Question by Coley:
What can you tell me about a Boerboel?
I am seriously considering this breed. If you own one or know someone who does what can you tell me about them? Yes, I researched and read, so links to breed characteristics are not needed. Just wondering from a personal standpoint. I have ample acreage and ample time to train efficiently. Not a concern. I have no problem with starting a puppy correctly and properly socializing along with being that “leader” I have no problems handling a giant breed and have worked with/trained other strong bully breeds and Mastiffs.
My concerns lies in this…we have barn cats and pigs…is this a breed that will be known to hunt and kill “small game” naturally? Or thru obedience, exercise, and socialization will ignore these factors of our life? We live on a farm, obviously. Is this a breed I will have to be concerned about when ppl pull into the yard? I like the intimidating look but would prefer a dog that could care less, maybe a bit more aloof and watchful? I certainly don’t want a 130# dog begging for attention either. Is this breed SPASY…let me define spasy…I consider a Boxers, APBTetc to project this happy & spasy type personality. I am looking for a fairly laid back, BIG dog, with minimal grooming requirements, that bonds tightly with its family, gentle with children (aside from the obvious HUGE puppy knockover haha) possibly a bit aloof around strangers but can be defined as “safe” for the most part with necessary socialization etc. Something confident yet displays some protectiveness, which is a bit different to me than natural aggression…A dog that learns to be watchful yet respects its handler and desires to be close. Willfull at times is ok to begin with but once leadership is established I want a dog to be in tune to me and work to please. This would be a HOUSE dog and not an outdoor dog and the dog would indeed travel with us when we go places, more than likely follow along on horseback rides etc. Rarely left home alone. We do not have a real social house just the family usually.
Ok and lastly. From what I understand this is typically a fairly healthy breed. Aside from Penn hip scores on parents etc. What other things should factor in when seeking out a breeder? When looking for a breed of dog like this, that is oftentimes bred with no relevance to personality traits of the parents…what things should I be watching for and aware of to ensure the puppy would be mentally stable? Male vs female? Is there significant differences in the sex of this breed? I tend to be drawn to females in my younger years (due to the more serious nature I found in female dogs) but certainly would be open to either sex. I find males, in general, are best for families with children, as boys retain some playful antics a bit longer whereas females can become a bit lazy. Does this hold true with this breed?
After reading that…is there any other breeds you can think of that would also fit this profile?
Curtis…Thank you and much agreed 
Was my worry
Fadin Reign…Thanks for the touching story Don’t know a farm dog yet that doesn’t LOVE to steal the horns or a farm cat that isn’t waiting around for a snack at castration time LOL>
Curtis…So then WHAT breed sounds like it would suit the purpose I am looking for and would be a bit easier to find a good breeder?
Lioness~ Thank you for that info. Gosh darn it, they are just gorgeous! Pet mainly, I am looking for. I have no desire to compete with the dog however, would be looking to get a CGC and all that stuff to prove it is a well rounded pooch. Possibly continue some therapy work. Overall family companion tho I would put the dog to work pulling our children on walks Being a former breeder myself I realize a wait is imminent. Thinking in a couple years, therefore researching now. SO TRUE about finding a good breeder tho. Man, I have emailed MANY MANY breeders to not even get a reply back. I think my questions must intimidate:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boerboel
I have a friend who has a Boreboel and a chocolate lab. When the Boreboel was a pup she weighed almost as much as the five year old lab. She was a very hyper pup… running and jumping being wild. But they are good dog owners and they now have her trained well. She runs with her owners… but they didn’t run her until she was two, to make sure her joints, bones and muscles were completely developed. It helps get her excess energy out.
That’s all I know about them. She is a beautiful dog.
Good luck.
Blah blah all of that means nothing…what does mean something is the fact that Boerboels are large breed dogs (aka more prone to genetic disorders of the joints), what also matters is that they’re “rare”, “new” and expensive…that means that every BYBer and their mama are breeding them with no regards just so they can sell $ 2,000 puppies.
Are there reputable breeders of Boerboels in this country? I’m sure somebody somewhere is doing it right. But I’m positive that over 99% aren’t! It’s really not worth it to invest in these “rare” breeds because all you really know is what the breeder and the breed standards tell you. Look at the Show Line American GSD…the owners of these dogs describe them like they’re still the same dog as working line GSDs because they don’t understand what the standard is talking about. The standard for Boerboels may say “Direct, bold, and fearless” and some idiot could mistake their fear aggressive dog who charges the gate when strangers come as bold and fearless!
I’ve never been a fan of the “newly popular $ 2,000 price tag” dogs. They’re almost always put together wrong: Proof? Most Neos, Presa Canario, and Dogo Argentino in this country would be shot in their native lands with REAL breeders.
