About Boerboel / African BoerBoel

About Boerboel / African BoerBoel

A Boerboel is one of the largest among dog breeds, they mastiff type dog breed with strong and well-balanced dog with good muscle development. They are large working molosser dog from South Africa. The word boerboel is Afrikaans for "farmer's dog". The dog is a heavy mastiff breed with characteristic sand coloration with a black mask. The ideal height for male Boerboels is from 64-70cm at the shoulder. The height for bitches is usually 59-65cm. The most likely origins are claimed to date back to Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival to the Cape in 1652. Dutch, French and British settlers have all brought with them certain breeds of dog, which were bred with indigenous breeds of domestic African dogs to create the Boerboel.

The Boerboel is a big, strong and intelligent working dog. They easy, smooth, powerful and purposeful, by means of good propulsion of the hindquarter and parallel movement of the legs. In movement, a straight top-line should be maintained. The Boerboel is reliable, obedient and intelligent, with strong watch and guard-dog instincts. It is self-assured and fearless. The Boerboel are very playful and affectionate toward their owners. Their favorite pass time would be to play a game of fetch loving every minute they spend with their master. Their jaws are strong and they will most often pop the ball they are playing with. Boerboel are protectors and can be very aggressive to people passing in the street. They will guard their family, friends and property with their life. When the owners are not home they will not allow anyone to enter the home, unless they know them very well. They are however, guard dogs, and will keep close watch over any house guest. Owners have to be very careful when opening the gate or door so that they don't get out into the street when people are passing by. Boerboel will do okay with other dogs, cats and other non-canine pets, letting birds come down and snatch from their food bowl!

Boerboel has very well protective instinct, they should always be on your wave length and be ready to act when ever you feel threatened. The dog should also be able to sense when ever you feel uneasy about a specific individual, and he will no doubt make his presence felt in order to provide you with the necessary protection. The Boerboel is a family dog, often spending hours playing with the children and accepting the protection of the whole family as his duty and cares for all of them. A Boerboel is a loyal and devoted family guardian that loves children especially. They very seldom bark, but when they do you can be sure it is for a good reason. One of the early kennels said of its Boerboels that they were, "faithful, fearless, but not ferocious". This sums up a well-bred Boerboel today just perfectly. Most common health problems on Boerboels are hip and elbow dysplasia, eye problems, heart issues, thyroid problems, bloat, vaginal hyperplasia.