Boerboel. Q & A, Intelligence, Is Family Dog, With Kids, Amount Of Shedding

Historical reference of the 
breed and subgroup.
  The Boerboel is an ancient breed of hunting 
dog bred by the African Boers to hunt big   game and guard property. In recent years, 
the Boerboel has been growing in popularity,   no longer as hunting dogs, but as working 
dogs and companions. A distinctive feature   of the nature of these powerful animals 
is the love for the children of the owner.   Boerboel can fiddle with them for hours on 
end, but with extreme care and delicacy.
  The overall appearance as well as the character of 
the breed bears a lot in common with many of the   old breeds of European Molossians and pickling 
dogs, and this leads to the assumption that the   Boerboel is an ancient breed of European dogs, 
brought to South Africa and mixed with natives   in the process. Boerboel are working dogs with 
very good guard qualities, like most dogs of the   mastiff genus. For a long time they were used to 
guard houses and even left alone on peasant farms   with small children for safety.

They were also 
used as hunting and pickling dogs for predators.   Later, cynologists from South Africa became 
interested in these dogs and began work on   its improvement. Initially, such dogs were 
distinguished by very promising characteristics,   the fact is that all individuals already had 
an unchanged, clearly formed appearance,
  Boerboel are very strong and hardy dogs. 
Initially, the body of such a dog is well built,   but in order for it to look healthy, it is 
necessary to subject it to physical exertion,   and especially long walks of at least 5 kilometers 
twice a day.

Insufficient physical activity can   cause hyperactivity and spontaneous aggression in 
dogs of this breed, which can lead to attacks on   strangers. Boerboel are very dominant and do not 
recognize anyone but their owner, they can show   their stubborn nature even in relation to him. 
Boerboel needs long, exhausting walks. A good   Boerboel is a tired Boerboel.
Appearance.
  The whole appearance of the Boerboel suggests 
that it belongs to an ancient genus of mastiffs.   The dog is strong. Despite all his power, Boerboel 
is a very agile and plastic dog, it has an instant   reaction and is able to assess the situation in 
a matter of seconds. A slightly elongated body   and a well-developed back allow it to move at high 
speed if necessary. The legs are well developed,   which is greatly facilitated by additional 
physical activities. Boerboel's head is large,   but with well-defined proportions. This breed 
of dog belongs to the category of smooth-haired,   short, shiny, but rather stiff coat fits snugly 
to the body. The color can vary within several   shades of brown, the ears are somewhat darker 
than the rest of the body, and there is a   black mask on the muzzle.

The growth of dogs is 
for females from 59 to 65 centimeters,
  Restrictions.
In 2002, Romania banned the import of Boerboel.
  In 2010 Boerboel was banned in Denmark.
In 2011, the Boerboel was recognized as a   particularly dangerous breed in Russia, subject 
to mandatory registration and certification.
  Ukraine classifies the Boerboel as a 
dangerous dog subject to mandatory chipping,   muzzling and civil liability insurance.
  Boerboel is also banned or 
restricted in places like.
  France, Qatar, Switzerland, Mauritius, Bermuda.
The importation of Boerboel is illegal at.
  Tunisia.
Faroe islands.
  Turks and Caicos.
In Singapore, currently existing   dogs must have at least $100,000 insurance, 
spaying, microchipping and a muzzle.
  In Denmark, current dogs must always be 
muzzled and on a leash in public places.
  Romania.

Owners must be at least 18 years old 
and have a certificate of psychological fitness   to own a dog of this breed.
The Boerboel breed is strongly attached   to the human family in which it lives.
Some breeds are strongly attached to one person,   others to all members of the human family, 
others may have a friendly attitude towards   all people in general, and the fourth may 
not have close ties even with the owner.
  Boerboel is strongly attached to all 
members of the human family. In relation   to strangers, they can show aggression.

The attitude of any dog ​​to strangers strongly   depends on the breed of the pet, but even more 
strongly this attitude depends on the upbringing   and socialization of a particular individual, 
while socialization in the early puppyhood of a   pet is especially important in this regard.
At the same time, Boerboel get along well   with children.

However, regardless of the 
dog's friendly attitude towards children,   a dog of any breed should not be 
left alone with small children.
  Some breeds of dogs are more relaxed about 
the behavior of young children and may not   pay attention to some antics of children, however, 
it should be understood that dogs of all breeds,   no matter how friendly they are, should be 
with children only under the supervision of   the owner or adults, since in addition to the 
qualities of the breed in relation to children,   there are also the individual characteristics of 
each dog, its upbringing and previous experience   in communicating with children. Even these 
relationships are largely influenced by   the behavior of children.
But with other dogs Boerboel   do not get along well. Boerboel see them as a 
threat to their master and his territory.
  Different breeds of dogs treat their own kind 
differently, some dogs will play and interact   in every possible way with dogs they meet or 
live with, other breeds may try to dominate or   even attack similar four-legged ones. At the same 
time, the relationship between dogs can be very   different from how a dog will react to people.

