Boerboel

It is believed that Dutch settlers who came with Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 brought with them mastiff-type dogs from Europe, descendants of the Brabanter Bullenbijter mastiff, a breed now extinct. This Bullenbijter is believed to have crossed with other mastiff-type dogs from other European countries as well as with other local breeds. The settlers, called boers, dispersed as they moved inland and settled mainly in the former provinces of Transvaal, the Orange Free State and Natal. The Boerboel was indispensable to them as a farm guardian. It had to guard the herds and hunt wild animals. What is certain is that in the beginning of the century just after the second Boer War, a cross was made with the old English Bulldog, of a different type from the one we know today - larger, with longer legs. There was also an influence from the English Bullmastiff, because the Boerboel, having remained isolated in the back country, needed fresh blood to avoid the effects of inbreeding. The Bullmastiff was imported to South Africa in the late 1930s by the British to guard the diamond mines of the De Beers Mining Company. The Boerboel, considered a simple farm dog at that time, was not retained for this task. One can find a certain resemblance to the Rhodesian Ridgeback, even though the Ridgeback is much lighter and is a hunting dog. Its closest cousin is the Mastiff. The Boerboel, although originally present only in South Africa, is now also found in neighboring countries such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe (formerly called Rhodesia) and Tanzania. Because of its use, little interest was paid to breed selection until the 1960s, when serious breeding began and it was decided to register typical specimens of the breed in a stamboek (stud book). As a result, some people created an association and traveled throughout the country to select dogs displaying the most typical traits, this to be able to save the breed and also preserve the Afrikaner cultural heritage of which the Boerboel is part.

The Boerboel is a dog easy to train if given affection and respect. It loves family life and is especially the best friend of children. It has a certain guarding instinct and is curious, attentive. The Boerboel is among guard dogs that generally do not allow any uninvited person to enter its master's environment. It will growl to warn but in general it barks very little and can very well assess the degree of guarding necessary for each situation. As long as its masters are there and show it that guests are welcome, they have absolutely nothing to fear. It is a dog that will first seek its master's consent if they are present; failing that, it acts on its own initiative. Because of its origins and long use as a farm guard dog, the Boerboel gets along very well with other animals but, if it often lives in a group, it can show little tolerance in certain cases. It loves to play with other dogs and adapts its play style based on the size of its playmates, knowing how to be gentle with small dogs or even cats. It remains calm and peaceful inside the house but appreciates long sessions of physical exercise. The breed is generally in good health, and does not encounter any pathology specifically linked to the breed (for example allergies or eye problems) but like any large breed one must be careful about hip dysplasia. Therefore this dog should have limited exercise especially during the first year of its life. Despite its size this dog moves very quickly. The Boerboel learns quickly if training and work are presented to it as something fun and pleasant. You can train your Boerboel to tracking and get good results. Its intelligence makes it sensitive and it learns with positive responses. In France, this dog is part of attack dogs (1st category).