonderful experience to know people in the BRT community!