About the Boerboel

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History of The Boerboel

In dictionaries you will find the following definition of a Boerboel: a big farm dog of uncertain origins. Thankfully, this is now something of the past. South Africa's own dog, the Boerboel, is now a full-fledged breed. Long research has revealed that the ancestry of the Boerboel can be traced as far back as the time of Herodotus and to Tibet, Assiria and Babylon. In Assiria dogs were used as soldiers, even covered with reinforced material to protect them. When Assurbanipal conquered Egypt. These dogs were also taken along and thus they were spread further into the known world. Later Alexander the Great was responsible for spreading them to Europe. Apparently in 326bc he received a present 156 of these large dogs who had been specially trained to fight lions and elephants. Through the ages these dogs developed into two definite strains, the mastiff which was mainly used for protection and as soldiers, and the hound which was used for hunting purposes. Both these dogs were large and strong and typical working dogs, with only slight differences in appearance and build. It is reputed that all dogs of the western world are descended from these two dog types. About 600 years ago the Europeans started specialized breeding from these two basic dogs and through fine-selection and cross-breeding the different breeds evolved. Some dogs were bred especially for hunting. Others had to retrieve the prey, guard and herd the livestock and for many other uses they could be put to, but the basis of all these dogs was still the original strong breed of the past. When Jan Van Riebeeck came to the cape in 1652 he brought his own dog along to protect him and his family in this wild and unknown country. This dog was known as a "bullenbijter", a large, heavy mastiff-type dog. At this time the original dog had been much diversified and many of the western world countries had its own distinctive, specialized breed of dog. The settlers who came after Jan Van Riebeeck also brought along their strongest dogs to protect them against all the unknown dangers of this strange land. Thus dogs arrived here from many different countries. As the pioneers moved further and further inland and settled on remote farms, the dogs were forcibly isolated and a lot of inbreeding took place which had the result that the characteristics of the original Assirian dog started to reappear. Survival was of the utmost importance and it was here that the hardiness of today’s Boerboel was perforce bred into the dog. There was no veterinary surgeon or medicines available for dogs and they had to look out for themselves to a large extent. During the groot trek the Boerboel had most of the features that it has today and is clearly recognizable from old drawings. In the period after the trek, on the distant farms, the Boerboel interbred further and only the biggest and strongest dogs survived. His pioneer owners required him to be a friend of the family, a worker, provide protection and also to be a fighter. They could not afford to have a disobedient, moody, finicky, sickly dog they had to be able to rely on him to protect the family, work, kill and fight. At the turn of the century the characteristics of the old, original dog were clearly visible and the dog was generally known as the “bole". The years that followed almost brought tragedy to the Boerboel. Urbanization caused cross breeding with anything that could bark and the typical "bole" started to disappear. It was only in the eighties that a serious search started again for the original farm dog. A few brave people took the initiative and the South African Boerboel Breeders Association was formed. Their main aim was to let the original Boerboel take its rightful place as a uniquely South African dog among the other dog breeds of the world. A search covering thousands of kilometers followed. Selective breeding started, many disappointments followed, but also immense joys! At last the dog of our forefathers was ready to be registered as a pure breed. In the meantime the breeders association has grown to over 500 members. They are widely spread throughout South Africa and Namibia. Each year in November they have a big get-together and people from all over converge on Kroonstad and dogs and people all look each other over. In august 1980 the first country-wide selection tour was undertaken by Jannie Bouwer of Bedford and Lucas Van Der Merwe of Kroonstad. Lucas’s wife Anneke went along as secretary. A total of 5500km was covered, 250 dogs were seen and only 72 were selected to be registered. The big dream was taking shape.... Please Visit this link to get more info one this breed. http://www.sabt.co.za. It will also help you learn more about the South African Boerboel.

Training & Socialization
Boerboels are a very intelligent breed and can learn a wide variety of commands. As long as you give them your time.

