The boerboel is a Molosser breed of dog that comes from South Africa. It has received various names, including African Berboel or South African Mastiff. Its ancestors are the bullmastiff, the great Dane and the bullensbeisser, the latter a now extinct dog.
The first specimens of the Boerboel date back to the year 1600, when during the Boer War the Dutch colony that had lived in South Africa until then passed into the hands of the British Empire, which used this wonderful breed to protect its farms.
Physical appearance
The boerboel has a imposing physique and striking as it is a very large dog. Both males and females can measure up to 70 centimeters at the withers and weigh up to 95 kilograms in really large specimens.
The boerboel is not a dog for everyone and its large size means that it requires an experienced owner who knows how to control and train this large dog.
It has short, soft fur and can come in various colors including sand, red, brindle, or a yellowish hue. These tones match her eyes, which often vary between yellow, brown and chocolate.
Character
Emotionally he is a balanced and intelligent dog who enjoys the relationship with his immediate family. It knows how to behave and it is a very obedient dog that has served as a working dog for centuries.
It is important that we know that we should never make our boerboel believe that we are suffering some kind of aggression or old age from another human. He is a distrustful dog with strangers with an overprotective character that could make him attack with some ease those who he considers to hurt us.
The boerboel is not afraid, he is a confident and self-assured dog, we will know just by seeing him pass solemnly. Even so, we remember that it is a very affectionate dog with its owners who will love to be playful and participative.
Behaviour
The treatment with the children of the family is well known as affable, affectionate and careful even though it is a large dog size. If the Boerboel has received a correct socialization with his family and environment, we can affirm that he will be an excellent dog with which our children will be able to play. Of course, we remember that it is always very important that the little ones be educated so that they play calmly and do not bother the dog by being able to hurt it.
As for the Boerboel's attitude with other dogs it will not always be affable and friendly, although the socialization it will also directly depend on it received since he was a puppy and education is very important in such a large dog. If this has not been the most suitable, we can start preparing to retrain a dog with a certain attitude of superiority and dominance in this type of relationship.
Education
The boerboel is an excellent guard dog that will not hesitate to protect his family, herd or pack. Aware of his great size, he is aware of the advantage that this represents
We are talking about a dog that needs a companion experienced in training and socialization based on positive reinforcement and the welfare of the animal. It is also important to note that a minimum of outside is needed because it is a dog that can undoubtedly take us wherever he wants.
The boerboel breed is intelligent and will quickly learn what you ask of it as well as basic and advanced education.
Care
Among the care we highlight as the most important exercise and that is that the Boerboel is a dog that needs to move, exercise its muscles and release possible accumulated stress. It needs large amounts of daily food (between 600 and 800 grams), which makes physical activity even more necessary. For this reason, if our intention is to adopt a Boerboel, we must be available for long, quality walks.
Brushing its hair will basically serve to prevent the appearance of fleas and ticks and thanks to its short hair, 2 weekly brushings will suffice.
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Due to the great weight that it supports, we will avoid prolonged exercise, that is, we will respect that the animal is already tired and we will not force it to run if it does not want to. We will also make sure that he is not lying down or inactive all day, in this way we prevent the appearance of hip dysplasia.
As puppies we recommend adding calcium to their diet to improve the quality of their bones and their growth because the Boerboel is a large dog that must bear a lot of weight on its bones. Consult your veterinarian.
