Anyone have a Boerboel ?

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I currently have a bullmastiff girl and am interested in a Boerboel but I've heard mixed reviews and would love to hear if anyone has one and their views , I've some reading but would like some first hand experiences .
 
Thankyou both. I have heard they are guarding dogs but in no way do we want something aggressive .
I am looking for an imposing gentle giant.
 
I only know one .
He belongs to a friend of my SIL .
He is extremely kind and gentle with his family which includes toy dogs .
But he bit my SIL who was seated on a dining chair with no warning it grabbed her by the elbow he has known her since he was a puppy .
His behaviour with post men and the like does not really mean you could call it a gentle giant he's more of a home guarding machine .
 
You'd be better off with one of the larger herding breeds. A guarding breed is a guarding breed...it's in their genetics, it's what they do. If you've done your research you'll know what they were bred to do and you have to decide if that's what you want, looks or not.
 
Yes they are South African farm dogs used for protecting their domain , guarding is one thing but I'm not going to be risking anyone being bitten so I think I'll have to think again.
 
Well it depends on interpretation. I don't see guard dogs as benign things that hang around looking imposing but not actually doing anything. There are plenty of other dogs which can do that.
 
Only met a couple in veterinary practice. Both were so dangerously aggressive that they basically lived a life with Baskerville muzzles on and could only be examined once sedated.
 
I know one very well, he is owned by the parents of the SJ rider I used to work for and lives on the same farm. He is a gentle giant, the friendliest, happiest, most enthusiastic dog I've ever met. He lives with two other dogs, a rottie and a pattedrdale and is very friendly with other dogs, cats and horses. No signs of any guarding instincts whatsoever, although he did knock my boss's 90 yr old granny over when he tried to say an enthusiastic hello :p. He has been owned by the same people since he was a puppy though and has been brought up properly - the owners have been quite firm with him because of his size. He's a lovely, gorgeous dog.
 
There seems to be a range of temptements , I wonder how much the line it comes from counts . I would only get a puppy so I know it's whole history and can work hard to develope a good citizen .

Still unsure tbh
 
I know someone who's had 3. The first died at just over a year old from a very rare tumour. Just bad luck but had a lovely temperament.. The 2nd was a rescue female. She had to be pts as she started randomly attacking them. She had always been a bit stressed.
The puppy - now over a year old is absolutely gorgeous and with the most fabulous temperament.
 
My family in South Africa have had them for as long as I can remember. Several family members have them, and on the whole they are lovely dogs. All of the Boerboels my family have had have been lovely with people they knew, but very wary and often aggressive with people they don't.

The biggest thing to remember is they don't bark - they wait. If you have a bitch and a dog, the general rule in SA is the bitch will find you and stay with you and the dog will go and search if there's a problem.

They're lovely dogs, but I wouldn't recommend them as pets at all. They are guard dogs first and foremost.
 
A friend has 2, (she's from SA) with a 6 year old and a young baby. Same as with any breeds I guess so long as you do your research, train them up correctly and meet their needs in terms of exercise etc you can't go too far wrong
 
Have a look at a Cane Corso - I have a blue brindle bitch who is imposing and will bark like a loon if someone comes to the door but once they're let in she is the softest dog I have ever known.
The were bred for guarding the family & boar hunting in Itlay - they are incredibly loyal and extremely soft with the family. When my friends bring children round she is the one they are allowed to meet (the terriers are too quick to react to clumsy toddlers) - the Cane hasn't a bad bone in her body.
They do need socialising regularly with other dogs as they can be quite dominant but then you could say that about a lot of breeds!
My friend has one as a "proper" guard dog and he means business on the farm, however I find it hilarious that his wife can take him into the local woods and he is like the tamest Labrador you've ever met!
 
Dazed'n'confused said:
Have a look at a Cane Corso - I have a blue brindle bitch who is imposing and will bark like a loon if someone comes to the door but once they're let in she is the softest dog I have ever known.
The were bred for guarding the family & boar hunting in Itlay - they are incredibly loyal and extremely soft with the family. When my friends bring children round she is the one they are allowed to meet (the terriers are too quick to react to clumsy toddlers) - the Cane hasn't a bad bone in her body.
They do need socialising regularly with other dogs as they can be quite dominant but then you could say that about a lot of breeds!
My friend has one as a "proper" guard dog and he means business on the farm, however I find it hilarious that his wife can take him into the local woods and he is like the tamest Labrador you've ever met!
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As a general rule of thumb though corsos as with pressas and boerboels they have a high energy and prey drive and are not really suitable for first time mastiff type owners or those with a faint heart. Saddly with the last season of game of thrones they, along with pressas, have bust into popularity for those wanting a status symbol but clueless as to how to handle them correctly. My old boy was a corso and as much as no other dog will ever compare he was a bloody handfull, having said that when I move I will be looking for another myself
 
