yeahyeah: What do you know about boerboels?
I've read online resources and most of them are trying to sell a puppy, so their enthusiastic descriptions are suspect. There's also the ones that tell you about how to show the dog,( with the measurements and jaw, eye, head shapes, blah blah blah) which I don't plan on doing. I'm looking for personal experiences: how hard are they to train to you, how often did/does yours get sick, how aggressive/docile is/was yours, how rambunctious is/was it- that kind of thing. I'm not getting one right away, but I plan on it in the future. Just trying to figure out what I might be getting into.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Vet Tech
First and foremost, Boerboels are family dogs. Most people confuse them with Bullmastiffs... they do look similar and have common ancestors, but are a completely different breed.
The Boerboel's desire in life is to be as close to their human as possible ... when you own a Boerboel, you will never go to the bathroom alone again!! :)
The Boerboel is typically wary of strangers, but takes its cues about the "status" of a stranger from its human. The breed has an uncanny ability to sense what his owner is thinking -- the owner's immediate judgement about a stranger or situation is felt by the Boerboel, and acted upon accordingly as determined by training OR lack thereof.
For this reason it is of extreme importance to socialize your Boerboel correctly when he is young. We encourage owners to participate in some sort of obedience activities that firmly establish who's boss and teach the Boerboel's family how to establish reliable behavior and control.
Many people say that the Boerboel comes into his temperament between 2-3 years of age. We'd prefer to say that the boerboel is "mature" at that point - meaning that he will not go through any additional fear periods or growth spurts. We have found the "bark alert" in the Boerboels starts as early as 8 weeks, and that the general temperament of the dog at this age is consistent as the dog ages. Temperament is bred into a dog, not trained at a later date and time.
NOTE: As other have mentioned... they are certaintly NOT for everyone. They need a FIRM owner who is comitted to a lifetime of training and socialization.
Answer by rollin_indahay
While I am one that is usually firmly against any kind of "profiling" for dog breeds....the only experience I have have had with Boerboels has been negative. I have talked to breeders that have told me that they are NOT suited to be a pet in most cases. Aggression is a serious issue with these animals.
I've been telling folks for quite some time now......keep banning Pit Bulls, and Boerboels will be the next "dog of choice"....only I fear they will cause a LOT more problems than Pit Bulls ever have. Even in the hands of GOOD owners, human aggression is something you have to be constantly aware of. In the hands of an unexperienced owner.....good luck.
IMO, if you want a dog for a pet, there are hundreds of better options.
Answer by something_horrid
Boerboels were used to create Boxers, some Mastiffs, Pit Bulls type dogs and bulldog type dogs, all of which were originally fighting/baiting dogs. So, that means Boerboels can be dog aggressive if not socialized.
They aren't as active and hyper as a Boxer, but they are powerful, strong and stubborn like Bulldogs and Pit Bulls. Early training and socialization is a must so you don't wind up with an aggressive or overly excited 100 pound adult dog that you can't control.
If properly socialized and trained, they can be perfectly sweet and well-behaved around kids cats and dogs, but if not you're setting yourself up for trouble. So, if you do decide to get a Boerboels, plan to go to puppy training classes and obedience classes when the pup gets older.
Answer by bzerlver
Here is a site with many peoples' personal experiences with their Boerboels:
http://boerboel.mu.nu/
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