Being interested in the Boerboel since the late 1990s, we have witnessed various breed clubs specifically focused on the Boerboel emerge and fade away. The reason it’s happening is that Boerboels are a particular type of dog that when people get involved with the breed, they get emotionally attached. It is easy to see how and why because Boerboels are incredibly loyal and faithful dogs. But people are not so much. Quite a few people are looking to make money off of the rise in popularity of the Boerboels. All of them are not breeders.

Registries and Breed Clubs make millions of dollars a year without ever owning any dogs. In fact, in 2011, The AKC annual report listed over $28 million in assets and close to $23 million in registration fees just for 2011. So, yes, dog breeding is a million-dollar industry, but the BREEDERS do not make money. The associations and the registering organizations make it. Just for clarity’s sake, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE MADE BY REGISTERING ORGANIZATIONS, not South African Boerboel Breeders.

Back when I first got into the Boerboels, I would contact Pam Senffner Castle INU Boerboels. Pam was very passionate about Boerboels. She had traveled to South Africa and brought back the highest quality Boerboels that she could find at the time.

If you have done your homework, and I certainly hope that you have. You will see that several organizations are registering Boerboels. Why are there so many organizations reporting Boerboels? Well, it’s simple. Money. The Boerboels are becoming highly popular, and put, all of the organizations want a piece of the capital.

So let me give you our take on purebred dogs and the purebred dog organizations involved in the Boerboel breeds. Because you can register your Boerboel with so many different organizations and we want to guide you and help you on your mission

First of all, let’s start with what these organizations are and what do they do. The purpose of the register is to record the lineage heritage pedigree of the dog officially. The Organization’s goal is to track and record a dog’s lineage. Some organizations go a step further than just recording the pedigree and hold sanctioned show trials and events for the breed. So In the case of show dogs, they have what a dog beauty pageant like a Miss America contest, where the judging is based mainly on looks according to what the judge feels that good, correct Boerboel looks or should look like is.

So basically, the Standard is the set of guidelines that a Boerboel breeder has to go by as a criterion for breeding. A breed standard says what a dog should look and act like.

I am sure you are asking how an organization expects all the dogs to conform to the written standard? All dogs are different correct. Yes, that is very true, but when you are talking about a purebred, that means a dog that closely resembles what is written on a piece of paper says it should like. There’s nothing more.

A purebred dog is a dog whose ancestors can be traced. Purebred dogs of the same breed are, in most cases, relatives. That is basically what an artificial purebred dog is a dog who comes from a particular family of dogs and closely resembles those dogs.

Our foundation Boerboel breeds are registered through the original founding association for the Boerboel, the SABT.

SABT Boerboel Breeders Association 

Boerboel International EBBASA

Breed standards Summarized

For a boerboel

Any severe deviations and combinations of deviations from the Breed Standard that negatively affect the dog’s health and performance are considered unacceptable. They can lead to disqualification in the appraisal ring at the discretion of a senior appraiser.

Temperament and character of a Boerboel

The Boerboel is manageable, reliable, obedient, and intelligent with strong protective instincts. The

Boerboel is self-confident and fearless. Uncontrollably aggressive and fearful Boerboels are

unacceptable.

Boerboel international adds

• Is steadfast and calm, with a balanced and confident nature when approached.
• Requires training and firm handling from an early age.

The general appearance of a Boerboel

The Boerboel is a large dog. The Boerboel has prominent and well-developed musculature over the entire body with buoyant movement – an impressive figure of strength.

Males are distinctly masculine, while bitches are feminine.

The ideal size of a male dog is 66cm – lower than 60cm is unacceptable.

The ideal height of a bitch is 61cm – lower than 55cm is unacceptable.

Significant body proportions of a Boerboel

The Boerboel is a perfectly balanced dog with all body parts being in proportion with one another.

The head is large and typically Boerboel.

The head is short, broad, deep, square, is muscular, and has well-filled cheeks.

The plateau is vast and flat with prominent musculature.

The face gradually blends with the skull and maybe with or without a black mask.

The stop is visible but not prominent.

The section between the eyes is well filled.

The nose is entirely black with large, widely spaced nostrils.

The nasal bone is straight and parallel to the line of the cranial roof.

The nasal bone is deep, broad, and tapers slightly towards the front.

