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Maxx Farms
The
History and Background of the Boerboel
In
dictionaries you will find the following definition of a
Boerboel: a big farm dog of uncertain origins. Thankfully,
this is now something of the past.
South Africa's own dog, the Boerboel, is now a full-fledged
breed.
Long research has revealed that the ancestry of the
Boerboel can be traced as far back as the time of Herodotus
and to Tibet, Assiria and Babylon.
In Assiria dogs were used as soldiers, even covered with
reinforced material to protect them. When Assurbanipal
conquered Egypt. These dogs were also taken along and thus
they were spread further into the known world.
Later Alexander the Great was responsible for spreading
them to Europe. Apparently in 326bc he received a present
156 of these large dogs who had been specially trained to
fight lions and elephants.
Through the ages these dogs developed into two definite
strains, the mastiff which was mainly used for protection
and as soldiers, and the hound which was used for hunting
purposes. Both these dogs were large and strong and typical
working dogs, with only slight differences in appearance and
build.
It is reputed that all dogs of the western world are
descended from these two dog types. About 600 years ago the
Europeans started specialized breeding from these two basic
dogs and through fine-selection and cross-breeding the
different breeds evolved.
Some dogs were bred especially for hunting. Others had to
retrieve the prey, guard and herd the livestock and for many
other uses they could be put to, but the basis of all these
dogs was still the original strong breed of the past.
When Jan Van Riebeeck came to the cape (modern day South
Africa) in 1652 he brought his own dog along to protect him
and his family in this wild and unknown country.
This dog was known as a "bullenbijter", a large, heavy
mastiff-type dog.
At
this time the original dog had been much diversified and
many of the western world countries had its own distinctive,
specialized breed of dog.
The settlers who came after Jan Van Riebeeck also brought
along their strongest dogs to protect them against all the
unknown dangers of this strange land. Thus dogs arrived here
from many different countries.
As
the pioneers moved further and further inland and settled on
remote farms, the dogs were forcibly isolated and a lot of
inbreeding took place which had the result that the
characteristics of the original Assirian dog started to
reappear.
Survival was of the utmost importance and it was here that
the hardiness of today’s Boerboel was perforce bred into the
dog. There was no veterinary surgeon or medicines available
for dogs and they had to look out for themselves to a large
extent.
During the groot trek the Boerboel had most of the features
that it has today and is clearly recognizable from old
drawings. In the period after the trek, on the distant
farms, the Boerboel interbred further and only the biggest
and strongest dogs survived.
His pioneer owners required him to be a friend of the
family, a worker, provide protection and also to be a
fighter. They could not afford to have a disobedient, moody,
finicky, sickly dog they had to be able to rely on him to
protect the family, work, kill and fight.
At
the turn of the century the characteristics of the old,
original dog were clearly visible and the dog was generally
known as the “bole".
The years that followed almost brought tragedy to the
Boerboel. Urbanization caused cross breeding with anything
that could bark and the typical "bole" started to disappear.
It was only in the eighties that a serious search started
again for the original farm dog.
A
few brave people took the initiative and the South African
Boerboel Breeders Association was formed. Their main aim was
to let the original Boerboel take its rightful place as a
uniquely South African dog among the other dog breeds of the
world.
A
search covering thousands of kilometers followed. Selective
breeding started, many disappointments followed, but also
immense joys! At last the dog of our forefathers was ready
to be registered as a pure breed.
In
the meantime the breeders association has grown to over 500
members. They are widely spread throughout South Africa and
Namibia. Each year in November they have a big get-together
and people from all over converge on Kroonstad and dogs and
people all look each other over.
In
August 1980, the first country-wide selection tour was
undertaken by Jannie Bouwer of Bedford and Lucas Van Der
Merwe of Kroonstad. Lucas’s wife Anneke went along as
secretary. A total of 5500km was covered, 250 dogs were seen
and only 72 were selected to be registered.
The
big dream was taking shape....
