Boerboel

History of origin

The ancestors of the Boerboel dog breed appeared in South Africa as early as the XNUMXth century, along with the first settlers from Holland and other European countries. According to scientists, Boerboels trace their genealogy to the ancient Molossians, who were brought to the Mediterranean countries by Alexander the Great. Over the centuries, two main types of dogs were bred from Molossians: mastiffs – from which guard and pickling breeds later descended, and dogs that became the ancestors of hunting breeds.

The descendants of mastiffs and left the ships on the coast of South Africa along with their owners. Over several centuries, these dogs mixed not only with native breeds, but also with other dogs that arrived on the continent, such as English bulldogs and mastiffs, spreading through farms. The owners entrusted these powerful dogs with serious duties as guards of the territory, property and bodyguards, therefore, their working qualities were valued in the dogs of the Boerboel breed – courage, pressure, aggression. No one provided veterinary care to dogs, so natural selection allowed only the healthiest, smartest and strongest dogs to survive. So, in difficult living conditions, the main features of the Boerboel breed were forged.

Unfortunately, in the last century, farms began to decline, and cities, on the contrary, grew, and the Boerboel guards were not so needed in them. Gradually, the popularity of the breed faded away, and when in the 80s dog enthusiasts became concerned about its disappearance and went to the farms of the continent in search of dogs with a good exterior, they managed to find less than a hundred Boerboels worthy of further breeding. But they were enough for this strong and courageous African breed to be able to revive again and become popular not only in South Africa, but throughout the world. After a long selection work, dogs were finally obtained that combined the best features of the breed.

In 1990, the “Boerboel Association” arose in Africa, which was joined by a little less than a thousand fans of this breed, and in 2004, an International Organization appeared in the USA, which aims to popularize and breed Boerboels. The International Cynological Federation has not yet recognized Boerboels as a separate breed, considering them mestizos, which does not prevent fans of these dogs from breeding and selling animals around the world. Unfortunately, not all owners are able to cope with their serious nature, therefore, cases of Boerboels attacks on people have been recorded in the world, which forced Our Country to add Boerboels to the list of dangerous breeds in 2011.

Breed description

Proportionate, large, strong dog, with strong bones and well-developed muscles. The head is rectangular, wide, rather short. The flared part is flat, the cheekbones are well muscled, the transition from the forehead to the muzzle is smooth. The muzzle is broad, tapering slightly towards the nose. The nostrils are large, widely spaced, the nose is black. The eyes are medium, wide apart, round in shape and can be any shade of brown, the darker the better.

The jaws are powerful, wide, slightly tapering in front with a scissor bite. The fleshy upper lip should slightly cover the teeth and not overlap the lower jaw. The lower lip is free from exaggeration and fits well. The ears are set high and wide, wide at the base, tapering to the tips, which have a rounded shape. The neck is of medium length, powerful, muscular with a pronounced scruff. The body is strong, muscular, rectangular. The back is muscular and wide, the sternum is at the level of the elbows. The chest is powerful, wide and deep with rounded ribs. The loin is narrower than the chest and croup, the groin is moderately tucked up. the forelimbs are strong, muscular, the shoulder blades are oblique with pronounced angles, the elbows are tightly pressed to the chest.

The hind limbs are strong, muscular: the knees are directed forward, and the hocks are backward. The paws are large, round, directed strictly forward, the pads are thick black, the hind legs are slightly smaller than the front ones. Thick skin does not fit snugly to the body, wrinkles are allowed on the forehead, and a slight dewlap on the neck. The coat is short, thick and smooth. Boerboels can be of three colors: piebald, red and brindle. The Boerboel may have a dark mask on the muzzle, but the lips, palate, ears, nose, rim around the eyes, genitals and paw pads must be black.

Photos

Character

Boerboel dogs are serious animals, with the qualities of guards and bodyguards that are genetically inherent in them, this is a powerful dog that requires education and training.

“Before you become the owner of a Boerboel, you need to clearly understand why you need this dog,” says Elena Borimskaya, owner of the kennel “Legend of Africa”. – If you live outside the city and need a guard of the territory, this is one story, if a Boerboel lives in an apartment as a pet, then you need a dog with a different type of behavior. In order not to make a mistake, before buying a puppy in a kennel, you must clearly tell what behavior you expect from the dog in the future, then the breeder will be able to choose the right puppy – from parents who brought up protective qualities or a baby from calmer ancestors. You need to think about buying in advance – as a rule, you have to wait for the right puppy, but then you will have a dog that is right for you.

Boerboels are sanguine by nature, they will be happy to lie on the couch, but these are not phlegmatic dogs, they need communication, play, they are mobile and curious, active and active. Boerboels are devoted to their owner, they enjoy spending time with him, they miss being alone, worrying that their person is somewhere without his care and protection.

