The Boerboel 

 

Boerboels are large Mastiff dogs, which have been used for farm and protection work in South Africa. Generally males grow to around 65cm tall at the shoulder and weigh approximately 65 - 70 kg. Females are usually slightly shorter at around 60 cm and weigh less than the males at around 50 - 60 kg. 

The Boerboel is thought to derive from European mastiff and bull breeds and native South African dogs.  The European dogs that were brought to South African by European settlers may have been Boarhounds, Broholmers, and Bullenbijters. Boerboels may have some ancestry from these as well as the blood from the native dogs. 

The Boer dogs were originally used for hunting as well as guarding but more recently they have principally been used as guards.  The name Boerboel literally means "Farmer's mastiff".  

To quote Col. David Hancock from his book, "Mastiffs - The Big Game Hunters",  "The Boerboel appears to feature all the best attributes of the mastiff breeds: immense power combined with great faithfulness, physical stature combined with admirable tolerance and a temperament capable of placidity or ferocity, if its family is threatened. The Boerboel looks to be a magnificent breed, developed in a hard school by tough farmers who were threatened by evey kind of dangerous predator, in testing terrain and a challenging climate."

"Hard-pressed pioneer farmers however resourceful, didn't have the circumstances which exactly encouraged the conservation of rare breeds of dog. They had a need for brave powerful virile dogs and bred good dog to good dog until they obtained the desired result. Performance directed every breeding programme. Pure-breeding, handsomeness and a respect for heritage doesn't usually feature highly in a pioneer hunter-farmer's priorities. It should be a matter of pride that the Boerboel was developed from the best mastiff-type dogs available in South Africa and brought here by soldiers, colonists and settlers from Europe. It is a breed to be proud of for that reason alone."

Boerboels are not just another big dog. They combine substance with soundness and athleticism and the wonderful Boerboel temperament developed over generations on the family farms of South Africa, of ideal family dog and great home protector.

Coomore Florence    Picture of Coomore Florence courtesy of Gouldopper Boerboels

In 1990 the Boerboel breed was in danger of being lost and a group of fanciers (later to become the South African Boerboel Breeders’ Association, usually abbreviated to “SABT”) started scouring South Africa for eligible dogs to use as a breeding base. Of the hundreds found, 72 were evaluated and registered. A development register was also maintained for some years to widen the gene pool, i.e., dogs, which on appraisal, were considered to be good Boerboels could be registered even if their parentage was unknown.  The SABT has now closed its development register.  

As might be expected given their utilitarian background, Boerboels generally have a vigorous constitution, and few major heath problems. However Boerboels can suffer from hip or elbow dysplasia, vaginal hyperplasia, and entropion. The Boerboel is not registered with the UK or Irish Kennel Clubs. Boerboels are registered in South Africa with either the SABT, HBSA or EBBASA.The headquarters of all these organizations are in South Africa.   The SABT was the first breed organization founded and has the largest membership. Prior to registration, Boerboels are appraised in accordance with the Breed Standard. All the breed organizations operate an appraisal system. In order to be registered, a Boerboel must be birth recorded as having been bred from registered parents and must pass an appraisal by a qualified assessor.  The dog must be at least 9 months old when appraised although most people wait for the dog to be at least 12 months.  The dog is scored against an ideal and the subsequent score is translated into a percentage.  SABT requires that all dogs must score 75% or more to be registered.

Boerboels are obedient, intelligent, self-assured and bred to have an extremely strong guarding instinct. This does not make the Boerboel a vicious unsociable animal, but, because the Boerboel was developed on the family farms of South Africa, a badly behaved or aggressive dog was unacceptable and was not tolerated. As a result of the very practical and natural breeding process, the Boerboel evolved to be a loving companion with an even temperament. Boerboels are happiest in a family environment in which they can put their protective instincts into action when required.

The temperament of the Boerboel is its most attractive and most important characteristic. The South Africans describe the Boerboel as the only breed in the world bred with only one purpose ie to guard and protect the family.   A Boerboel should never sulk or grumble after being reprimanded. If it does, it is not a proper Boerboel. People should buy a Boerboel for its temperament only, and this should stay its most important quality. It should be your best friend, be able to know when you feel threatened, and to know instinctively if you approve of a stranger or not.

Boerboels are good companions for children, as they will accept the whole family, not just one person, as their master because they feel their primary duty is to protect all of you. This is in stark contrast to many breeds of dog who will only listen to the one dominant person in their "pack".  

The South Africans love to tell the story about the Boerboel that goes out in the field with the children during the day, to protect them and the cattle against all perils, and how it must be able to snatch a hare for their lunch.  At night, it lies beside the fire with its family, again protecting them against any unknown danger that springs out of the dark. In one word: a miracle dog!!  The Boerboel is a fantastic breed with a fantastic temperament, but certainly no miracle dog!