The
Character of the Boerboel
The Boerboel is the only breed in the world specifically
bred to guard and protect and as watchdog. A cranky,
temperamental dog that stays surly after being reprimanded,
is not a Boerboel. You should purchase a Boerboel for his
even character. This was and always should be his main
quality. Your Boerboel should qualify himself as your best
friend. He should know what you are thinking, when you feel
threatened, he should know when you approve or disapprove of
a stranger and share your feeling. He should be able to
recognize your fear. Any Boerboel owner should be able to
confirm this. These traits should be recognizable from
puppyhood. He should, with a growl, be able to tell you:
"I’m here, always. I will guard you with my life.”
If
you allow him to attack, he will growl like a lion and fight
ferociously without taking his own safety into account. No
wonder Aristotle named the forefathers of these dogs:
Leontix (sons of lions). The romans also apparently believed
that these dogs were obtained by crossing a dog and a lion.
There are cases on record when a lone Boerboel time and
again won the fight against a leopard! He is definitely a
child's friend and playmate. He does not only accept one
person as his master, but accepts the protection of the
whole family as his duty and is affectionate to all of them.
Many a story has been told about a Boerboel spending hour
after hour guarding a little baby in a pram. He feels the
whole family belongs to him and his sole purpose is to
protect them, with his life, if necessary.
Our forefathers required the following from their Boerboel:
During the day the dog must go to the veld with the
children to guard the sheep. There he should catch a hare
for them to cook for lunch. He should also protect them
against all danger that may threaten them. Tonight he should
lie in front of the fire at home and protect the whole
family against anything that may be lurking in the dark.
This
is the HISTORY OF THE BOERBOEL as supplied by the original
Boerboel club in
South
Africa.
The Standard of the
Boerboel
1.
General appearance: the Boerboel is a big, strong and
sturdy dog with powerful muscles. His movements should be
agile and his body should be sturdier, heavier and bigger
than the boxer, but shorter in the leg than the Great Dane.
The dog should not measure less (at the shoulder) than 66cm
and the bitch not less than 61cm.
2.
Character the Boerboel must be good natured - intelligent,
with a steadfast, well-balanced character and loyal to his
master, even if it means losing his own life. He must show
good watchdog qualities from a very early age and must love
all members of the family, specially the children.
3.
The head this is one of the most important features of the
dog, as the whole character of the dog is reflected in the
head. A) the head must be big, strong and broad between the
ears. B) the upper jaw must be strong and broad at the back,
with only a slight narrowing to the front. C) the lower jaw
must be broad with only a slight narrowing to the front and
should not protrude in front of the top jaw. D) the lips
must be loose and fleshy and the top lip flaps must not hang
over too low or appear too coarse and thick. E) the nose
must be black - not liver coloured. F) the nose or bridge of
the nose should not be too long between 8-10cm, measured
from the tip of the nose to a straight line between the
eyes, where the eyes start.
The
nose bone must be straight, with very little or no tilting
up like the boxer - no longer nose like a a Great Dane.
The
head must definitely be a “bole” head with a strong mouth
which melts in symmetrically with the head. No teddybear
look. The head of the bitch would naturally be slightly
smaller and appear more feminine than the dog.
4.
Build of the body
A)
The neck - strong and thick with sufficient length to go
with the body, also strong and muscled with a loose skin.
The top of the neck should be straight and blend well into
the shoulders.
B)
The back - strong, broad and straight, slightly hunched over
the haunches is acceptable.
C)
The chest - broad and strong with the loose skin of the neck
blending in and tautening between the front legs, which
should be widely spaced to accommodate the broad chest.
D)
The legs - strong, straight and able to carry the body well
with well-shaped paws.
E)
The tail - should preferably be cut short.
F)
The coat - short and smooth.
G)
The ears must be floppy and of medium size and fit the head.
5.
Colour
brindle-, yellow(lion), grey, redbrown, brown, with or
without white markings, with or without black muzzles, will
be acceptable. We are trying to achieve a single colour dog
with no or very little white.
6.
Eyes light brown, yellow brown and dark brown is acceptable.
Blue or blue-grey is unacceptable.
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Related Links
American
Kennel Club
United States Boerboel Association
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