-edit- So lets get down to the REAL deal
You want a massive short haired dog that may or may not bite somebody who’s messing with you but sure looks like he would!!! Luckily there is such a dog, a dog developed by people on farms who wanted exactly what you want…those dogs are called American Bulldogs and Old English Whites!
The issue here is the same, they command a pretty decent price, therefore there are a lot of bums breeding them. It’s like jumping through hoops to find any good dog of any large breed nowadays, but you have a much higher chance of finding a good Am Bulldog breeder than a Boerboel breeder.
My experience with this breed is limited to a family friend who had one on his ranch for many years, the dog finally passed at age 17 from a snake bite. I will share what I remember about this dog and hope it helps. First this dog was not what one refers to as “clever”, however he was extremely loyal and protective especially to children. He always accompanied us to the swimming spot on the ranch and used to throw a fit if he thought we were too far away from shore. I used to think it was because he really could not swim well and after a few feet would sink if not assisted. This is a very densely boned dog and almost pure heavy muscle. With the other animals on the ranch he was fine, never chased or bothered the cats and was for the most part calm.
The only time he was not calm was during de-horning time. As I am sure you know this is when the horns were cut off or trimmed on the cows. When this spring event happened he knew it was coming and he would almost prance for a week prior. On the day, he usually could not be found anywhere until the first few horns were cut. Then he would dash in from out of nowhere grab a horn and run as if the devil were chasing him. He would go into the woods and hide it somewhere then return for another “prize”.
That was when I learned that cow hooves and horns are a dogs best friend. But no one ever understood why he thought he had to STEAL them.
I remember this dog with fondness as a steady gazed, huge, monster that would never hurt a soul. Yes, he was not too bright, but his heart made up for the difference.
PS~ His name was Stoney.
I’ve never owned one, but did consider them once upon a time.
My only real input would be about the same as Curtis’s. Your real challenge is going to be finding a breeder. You’re going to have to weed through lots and lots of garbage and be willing to wait for a puppy. You’re also going to have to think about what exactly it is you’re planning to do with the dog. (as far as being willing to show, etc)
Here is a good place to start:
http://www.theabc.us/events.html#bis
These are the past national specialty winners. These are the kennels I would start feeling out for info.
Based on the info I found, Centurion is the leader of the pack. The next question would be WHY that is. Is it because they have the best dogs, or is it something else?
http://www.dogsbydale.com/
I’m from South Africa and I bred them there for several years before moving to the USA.
I have one 5 year old from my last litter back in S.A. and he’s wonderful around all of my animals. It is best to expose them to everything when they are young so they understand what is supposed to be on your property and what is not.
I also have two pups that I will be breeding but only after they have passed all health checks and if they don’t, they will be neutered/spayed as I breed to improve the breed not for the money. They are the perfect temperament of the breed and are 10 and 11 months old. Breeding will only take place when they are over 2 as the body will not have fully matured before then.
They are very good farm dogs as that is what the name translates to, Boer (Farmers) Boel (Dog). Boerboels can be trained for herding as this is a natural instinct, protection of crops and animals falls into this as well and then there is the added bonus of a good nanny of children. One of the other tasks is watching over the children of the compounds or farms as well as protecting the family from would be thieves.
Socialization is key to any dog and a Boerboel will take ques from you as to a visitors intentions when they come to your farm.
As for sex being a role in the breed it can be said females are a bit more inteligent and active than males, however I love both dearly. Sheba (11 months and 108lbs) is very hyper and loves to show off her toys in a parade like show for everyone. Whereas Kruger (10 months and 118lbs) is content to lye in the shade watching the happenings of the yard and then start up a running storm tackling our older dog with the large Jolly Ball when he isn’t watching.
Key questions to a prospective breeder would be:
Are they kept kenneled all the time or are they indoor/outdoor dogs?
What are you feeding them?
Any customers have any issue with health, how many litters has the mother had?
What are the Penn Hip scores of the parents and their parents?
How many generations back did the lineage come out of South Africa?
Do they have children playing with the pups and the parents?
And sadly yes they are a rare breed and there are many BYB that are doing a lot of harm to the breed. Check out several of the Boerboel lists on the internet and see who they recommend in your area and to learn more about these wonderful dogs.
Have you looked into the Argentine Dogo…the breed meets all your parameters…they are best of all…hunters outside the house, couch potato/ mush-face in the house…loves kids…Not for the faint hearted but they are amazing dogs…bred specifically to hunt and bring down boar, and then take your toddler for a piggy back ride….. I have nothing to add regarding the Boerbel but you did ask if anyone knew of any other breed like that…..hope it was helpful.