I've had a Cane Corso, and whilst she was the most super dog, she ultimately could not be trusted with strangers. I don't think you can beat a Rottweiller for trainability, temperament, and a guarding instinct.
 
rowan666 said:
As a general rule of thumb though corsos as with pressas and boerboels they have a high energy and prey drive and are not really suitable for first time mastiff type owners or those with a faint heart. Saddly with the last season of game of thrones they, along with pressas, have bust into popularity for those wanting a status symbol but clueless as to how to handle them correctly. My old boy was a corso and as much as no other dog will ever compare he was a bloody handfull, having said that when I move I will be looking for another myself
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Yes you're right, but I think with any dog it's how you handle them - apart from one collie, I've always had terriers and to be honest I found the Corso much easier to train than any of them, however I was aware that although she wouldn't start a fight, she could more than finish one so I was careful where I let her be free!
 
cant beat a rottie :)

DSCF0083.jpg
 
All the training in the world won't override genetics.
With large, powerful guarding breeds anyone considering them needs to think about what sorts of situations the dog will be allowed to get into and if they as an owner/handler have the physical strength or training knowhow to intervene if they have to.
Some breeds might be easier to train than a collie, but not to hold on to.
 
The day will come when just as those wild animals which are considered dangerous have the owners and facilities licensed, so the same will apply to certain breeds of dog, with the Boerboel being on the list. Along with certain other breeds, they have the propensity to be extremely dangerous and they should be considered as anything but ideal family pets.

Alec.
 
There are a list of breeds that we ask temperment on if an adult animal trys to book in to our vets.
Incidentally most breeds on the list are banned in one area of the world or another.
Boerbels, presas and Cane corsos are on that list...Rotties are almost there from the last few incidences with intact males and idiot owners.
If they are described as anything but friendly to strangers we request they come in muzzled......
If they are described as very aggressive we will not see them as the health and safety of out staff comes first and they fail our safety check automatically.

This might seem excessive to people who own these dogs...it often goes down badly.....but in a dog of this weight size and musculature with a breed predisposition towards guarding against strangers....aggression takes on a new level of danger for those who have to try and handle them.We chose not to risk out lives and limbs for someones angry pet....most pets are aggressive at the vets due to fear...when its 40 plus kg of fear aggression and a predispostion towards distrust of strangers things can get hairy quickly.

In my eyes some of these breeds are more dangerous then a loaded gun....almost everyone who holds a gun realises the weapon they have....thats gets a bit murky when the animals a pet and the owner doesnt realise the extent of damage their growling "softy" is capable of when put under stress....most veterinary interventions are stressful to dogs!...we have just trained compliance into most breeds so well that they tolerate and incredible amount of handling.

If your interested in mastiff type...have you looked into dogue de bordeuax? Neo mastiffs? English or bullmastiffs? Most of those tend to be more looks the part to keep away stranger as opposed to out and out guarding dog breeds...
 
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Can I ask a question without getting jumped on? What exactly is the appeal of this type of dog? I don't really buy that its the same appeal for any other type of dog (of which there are 100s of different breeds to chose from) and I understand some need guarding breeds-like my mate out in Canada in the sticks although she has one of the mountain breeds. I get that any dog can cause alot of damage with teeth if they decide to and I am not anti-bull breeds or anti-specialised dog provided the owner can provide what that animal needs. But why these incredibly large, powerful dogs as pets?
 
Aru said:
There are a list of breeds that we ask temperment on if an adult animal trys to book in to our vets.
Incidentally most breeds on the list are banned in one area of the world or another.
Boerbels, presas and Cane corsos are on that list...Rotties are almost there from the last few incidences with intact males and idiot owners.
If they are described as anything but friendly to strangers we request they come in muzzled......
If they are described as very aggressive we will not see them as the health and safety of out staff comes first and they fail our safety check automatically.

This might seem excessive to people who own these dogs...it often goes down badly.....but in a dog of this weight size and musculature with a breed predisposition towards guarding against strangers....aggression takes on a new level of danger for those who have to try and handle them.We chose not to risk out lives and limbs for someones angry pet....most pets are aggressive at the vets due to fear...when its 40 plus kg of fear aggression and a predispostion towards distrust of strangers things can get hairy quickly.

