Description

The African Boerboel is a breed which originated in South Africa. They are known to be developed as a result of cross breeding between a Mastiff and a Bulldog. They serve as a protection and working dog as they are very large, stiff and muscular. They have an impressive look and are not known to be very aggressive considering that they are the most protective dogs. This is an intelligent and obedient breed which possesses strong instincts and is a defending and loyal pet as well calm and stable. They are referred to as 'farmer's dog' as they serve the purpose of guarding the farmer's residence and property with their ample stamina and efficient movement skills. It remains the best choice for the farmers to hunt down the predators in rural as well as urban communities. This breed is quite distinct and the females are shorter and thinner compared to the stiff and muscular males. The height of the African Boerboel is approximately 25-28 inches, and weighs around 154-200 pounds. Their square shaped and broad massive heads are the most distinguished feature. The skin around the eyes is always dark and has very little wrinkles. Their broad chests provide balance to their athletic and well shaped appearance.

Coat Description

An African Boerboel’s coat is quite short and shiny. They have a dense yet a smooth coat. Though the coat is coarse, it is easy to maintain them and care for them and doesn’t require much grooming or bathing on a regular basis. They don’t need to be brushed often. There coat necessitates stripping for shows but may be clipped for easiness of care at home.

History of the breed

The history of the Boerboel is known with some uncertainties as to how many and which type of dogs were bred for its development. It is understood that the dogs originated in south Africa as a result of the cross breed between African species and several species brought by the Dutch settlers in 1652.later in 1892 the British who came to Africa bred the existing type with the bulldogs and other Mastiff types. The outcome was a larger and stronger Boerboel. In 1928, diamond mining company De Beers brought Mastiff Boerboel’s and bred them to guard their mines and Boerboels gained higher popularity as guard dogs.

Temperament

The African Boerboel is a loyal and courageous watchdog. They don’t allow strangers or predators in the area they protect and bark loudly on seeing them. They are intelligent and have strong instincts and thus identify the guests they are being introduced to and become friendly with them. They use their size and strength to protect the family and the property they are guarding with full attention and aggression. They rarely bite but are obedient and responsible in protecting the house. They obey all the instructions given by their owner and just demand affection and attention in return. They make brilliant family dogs and are extremely fun loving and playful. They are very defensive towards their families and only show aggression to strangers. They behave gently with children and make good companionship with kids of all ages.

Health issues and concerns

The Boerboel is a very strong and healthy breed with a life expectancy of generally 12-15 years. Due to the cross breeding they acquire immunities which allows them to survive throughout their life pan without much veterinary care or treatments. There are two conditions that may create problems during breeding process. The first case occurs in females in which tissue develops on the vaginal area. This abnormality is called VH or vaginal hyperplasia. The second disorder is abundant in most dog breeds involving both males and females. It is known as Canine hip dysplasia or CHD and should be checked and examined before breeding process starts. Both the conditions are genetic.

Grooming

The dense, smooth and coarse coat of the African Boerboel cane be groomed and cared easily. They don’t need to be brushed regularly and need to be groomed just once or twice a week using brushes having heavy pins for the thick coat. Grooming increases the blood circulation as it provides massage to the skin and extirpates dead hair from the coat. Grooming can be done by even kids using a grooming glove. If the African Boerboel is seen scratching or licking the coat then there must be a possibility of the presence of fleas in the coat. Fleas are insects which suck the blood by getting attached to the skin of the dog. The areas they usually attach themselves are the ears, inner legs and lower jaw. They can be noticed by smell or blood clots in coat also known as ‘flea dirt’. The treatment can be done with the use of flea powders and flea collars. Fingers and device named tick pullers can be used to remove the tick.

Regular dental care prevents the African Boerboel from mouth infections, bad breathe and teeth loss which occur due to the formation of tartar and plaque on the teeth. Tooth decay can be reduced by routine brushing of the teeth using a good dog toothpaste and dog toothbrush.

Bathing should be done as per required, but over bathing avoided as it can result in dry skin as well as dry hair. Only dog shampoo followed by a dog conditioner should be used. But some African Boerboels are allergic to some shampoos and conditioners and hence they should be bathed using an oatmeal shampoo. Nails should be regularly trimmed and maintained. Ears, eyes and teeth should be checked during every grooming session.

Exercise

The African Boerboel requires a lot of space for doing exercises. They will self exercise, jog and exercise around the fence while guarding the area. The owner doesn’t have to put in much effort for providing any further additional exercises and the dogs engage themselves in games while going out with family members which serve as a good exercise. The African Boerboel takes immense pleasures in games such as ‘go and get’ and ‘tag’. They love getting mixed up in games that is going on in the family. They also play with other dogs as companions which provide them with good physical exercise and they serve their owner a good companionship while jogging and walking. The African Boerboel can be trained to be well behaved and good mannered in the house if proper exercise and training is provided. Their calm and composed behavior makes them a good companion for both adults and children. As their age increases they become less active in their movement skills and so the owner must ensure proper and regular exercise as well as healthy feeding which will lead to a good and healthy life.

Training

The African Boerboel maintains a healthy relationship with its owner and is always prepared to eagerly work and train under the guidance of the owner. It never disobeys its owner during the course of training though sometimes they intentionally go against the owner’s wishes after a certain maturity level is attained. So it is mandatory on the owner’s side to start training these dogs when they are puppies and make them aware of the fact that the decision making is not their choice and rather the owner’s choice. But the owner should also be careful that it does not treat the puppy in an impudent manner rather guide and train the puppy in a disciplined way so that it does not acquire any bad habits during the process of its development into a dog and listen to all the order of its owner rather trying its own thing. In simple words, the owner must be a firm and responsible guardian of this breed of dog. The muscular strength and heavy mastiff proportional body of the African Boerboel along with its natural instinct of safeguarding and watch dog instincts implies that the African Boerboel should always be kept under close observation so that it can be kept under control all the times. They can also be incredibly creative when doing obedience, much to the charging of aggressive owners. The African Boerboel can out to be a dangerous breed if it is not properly trained and disparagement could occur if it is left out of its fenced area. Training is a very important process in the upbringing of the African Boerboel as a sense of obedience is developed in the dog from an early stage and leads to disciplined behavioral traits in the dog. As this is a large and strong dog, it should not be kept as pet by someone who is buying his first dog. It is more preferable to buy an African Boerboel who is already trained and knows to socialize rather than buying a puppy and assiduously training it till it grows into a dog. The best thing about African Boerboel is that does not create troubles. It can be kept in the kennel for short time but they become habituated to chewing, digging and barking, as well as tearing things apart inside the house and even outside in the yard. The African Boerboel takes up training in a much disciplined way and exercising increases its movement skills. The owner must let the dog sessions involving games as it creates a healthy relationship between the owner and the