Boerboel Addicts Mission
We strive to breed high-quality Boerboel's and serve them with our upmost love, attention, and care daily. We fell in love with this dog breed with an understanding of their full package characteristics as they are the best family dogs whom get along great with children and are the most protective guardian dog within their pack. Our Boerboel's have grown very close to our hearts and we want to be able to provide other families with the opportunity to experience the unconditional love and protection that the South African Boerboel has to offer. We are committed to raising our Boerboel's in a wholesome and peaceful environment preparing them for development. We wean them off their mother between 3-4 weeks and transition them to puppy kibble mixed with goats milk for their growth. During their development we introduce them to new sounds, toys, and textures. Our purpose is to boost our South African Boerboel puppies confidence, intelligence, and kind-hearted nature.
As a responsible Dog Breeder, we carefully screen potential owners to make sure they understand exactly what is required when it comes to taking care of these animals. Please note, because they are such a rare and specialized breed, we offer our pets on a first come first serve basis.
To find out more or to reserve a particular animal, please get in touch.
All About the Boerboels
Large dogs come with great responsibility
The large Boerboel, standing at 24 to 28 inches and weighing between 110 to 176 lbs., makes for an excellent guard dog with its intimidating look and size. They have a life expectancy of 10-12 years. This breed is equally known for its loving, calm, and family-friendly behavior, especially towards children. These dogs are confident, territorial, and steadfast. These dogs require an assertive, experienced owner with plenty of space to run around and exercise. These dogs are highly intelligent and require regular brain stimulation to maintain healthy behavior. Not given the right amount of training attention that they need, these dogs are capable of destructive behavior. They have an eagerness to learn, are trainable, and are a versatile breed who are eager to spend quality time with their beloved humans. A Boerboel can be a lot to handle for the novice dog owner.
Owning a Boerboel requires patience, devotion, and love to give them the time and care that this dog needs from its leader to preserve justice to its name. As much as these dogs are protectors to their owners, we must do the same and protect their reputation with the care and attention that they need.
Boerboel's need daily exercise, such as long walks on a leash and playtime in the yard. They need brain stimulation and interaction with their owners along with physical activity. They do not respond kindly to challenges from other dogs, so it is not recommended to visit dog parks when Boerboels are reaching the age of one. Since Boerboel's obtain protective instincts, it is best to always keep them on a leash in public. This breed will do extraordinarily well with obedience, weight pull, and agility competitions, as well as protection sports.
History of the Boerboel
This breed is a native of South Africa and like many other breeds there is no written or scientific evidence to confirm the true origin, but historians theorize that this dog was originally the result of geographic isolation interwoven with no breeder influence and the history of the European settlers or Afrikaner farmers (also known as “Boers”) during the 17th century. The large Boerboel had to be strong and fit while performing a variety of work functions that require agility, courage, strength, and reliability, which were all qualities essential to working farmers who needed an intelligent dog that could protect their families and livestock from large predators as well as help them hunt, which was important to the survival of these earliest settlers in the dangerous and harsh conditions of South Africa.
There is no official record-keeping of these utilitarian Boerboel's because they were developed by farmers during a time when it was of little importance, but it is believed that the Boerboel's are a descendant of one of the oldest European “Molosser” or “Mastiff” types of canines which are typified by their large size and immense strength, pushed in (brachycephalic) heads and naturally protective instincts.
During the 1980s a serious search began for the original farm dog and the first breed society was formed in recognition of the Boerboel as a distinct breed, which is now declared an indigenous landrace of South Africa, which provides this breed protection under an Act of Parliament through the Animal Improvement Act.
Recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 2015, and by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 2016, the dominant and courageous Boerboel is a highly alert companion with a devoted and loyal temperament.
In the name Boerboel, the “Boer” comes from the Dutch name “farmer” as well as a word used to describe a specific group of Afrikaner people, the “boel” is translated as “dog” even though the Dutch name for a dog is “hond”. Some breed fanciers believe that “boel” means “large dog” or “Mastiff” and this may be true considering that some Afrikaner to English dictionaries translates “Boerboel” to mean “Mastiff”.
Source: Moore, A., & Hoppendale, G. (2016) Boerboel. Boerboel Complete Owner’s Manual. Boerboel book for care, costs, feeding, grooming, health and training. IMB Publishing