– Boerboels definitely require education and training, because what you put into a dog is what you get, – says Elena Borimskaya. They are great friends and companions, as well as loyal guards. Boerboels consider the whole family to be their pack and even on a walk they try to bring everyone together in order to control, to know where the members of his pack are. Boerboels treat children living in his family with great tenderness, take part in games, and selflessly protect “their people”. One of the Boerboels from our cattery lives with a girl of small stature, very miniature, so he believes that his mistress can be offended, and on walks, if someone he does not know approaches her, it becomes so that his body closes her. These are dogs that are ready to give up their lives for the sake of their owners, they are so devoted to their owners, who, importantly, raised them correctly.

Care and maintenance

Caring for Boerboel dogs is not a big deal for their owners. If you have taken a Boerboel puppy home, you need to understand that any slippery surfaces – laminate, linoleum, on which his paws move apart, can affect their proper development. Therefore, until the baby has grown up, slippery surfaces should be covered with carpets or heavy cloth. Also, jumping from sofas and armchairs is contraindicated for baby Boerboels – they can damage joints that are not yet strong.

– Like all dogs, Boerboels shed twice a year – in spring and autumn, then their hair needs to be combed out daily with a scraper brush to help get rid of dying hairs, – says Elena Borimskaya. – The rest of the time it is enough to comb out 2 times a week, it is also a massage that helps improve blood circulation. When to bathe Boerboels, each owner decides for himself – someone washes them every week, others just wipe it a couple of times with snow. It is necessary to carefully examine the ears of Boerboels and, if dust or dirt has accumulated in them, clean and turn the ear with a dry cotton swab. If you notice redness, discharge, see that the dog is shaking his ears – this is a reason to contact the veterinarian. You need to brush your teeth once every three months with a special toothpaste or special artificial bones with fluorine. If during walks the Boerboel does not grind off its claws, then they need to be trimmed with a guillotine claw cutter as they grow.

The main thing that Boerboels need is physical activity during walks.

“If you spend all your time at work and are ready to walk the dog for 15 minutes in the morning and evening, then Boerboels are not for you,” explains Elena Borimskaya. – Dogs of this breed need not only to keep their muscles in tone, but also to throw out their physical energy, and emotions and walks are an ideal way. As soon as two weeks have passed after the last vaccination, the puppy should be taken out for a walk, and preferably in the city next to noisy highways, trams, in a large crowd of people so that he begins to socialize as early as possible. During a walk in the city, Boerboels must be kept on a leash, but several times a week they should have the opportunity to frolic in the wild in nature – to run without a leash. While walking with a dog, you need to play, offer it to perform some exercises, you need to occupy not only the muscles, but also the brain of the Boerboels. A two-hour walk is the minimum time in which a Boerboel runs, plays enough, after which he will be satisfied with life.

What food to choose for dogs of the Boerboel breed – industrial or natural – is decided, of course, by the owner. The main thing here is to balance the composition.

– Boerboel is suitable for both dry industrial food and a natural feeding system, – says Elena Borimskaya. — We feed puppies in our kennel with both, because we don’t know what kind of food their owner will choose in the future. But you need to understand that an excess of protein can cause allergies in dogs, as well as flush out calcium from their body, which leads to bone problems.

Education and training

The African Boerboel has been learning for centuries to be a good guard of the territory, a bodyguard for a person, his owners selected only the most powerful, aggressive and courageous dogs. This breed definitely requires education and training. Boerboels are smart dogs with not lightning-fast, but quick reactions, they understand well what they want from them, they themselves are fond of training, they play sports with pleasure.

“While the Boerboel puppy does not go for walks yet, you can work out the simplest rules of behavior with him – the first simple commands, engage in educational games with him, teach the baby to the collar and leash,” Elena Borimskaya. – But only very experienced dog breeders, cynologists by education, can do a good job of raising a Boerboel on their own. I advise all future owners of dogs of this breed to contact professional trainers who will help to properly train the dog. You can take a general training course in individual lessons with a trainer, you can sign up for a group and train with other dogs 2-3 times a week at a special site. An ill-bred Boerboel is a problem for the family in which he lives, it is a tragedy for the dog itself, because, as a rule, such stories end sadly – animals are disposed of in different ways. If you are not ready for constant activities, if you do not have time to raise a pet, then it is better not to get a Boerboel, take pity on yourself and them.

Health and disease

African Boerboels are quite healthy dogs, in any case, among the Molossians they have quite good indicators.

“Before buying a puppy in a kennel, you should definitely ask the breeder for the results of tests for dysplasia of the knee and elbow joints, as well as the result of a heart check,” explains Elena Borimskaya. This is a sore spot for Boerboels. If the puppy is completely healthy, you still need to monitor how his musculoskeletal system develops in the first year of a dog’s life in order to prevent joint problems.

Some owners add chondroprotectors to the food to prevent joint diseases, it would be useful to take an analysis of the calcium content in the dog’s body, and if the indicators are less than normal, give the pet to gnaw chalk, coal – natural sources of calcium or replace them with pharmacy vitamins. Another problem of Boerboels is food allergies, so you will have to select food by trial and error. But if the dog’s well-being is in order, she is satisfied and happy, then communication with this devoted friend will bring only joy.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the content of Boerboel with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.