Training Tips
We recommend that you enroll your puppy in kindergarten class between 8 to 12 weeks so your puppy can get socialization and interaction with other people as well as with other puppies.
The next step that we recommend is that you enroll your puppy in a basic obedience class, so that you can get your puppy starting to know his basic commands. As they are Sit, Stay, Down and Leave it, which is really good for things you want your Boerboel to have.
Finally, you should make obedience training become an ongoing process throughout your Boerboels life. You should always work with your Boerboel so that you remain as the pack leader. And last but not least for showing if wanting to get into that it is a wonderful thing and I do recommend conformation classes in or area or close buy if possible if not available there are always show books you can purchase till you get the real help you really need. Those are the first steps I would do if wanting to show or obedience train.
Socialization
One of the most important parts of a puppy’s life is socialization. Socialization should begin as early as possible, by exposing the puppy to as many things as possible. Such as different sounds, children, cars, trucks, animals, car rides, etc. If you take the time and effort to socialize and train your Boerboel, your Boerboel should be the ultimate companion and family dog. Also the Boerboel is a dominant breed and can be dominant toward other dogs. But if you raise your Boerboel around other dogs from the beginning of his/her life you should have no problems, he/she should be fine. Also, take him/her around other animals so he/she knows they aren’t any threat to him/her as well. The Boerboel will not back away from a fight or challenge, so if you are at any threat he/she will be there with no problem you can let that be known, but they are not mean just protective to its own.. And remember this breed is a guard dog so this is totally allowable.
The Boerboel will automatically attach to his/her family and that goes for children especially. It is better to have them grow together that’s our opinion and I believe this is very good advice. And he/she will love there family to no matter what.
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FAQ'S
A. What is a Boerboel and what are they used for? The Boerboel is a large, mastiff type dog breed from South Africa. The word boerboel is a African name for "farmer's dog". But also can be a great compaion as well and working, show or guard.
B. Can I show or work my Boerboel? Yes you can show an work your BB. The Boerboel is a very intelligent breed an willing to please. You can only show in the molloser shows an Rare breed shows for now, an work well I suggest asking around to kennel clubs in your area.
C. What should I feed my Boerboel? When buying food for your Boerboel you only want whats best. If you have a pup from six weeks you should feed a good quality dry food recomended by your Veterinerian or other Breeders.

D. What Supplements should I give my boerboel? If you want to give something to your Boerboel we recommend that you use one of these three if not all the are very helpful to your dogs and puppy as they grow. They are Vitamin C, Ester C, and Glucosamine/Chondroitin They help to Promote healty joints and maxium Flexibility for your dog.
E. What age should my Boerboel be when I decide to get him/her Penn-Hip tested or OFA tested? For Penn-Hip testing, we recommend it at about 18-24 months of age (optional) and OFA testing should be done at 2 years of age. OFA #'s are not given any earlier then 2 years of age, however you can have an OFA preliminary done younger if you chose to do so.
F. When can I start bathing my puppy? We feel that as soon as you feel he/she needs one would be a good time to start. Give your puppy a few days to adjust to his/her new environment before attempting this chore.
G. Should I be concerned about my Boerboel playing on the slippery surfaces such as linoleum or excessive stair climbing? We recommend that if you’re going to have you Boerboel on surfaces like linoleum floors that you put down some rugs to make it less slippery. Slippery surfaces could cause a fall which could lead up to loose hips or even a broken hip. Excessive stair climbing is not good for the same reasons. You want be extra careful and give you puppies time to grow and mature, so they can grow up to be healthy dog with excellent hips on your account.
H. What is the Ideal height and Weight for my Boerboel an how long does the Boerboel usually live? The Boerboel’s average life span is about 12yrs, height is 64 to 68 cm on a male an a females height is about 59 to 65 cm. Weight on a Boerboel can be any where from 55-85kg, Naturally a female will be slimmer.
I. What Colors do the come in? Colors, Cream white, pale tawny, reddish brown and all shades of brindle.
J. Does the Boerboel get along with other animals and Children? They are great with Children an other animals as long as brought up properly. It is very important that you socialize your Boerboel Pup from the start, Puppy and basic class is a must.