In my eyes some of these breeds are more dangerous then a loaded gun....almost everyone who holds a gun realises the weapon they have....thats gets a bit murky when the animals a pet and the owner doesnt realise the extent of damage their growling "softy" is capable of when put under stress....most veterinary interventions are stressful to dogs!...we have just trained compliance into most breeds so well that they tolerate and incredible amount of handling.

If your interested in mastiff type...have you looked into dogue de bordeuax? Neo mastiffs? English or bullmastiffs? Most of those tend to be more looks the part to keep away stranger as opposed to out and out guarding dog breeds...
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I totally agree with this (soft Cane Corso owner or not) - it's just common sense! Mine is ok at the vets, totally unbothered and has never once given me a millisecond of doubt, however one of my terriers is very untrustworthy and I take him muzzled as he may be small but he's quick to do damage! If he was a big dog he would be extremely dangerous to the vet.
Really it all comes down to being a responsible dog owner, taking on what you can handle (& have the facilities for) and not kidding yourself that 40+ kg "fluffykins" is a lap dog!!
 
MotherOfChickens said:
Can I ask a question without getting jumped on? What exactly is the appeal of this type of dog? I don't really buy that its the same appeal for any other type of dog (of which there are 100s of different breeds to chose from) and I understand some need guarding breeds-like my mate out in Canada in the sticks although she has one of the mountain breeds. I get that any dog can cause alot of damage with teeth if they decide to and I am not anti-bull breeds or anti-specialised dog provided the owner can provide what that animal needs. But why these incredibly large, powerful dogs as pets?
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For me it's because we live on a farm and she sounds good when she barks so if anyone is trespassing or if poachers are on the farm we can go investigate with her on a lead and the sight of her barking is enough to send them packing! They have no need to know that if I let her off she would be absolutely fine with them!
She really is the softest dog I have ever known in the house with us.
I have however put a lot of time and effort into making her obedient (as I do with all my dogs) & she has been the easiest to train. That said, I'm tall & not waif-like so if she did pull me she wouldn't get away from me - I wouldn't give her to my mum to walk just in case!
I think these breed types are attractive to those who think they make them look tough - if I take her anywhere I am popular with young lads who want to know what she is....
I know 8 people who have CC's and each one is well mannered and soft with the family - however that are all related so maybe we are lucky and that family line is a good one!
 
thanks for your answer-I am sure she's enough to scare anyone in full bark, especially if they watch GoT ;) !

its good to know they can be softees. At one point last year there were alot of CC pups for sale in Beds that had cropped ears-and they had been done here, not abroad. It does seem to give them a very different look-natual ears that is.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
Can I ask a question without getting jumped on? What exactly is the appeal of this type of dog? I don't really buy that its the same appeal for any other type of dog (of which there are 100s of different breeds to chose from) and I understand some need guarding breeds-like my mate out in Canada in the sticks although she has one of the mountain breeds. I get that any dog can cause alot of damage with teeth if they decide to and I am not anti-bull breeds or anti-specialised dog provided the owner can provide what that animal needs. But why these incredibly large, powerful dogs as pets?
Click to expand...

The question I also wanted to ask but didn't want to appear to show prejudice towards some breeds or types.
 
As a generalisation, I do think it is irresponsible for anyone to say 'you can have whatever breed or line of dog you want, based on looks, as long as you socialise or train it'.
That's just not true in many cases. Look at that video of the sheepdog puppy posted last week....that's born, not made. I've never seen a police pug. A St Bernard won't win at flyball.
That's not what they're for.

Lots of dogs are lovely in their home environments. It's when they reach a certain age and/or are subjected to stress or stimuli when you see what's in them.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
thanks for your answer-I am sure she's enough to scare anyone in full bark, especially if they watch GoT ;) !

its good to know they can be softees. At one point last year there were alot of CC pups for sale in Beds that had cropped ears-and they had been done here, not abroad. It does seem to give them a very different look-natual ears that is.
Click to expand...

Ah, now the cropped ear, menacing look doesn't do it for me at all! I think they look awful and it's a real shame that people choose a dog for its "status symbol" looks.

I'm a terrier lover through and through - if you asked me to pick any dog to have it would be a JRT or something else scruffy terrier-like! That said, if I had to choose a big dog, my "type" is the CC/Rottie type (I also like Staffies) - it's their general look, not their "look how hard my dog is" look. It's the same if you asked me to pick a horse - I like chunkier breeds over fine TB types....
 
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