Boerboel

The Boerboel is a large South African mastiff bred to guard the farmstead — heavy-boned, short-coated and built for the work it is named after.

History

It developed on South African farms from mastiff and bulldog types brought by European settlers, crossed with local dogs, and was kept to defend homesteads and livestock against predators. Formal breed organisation is recent; the type is not.

Temperament

The breed is known for being confident, territorial and devoted to its own family, with a natural guarding instinct that requires management rather than encouragement. It is calm when well raised and formidable when not.

Care and training

It needs daily exercise, firm and consistent reward-based training, and early socialising that continues into adulthood. This is a large, powerful guarding breed and is restricted or banned in some countries; check local law before committing.

Health

Known tendencies include hip and elbow dysplasia, entropion and, as in most heavy breeds, bloat. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.