K. What Could be some of the heath concerns with Boerboels? Hyperplasia, Entropion, Ectropion and, Hip Dysplasia. That’s why its very important to take your time to seleclt the perpect breeder that you can confide in and trust to be honest with you from that start to get a healthly puppy.
Please visit our Training and Socialization Page for more info!!!
Thanks for Visiting Soneike Boerboels from South African.

Character of The Boerboel

The Boerboel has been bred to be a stable family companion and protector on the farms and in the home. A cranky, temperamental dog that stays surly after being reprimanded is not a Boerboel. You should purchase a Boerboel for his even character. This was and always should be his main quality. Your Boerboel should qualify himself as your best friend. He should know what you are thinking, when you feel threatened, he should know when you approve or disapprove of a stranger and share your feeling. He should be able to recognize your fear. Any Boerboel owner should be able to confirm this. These traits should be recognizable from puppy hood. He should, with a growl, be able to tell you: "I’m here, always. I will guard you with my life.” If you allow him to attack, he will growl like a lion and fight ferociously without taking his own safety into account. No wonder Aristotle named the forefathers of these dogs: Leontix (sons of lions). The Romans also apparently believed that these dogs were obtained by crossing a dog and a lion. He is definitely a child's friend and playmate. He does not only accept one person as his master, but accepts the protection of the whole family as his duty and is affectionate to all of them. Many a story has been told about a Boerboel spending hour after hour guarding a little baby in a pram. He feels the whole family belongs to him and his sole purpose is to protect them, with his life, if necessary.

This is Avontuur Anton One of My Favorite Males around. He was owned by Bullet Boerboels but belongs to Grootgeluk Boerboels now.

Breeding Standard

South African Boerboel Standard
S.A.B.A Standard (from Canada)
General Appearance- The Boerboel is a perfectly balanced dog. He has well developed muscle he should have strong, smooth movement. He is an impressive, imposing dog of strength. Males should be more masculine than females.

Size-

Males- 25-30" at the withers

Females- 22-26" at the withers

Head- This is the most important Characteristic of the breed, it represents the whole character of the Boerboel.

A) Occiput "top of the head"- Wide, flat, and musculature.

B) Face- Must meet symmetrically together with the head. With or Without mask. Mask preferred.

C) Stop- Visible but not prominant

D) Muzzle- Straight and in line with the top of the head. The muzzle is deep, wide and should slightly narrow at the sides towards the front. Muzzle should be in proportion to the size of the dog and can range from 3-4 inches in length. That measurement does not include the actual "Nose".

E) Nose- Black ONLY, large, widely spaced nostrils.

F) Lips- Top lip is loose and fleshy and does not hang past the bottom jaw. Top lip must cover the bottom lip which should not be loose and fleshy.

G) Jaws- Strong, Deep, Wide in the back and slightly narrow at the sides towards the front.

H) Teeth- Well Developed, correctly spaced, with no missing teeth. Dog should have a Scissor Bite.

Eyes- Any shade of brown. Widely spaced with well pigmented eyelids. Eye color should be darker than the coat color.

Ears- Medium sized, V-shaped and in proportion to the head. Ears are set high and wide. When alert the top of the ears must form a straight line with the top of the head.

Neck- Average length, Neck forms a noticeable muscle arch attaches high at the shoulders. Scruff of the neck is loose under the chin and tightens up as it reaches the chest.

Topline- Straight

A) Back- straight, wide, and in proportion to the body. prominant back muscles with a short loin.

B) Croup- Wide, strong, with well defined muscle.

C) Tail- set high, straight, does not curl over back, cut short, long tails are accepted.

Forequarters-

A) Shoulders- Very muscular and set so elbows are not angled out.

B) Legs- strong and straight with well defined muscle.

C) Pasterns- thick, strong, medium in length.