The nasal bone is between 8 and 10cm long and is in proportion to the head.

The top lip is loose and fleshy and does not hang past the bottom jaw.

The top lip (under the nose) covers the bottom lip.

The bottom lip is not too loose and fleshy, with no excessive lip.

The jaws are strong, deep, and broad and taper slightly towards the front.

The teeth are white, well developed, correctly spaced, and complete, with an apparent

scissor bite.

An obvious excessive under- or over-bite is unacceptable.

The color of the eyes can be any shade of brown.

The eyes are set on the same horizontal level.

The eyes are widely spaced.

The eyelids are firm and well pigmented and have no structural deviations

The earflaps are medium-sized, obviously V-shaped, and in proportion to the head.

The earflaps are set relatively high and wide. When attentive, the top of the earflaps must

form a straight line with the plateau.

The bottom edge of the earflap is in line with the dentition.

The neck forms a pronounced muscular arch with a high attachment at the shoulders.

The channel is of average length and in proportion to the rest of the dog.

The neck forms a unit with the head and shoulders.

The neck is solid and muscular, with a firm attachment to the head. This attachment

gradually broadens towards the shoulders.

The dewlap is loose from under the chin and becomes taut between the forelegs.

Bitches appear more feminine due to supple musculature.

The forequarter is solid and muscular.

The shoulders are well attached, with well-defined musculature and correct angulation.

The chest is solid and muscular.

The chest is broad and placed deep between the forelegs.

The upper arms are muscular

The elbows are parallel with the body.

The forelegs are thick, robust, and well-defined musculature and perfectly vertical, as seen from the front and side.

The front pasterns are short, thick, and strong and are in proportion to the length of the

forelegs.

The front pasterns are a vertical extension of the forelegs, as seen from the front and

the side.

The forepaws are large, well-padded, and ball-shaped with intense, curved, black

toenails.

The forepaws point straight forward.

The centerpiece of a Boerboel

The body of the Boerboel narrows slightly in the loin area.

The topline is straight without deviations.

The back is straight, broad, and has prominent back muscles.

The loin is short and robust.

The ribcage is well sprung and well filled behind the shoulder blades.

The hindquarter is strong, sturdy, and muscular; it is in proportion with the rest of the dog and can propel movement effectively.

The croup is broad, strong, and has well-defined musculature. Seen from the side, it drops slightly.

The tail is set high.

It is straight and preferably short (three segments).

Longtails are permissible.

The upper thighs are broad, deep, well-shaped, and muscular – as seen from the side

and from behind.

The secondary thighs are well developed with prominent musculature.

The stifles (knees) are solid and firm with the correct angulation as seen from the

side.

The hock joints are solid and firm.

Straight hind legs are unacceptable.

The hind pasterns are relatively short, robust, thick, and are parallel with one another

as seen from behind.

Seen from the side, the hind pasterns are vertical.

The front of the hind pastern is in line with the back of the backside.

Dewclaws may be removed.

The hind paws are slightly smaller than the forepaws.

They are well padded and well-shaped and point straight to the front.

The toenails are strong, curved, and black.

The skin is thick, loose, and well pigmented, with moderate wrinkles on the brow when the dog is attentive.

The coat is short and sleek, with dense hair coverage. The recognized colors are all shades of yellow, brown, or brindle.

Pigmentation of a boerboel

The Boerboel is well pigmented, especially on the lips; palate; the skin, and hair around the eyes;

footpads, toenails, the anus, and the skin and hair around the genitals.

The general health of a Boerboel

The general health of the Boerboel is of a high standard.

The reproductive organs are well developed.

Male dogs have two well-developed testicles, each in their scrotum.

Bitches have at least eight teats.

The vulva is firm.

Movement of a Boerboel

The movement of the Boerboel is easy, smooth, solid, and purposeful, with good

propulsion by the hindquarters, and parallel movement of the legs.

During movement, the straight topline remains fixed.

In closing, all of the organizations have the same standard for the Boerboels. They differ in color preference and a few minor details; they are still relatively doing the same thing for the most part. None of them has any physical test to make sure that dogs are mentally stable and physically fit. There is no way to determine that we are using nothing but the fittest specimens for breeding. We have to do more to change if we expect South African Boerboels to remain one of the healthiest purebreds in existence.