Exotic Boerboels · Cleveland, Ohio · Est. 2006
20 Years.
One Breed.
Zero Compromise.
From the fish markets of East Cleveland to the most respected Boerboel program in America — this is the story of what it means to be a real dog man.
It's In The Blood
I didn't stumble into this. I was born into it.
My grandfather was a sharecropper born in the South — over 20 families living together on that land, working before sunup. His father, a man they called Mister, was the son of the plantation owner. Hard. Precise. Uncompromising. When it came to breeding his livestock — his cows, his pigs, his dogs — there were no exceptions. You bred to the best, or you didn't breed at all.
That philosophy traveled north in the bones of every person in that family line. My grandfather brought those country values to Cleveland and passed them down the way only a man of the land can — not with words, but with example. I spent countless hours working alongside him. Learning what it meant to care for living things with intention, discipline, and love that demanded something in return.
Where Soft Men Get Weeded Out
You want to know what makes me different? I'll tell you straight.
I grew up working a fish market. Filleting fish. Preparing cuts for customers. Breaking down product from raw to ready — day in, day out, in a cold, wet environment with zero patience for squeamishness. You either got comfortable, or you went home. I got comfortable.
"What most breeders won't do, I do without thinking twice — because I was trained for it long before I ever owned a Boerboel."
What I learned behind that counter gave me a direct advantage as a breeder. When it's time to harvest tripe — the stomach lining that is the foundation of a raw-fed diet — I don't flinch. When it's time to process beef and organ meat, my hands already know what to do. While other breeders outsource and cut corners on nutrition, I'm in the work. Always have been. There's a reason my dogs are healthy, dense, and built the way God intended.
Squeamish? That word doesn't exist in my vocabulary.
Bear Changed Everything
My first dog was named Bear. And he was a legend.
My cousin and I got him from the neighbors — their Golden Retriever had been bred by a loose Chow. They were giving the puppies away. We didn't hesitate for a second.
Bear wasn't a purebred. But he was everything to us. He taught me what it means to connect with an animal — to be responsible for something that depends on you completely.
We were the kids who bypassed toy stores and went straight to the pet store. The teenagers who read the Plain Dealer classified section for dog breeders. We checked animal books out of the library. I read them during punishment in my room. That obsession became a calling. That calling became Exotic Boerboels.
The Dog That Chose Me
There is a moment in a dog man's life when he finds the breed — the one that matches his energy, his philosophy, his soul. For me, that was the South African Boerboel.
I didn't just see a big dog. I saw purpose. A working animal with thousands of years of selection — bred not for aesthetics, but for function. To guard farmsteads. To be a partner, a protector, a dog that demanded real leadership.
In 2006, I founded Exotic Boerboels in Cleveland, Ohio — and made a commitment I have never broken: every decision for the breed, not for the sale.
Learn About the Breed
"The Boerboel does not accept a distracted owner. It forces you to show up — and in doing that, it built something in me that nothing else could."
What These Dogs Did for Me as a Man
The Boerboel saved me. Not in a dramatic once-in-a-lifetime moment — but in the slow, steady, every-morning way that only something requiring your full presence can save you.
When life gets heavy — and life in East Cleveland can get very heavy — the kennel is where I go. Not to escape. To reset. There is a therapeutic power in working with these animals that no appointment or prescription can replicate.
The Boerboel does not accept a distracted owner. It requires you to be grounded, calm, the anchor. And in forcing me to be that for them, these dogs built that in me. More patient. More intentional. More present.
I am living proof of what that does for a man over time.
This Is What I Believe
I'm not here to sell you a puppy and disappear. I'm here to be a guide — to give you the knowledge you need to be the owner your dog deserves.
Affection is earned, not handed out freely. Your Boerboel needs a leader first. Love second. Get that order right and you'll have the most loyal animal you've ever known.
Breeding mistakes cost generations. Not just one litter — generations. Educating yourself before you breed or buy is not optional. It is your responsibility to the breed.
Exercise. Purpose. Discipline. Structure. We've gotten so far from what dogs actually need that we're creating behavioral problems and calling them personality traits.
I stand for responsible ownership in urban communities. Not every city dog owner is trying to project toughness — some of us are real dog people who deserve real information.
20 Years in the Making
Born into a lineage of farmers, caretakers, and dog lovers. Raised in East Cleveland with country values handed down by a grandfather who never left the farm behind.
Working the fish market built grit, discipline, and an iron stomach — skills that would prove invaluable in raw-diet breeding years later.
Deep in the dog world — studying breeds, bloodlines, and standards. Reading the Plain Dealer classifieds. Building the foundation of a lifetime.
Founded Exotic Boerboels in Cleveland, Ohio. One promise: every decision for the breed, not for the sale.
First multi-generational litters. Reputation builds nationally. Bloodlines tighten. The community grows.
Education becomes the mission. YouTube, Instagram, Facebook — Exotic Boerboels becomes the go-to resource for Boerboel knowledge worldwide.
Over 1 million combined followers. 20 years deep. Still in the kennel every morning. The standard only goes up.
Bring a Boerboel Into Your Life
Whether you're a first-time owner, a seasoned breeder, or someone who just discovered this breed — you're in the right place. Let's connect.