D) Front Paws- large, ball shaped with strong, dark toenails.

Hindquarters-

A) Hocks- short, strong and thick, parallel with each other. Dewclaws must be removed.

B) Back Paws- Slightly smaller than the front, well formed, strong dark toenails.

Movement- The gait is balanced and smooth, powerful, with ground covering strides showing strong driving action in hindquarters with corresponding reach in front. Topline remains firm and level.

Movement Faults- Any suggestion of clumsiness, tossing and/or rolling of the body, short or stilted steps, twisting of joints, paddling. Similar movement faults will be penalized according to the degree to which they interfere with the ability of the dog to work.

Skin- thick, loose and well pigmented with slight wrinkles on the brow when dog is alert.

Coat- Short, Dense, and smooth.

Color- Yellow, tawny, reddish-brown, and all shades of brindle. We are looking for little to no white. White is accepted on chest, toes (should have black toenails) and a small stripe on muzzle. It will be considered a fault if anywhere on dog’s upper thighs or legs, back, or neck.

Pigmentation- Should be well pigmented especially the lips, eyes, footpads, toenails, and genitals.
DISQUALIFICATIONS:

1) Dogs that are deaf

2) Males without two testicles clearly descended

3) Dog too small

4) Dog to big

5) An overly aggressive dog

6) An overly shy dog

7) blue eyes

8) Vertical ears

9) Serious Cow Hock

10) A piebald Dog

11) A Blue dog

12) Any sign of another breed

Please remember, these disqualifications are for "Show purposes" not registration. We accept Piebald and Blues for Pet Registration.

“Here we also add the”
S.A.B.T STANDARD (from South Africa)
The Boerboel is a big, strong and intelligent working dog, which was bred in South Africa since the seventeenth century. Various Mastiff types’ dogs from Europe as well as big dogs from Africa contributed to the development of the breed. A typical Boerboel’s characteristic is very similar to that of the Assyrian of the period up to 700 BC.

1. GENERAL APPEARANCE
The Boerboel is a big strong dog, well balanced, with good muscle development and swift in movement. The dog should be impressive, and imposing. Male dogs appear noticeably masculine and bitches feminine

2. BALANCE
The Boerboel is a perfectly balanced dog – all parts of the body should be in proportion.

3. TEMPERAMENT AND CHARACTERISTICS
The Boerboel is reliable, obedient and intelligent, with a strong watchdog instinct. It is self-assured and fearless, but perspective to the needs of the family.

4. THE HEAD
The head is the most important feature of the Boerboel, as it represents its total character. The head is short, broad, deep, square and muscular with well-filled cheeks. The part between the eyes must be well filled.

5. TOP-LINE OF THE HEAD/OCCIPUT
The top of the head is broad and flat, with prominent muscle development.

6. FACE
The face should blend symmetrically with the head, and can be with or without black
6.1 STOP
The stop should be visible, but not prominent.
6.2 MUZZLE
The muzzle is black with large nostrils that are widely spaced.
6.3 NASAL BONE
The nasal bone is straight and parallel to the top-line of the head. It is deep, broad and it tapers slightly to the front. The nasal bone should be 8-10cm long.
6.4 LIPS
The upper lip is loose and fleshly, and should not hang lower than the lower jaw. The upper lip (beneath the muzzle) should cover the lower lip.
6.5 JAWS
The jaws (mandibles) are strong, deep and broad, and narrows slightly to the front.
6.6 TEETH
Teeth should be white, well developed, correctly spaced; a complete set (42 teeth), and should have a scissors bite.
6.7 EYES
The color of the eyes can be any shade of brown, but darker than the pelt. Eyes should be horizontally set. It should be broad-spaced with firm, well-pigmented eyelids.
6.8 EARS
The ears should be of medium size, v-shaped and should be in proportion to the Head. They are set fairly high and wide against the head. When the dog is Interested, the ears should form a straight line with the top of the head.