It is not born, pre-programmed only to do good, to read people's minds and it does not come with buttons that elicit only the correct reactions. It is a dog of flesh and blood, a living creature, and it needs an education and socialisation, like any other dog to ensure that it will behave correctly in a modern urban environment. 

It needs to learn about rules and regulations from an early age, and since the Boerboel is a dog still very close to nature, it is important to understand some basic dog language to understand the way it thinks, and to make it behave appropriately. What it understands best are the rules by which a pack of wild dogs live; the owner MUST be the alpha dog, the undeniable leader. So to be a good Boerboel owner, you must be able to understand some basic dog language in order to establish this perfect relationship between you and your dog. I recommend every potential Boerboel owner to read the book "The Dog Listener " by Jan Fennell to achieve an understanding of how to communicate with their Boerboel. There is also an excellent article here on how to be the alpha to your dog. 

It is very important, before deciding the Boerboel is the dog for you, to consider his basic temperament. Be sure the Boerboel is the dog you have in mind, the dog you want to share your life with for 10 years or more. A wrong decision makes unhappy owners and unhappy dogs.  

The Boerboel is in the first place a guard dog, so by definition it needs a territory to call its own, some space that it can guard. It is not a dog to be kept in a flat or a small house with no garden at all. A simple daily walk on the leash will simply not do for a Boerboel. It is a very good family dog, but it is somewhat distant and even reluctant towards strangers and unknown situations.  The Boerboel is not a dog that loves walks in crowded streets,or busy marketplaces. It does not like window-shopping. You can teach it to get used to these situations, but they will never be its favourite pastime.

A Boerboel needs to be educated, not trained the hard way. This means you may never try to make it do things it doesn't like by forcing it. Give it confidence; show it with praise what you want and it will do it because it wants to please you. Never be brutal to a Boerboel, because it will destroy the relationship between you and your Boerboel, the bond between dog and owner, a bond of trust, mutual respect and devoted love. Be consistent in your education. Set rules and stick to them. Do not allow your dog to make up the rules in your household.  A Boerboel reaches adulthood at the age of two years for females and even three for males. This means that a Boerboel comes into puberty when most other breeds start showing adult behaviour. As a pup, it is very easy going and learns fast, which has put many an owner on the wrong foot, leaving him to believe he has a well-mannered dog, when all of a sudden, without any apparent reason, the dog becomes stubborn, tries to dominate and goes through a phase of being very uncertain and even of being afraid.

Be patient. Give your dog the time to grow up, and this will pass.  

Before choosing a Boerboel, consider this: 

Boerboels are fairly tolerant of a diverse lifestyle and can and do function as active working farm dogs but they are also happy in a family environment where they are given sufficient exercise, after which they are content to lie down for the rest of the day and perform guard duty at their owner's feet. They do however thrive on companionship and need to be part of the family group, therefore they are not suited to being left home alone all day, or just used for guarding purposes. 

Boerboels are wonderful family companions, usually bonding strongly with all members of their household.  However, they are immensely powerful, guard-oriented dogs.  Consequently, they require extensive socialisation, consistent obedience training and responsible management.    

If you are considering a Boerboel, please do your research carefully.  Talk to as many people as possible and meet some adult Boerboels.  Remember that a Boerboel is not adult until at least 2.5 years old and only then can you judge its true character.   This is a relatively new breed outside its home country.  Care must be taken to distinguish myth from fact.   Above all, make temperament your most important criterion. 

Lately, more and more people have discovered that there is money to be made by importing, breeding and selling Boerboels.These Boerboels are not always of the best quality, and some even prove to be not Boerboels at all! Often, innocent buyers pay more to these charlatans for a dog of dubious origin, than they would have paid for a throroughbred Boerboel, bought from a SABT registered breeder. This may lead to the following :- 

people do not get any guarantee of what to expect from the dog's character when he is adult 

people cannot have their dog appraised, because very often these dogs are sold without any form af registration, or with false papers 

some of these pups may indeed be crossbreeds 

WHEN YOU BUY A PUP, MAKE SURE IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A 'NOTICE OF LITTER-SLIP', GIVING INFORMATION ON BOTH PARENTS WITH THEIR ID, NAME OF THE BREEDER AND HIS SABT MEMBERSHIP NUMBER.  ONLY WITH THIS SLIP YOU CAN GET AN OFFICIAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE FOR YOUR DOG. 

We would also want to warn people against buying Boerboel pups that are advertised as being purebred Boerboels without registration papers. If you buy unregistered pups, the risk that you are buying bad quality dogs or dogs with the wrong temperament which later can even prove to be very dangerous, is greater. It is better to spend some more money on a sound Boerboel pup than to buy cheap, but with all the risks involved. It is better not to have a Boerboel at all, than to buy the wrong Boerboel.