The 
behavior of a dog in relation to other dogs and   people depends not only on the breed, but also on 
the socialization of a particular individual.
  Boerboel communication with small 
pets such as hamsters, domestic rats,   squirrels, chinchillas and other rodents 
is best limited. Cats can get along.
  The Boerboel breed needs an experienced owner to 
prevent dominance and overprotection problems.
  Some dog breeds are easier to keep and train, 
while others are more independent and even   assertive and require an experienced owner.
The Boerboel breed is not suitable for   inexperienced dog owners or those who are 
getting a dog for the first time.
  Also Boerboel are not suitable for keeping in 
an apartment. A country house with a small,   well-fenced area would be much more preferable.
  It should also be borne in mind 
that they do not tolerate loneliness   and cannot be left alone for a long time.
The quality and quantity of wool allow Boerboel   to comfortably endure a little cold and 
short-term heat, but very low or high   temperatures are no longer safe for a four-legged 
animal.

Heat is better tolerated than cold.
  Tendency to bark.
Among other things,   breeds differ in the level of noise, or rather, 
in the frequency of their barking. Some breeds   can bark all the time without stopping and never 
get tired of barking at every stranger or strange   dog that passes by your house or by herself, 
other breeds bark only on business, when it   is necessary in her opinion, and still others 
can only give a voice in exceptional cases.
  Boerboel can be attributed to the 
second group described above. This   breed will definitely not bother you and 
your neighbors with unreasonable barking.
  But these dogs are not deprived of the desire 
to gnaw. The desire to gnaw and taste everything   is common to puppies of all breeds, but as 
adults, different breeds have varying degrees of   propensity to explore the world with their teeth. 
Boerboel have a penchant for such pranks.
  Activity and energy level.
According to the level of charge and activity,   breeds can also be divided into active and calm 
or even lazy.

An active dog will require constant   walks, training and frequent mental stimulation 
from you. Calm and less energetic dogs will be   happy with short walks around the house and will 
gladly share your desire to lie on the couch at   home. This feature should be taken into account 
when choosing a pet, since the unfulfilled needs   of an active animal will be realized at home on 
the things and objects of your home. The amount of   energy in the dog also determines with what desire 
and for how long the dog will play games with you   or with your child under your supervision.
Boerboel are active dogs. Having started   such a breed, you will also have 
to raise your level of activity.
  In addition, many breeds have an innate desire 
to chase moving objects and animals, the degree   of this desire may vary from breed to breed.

If 
this innate instinct is highly developed in a dog,   you need to carefully monitor the pet during a 
walk and keep it on a leash, since any moving   object can provoke the dog to chase, even if it 
is a car that can harm the animal, at such moments   the dog can disobey the call of the owner and 
switch all your attention to the moving target.   In addition, such breeds pose an additional 
danger to small domestic animals and birds.
  Boerboel has this instinct, 
although it is in abundance,   he is most often able to cope with it.
Passion for vagrancy and love of freedom.
  Some breeds have a tendency to cover long 
distances on their fours, for which they were   bred, so these dogs, following their instinct, 
will not miss the opportunity to escape from you   and run a couple of kilometers, despite your 
calls.

Sled dogs, hounds and bloodhounds are   mainly inclined to such walks. Boerboel tend to 
run away from the owner if they are interested   in something on a walk.
Tendency to drool.
  The amount of saliva produced depends 
on the characteristics of the breed.   Some breeds salivate so much that they can leave 
marks on the carpet, on the sofa, on the floor   and on you, other breeds also salivate, 
but this happens in much less quantities.
  Boerboels tend to drool a 
little more than most breeds.
  But the amount of hair that Boerboel leave 
behind is about the same as most dogs.   This figure is quite average for them.
The amount of dog hair in your home   and on your clothes depends a lot on what breed 
you choose, some breeds shed all year round,   others only seasonally, others hardly 
shed. This characteristic of the breed   can be important depending on where you plan 
to keep the pet, whether members of your family   are allergic to animal hair, and how 
important it is to you in general.
  Dog care.
Some breeds may   require a lot of grooming and attention 
due to coat characteristics, muzzle shape,   habitat, or the general health of the breed. 
Boerboels are not difficult dogs in this regard,   they do not require much time for themselves. 
Except for long walks, games and training.
  General health of the breed 
on a 10-point scale.
  The general health of dogs of this breed 
and the possibility of the appearance of   genetic diseases in them can be assessed 
on a ten-point scale of 9 points, that is,   they are quite healthy dogs with a minimum 
number of genetically predisposed diseases.
  Boerboel are known for their good health.

However, 
Boerboel can suffer from hip or elbow dysplasia,   ectropion and entropion. Recently, the Boerboel 
breed has developed juvenile epilepsy with   seizures caused by metabolic changes or stress. 
Boerboel's behavior may change over time.
  The average life expectancy of 
a Boerboel is 10 to 13 years..