7. NECK
7.1 PROFILE
The neck shows a noticeable muscle curve, and is attached high at the shoulder.
7.2 LENGTH
The neck is of medium length and in proportion to the rest of the dog.
7.3 APPEARANCE
The neck is quite strong and muscular, firmly attached to the head and gradually broadens up to the point where it is attached to the shoulder. The neck, head and shoulder should from a unit.
7.4 THE SKIN OF THE NECK
The skin of the neck is loose under the throat and becomes taut between the front legs.

8. BODY
The body narrows slightly towards the loin.
1. TOP LINE
The top line should be straight.
2. BACK
The back is straight, broad and in proportion, with prominent back muscles and a short loin.
3. RUMP
The rump is broad and strong with good muscle development.
4. CHEST
The chest is muscular and strong. The chest should be broad and deeply set between the forelegs, with well-attached and curved ribs. The rib cage should be in proportion to the chest.
5. TAIL
The tail is attached high to the body. It should be straight and preferably short (three joints). Long tails are acceptable.

9. FORE-QUARTERS
The forequarters is strong, muscular and in proportion to the rest of the dog.
1. SHOULDER/WITHERS
The withers should be well attached, correctly angulated and with good muscle development.
2. UPPER ARM
The upper arm should have good muscle development.
3. FRONT LEGS
The front legs should be thick, strong, and muscular and should stand perfectly vertical.
4. FRONT PASTERNS
The front pasterns are short, strong and a vertical extension of the front legs and pastern joints.
5. FRONT PAWS
The front paws are big well padded and rounded and with strong dark and curved toenails. The paws should point straight forward.

10. HIND-QUARTERS
The hindquarters should be strong, firm and in proportion to the rest of the dog, with the ability for effective propulsion.

11. UPPER THIGHS
The upper thighs are broad, deep, well developed with prominent muscles.
1. SECOND THIGH/GASKIN
The second thighs should be well developed with prominent muscles.
2. KNEE STIFLE
The knees are strong, firm and correctly angulated.
3. HOCK JOINTS
The hock joints are firm with correct curving.
4. HOCKS
The hocks are relatively short, strong and thick. The hocks are parallel. (Dewclaws should not be present).
5. HIND PAWS

The hind paws are slight smaller than the front paws. They should be well padded, rounded and should point straightforward. The nails are strong dark and curved.
12. MOVEMENT
Movement should be easy, smoothly powerful, by means of good propulsion of the hindquarter and parallel movement of the legs. In movement, a straight top-line should be maintained.
13. SKIN
The skin is thick, loose, well pigmented with moderate wrinkles.
14. PELT/HAIR
1. The pelt is short, sleek and dense.
2. Recognized colors are cream white, pale tawny, reddish brown, brown and all shades of brindle.

15. SIZE
1. MALE DOGS
The ideal height for a male dog is 66cm (25 inch). It can, however, vary between 64 and 70cm.

2. BITCHES
The ideal height for a bitch is 61cm (24inch). It can vary between 59 and 65cm.

16. GENERAL HEALTH
The Boerboel enjoys exceptional health, due to natural selection.

17. PIGMENTATION
The Boerboel is well pigmented, especially on the lips, paws, toenails and genitals.

18. DISQUALIFICATIONS
1. A dog, which is too small.
2. A dog, which is too big.
3. An overly aggressive dog.
4. A head, which is too small and nondescript.
5. A liver colored muzzle.
6. An underbid of more than 1cm.
7. A noticeable overbite.
8. A narrow mouth.
9. A long mouth.
10. A sharp mouth.
11. Blue eyes.
12. Erect ears.
13. A narrow chest.
14. Bandy legs.
15. A hollow back.
16. Cows hocks.
17. Sickle hocks.
18. Straight hocks.
19. Clumsy and unbalanced movement.
20. White and piebald (prominent white on the body).
21. Black and skewbald.
22. Any sign of another dog breed.

One Of My Favorite Females Bellbusk Deborah owned by A.Pretoruis of Bellbusk Boerboels.