Health of the Boerboel

I wish I had better news.  Truly, I do.  I own two Boerboels who have enjoyed great health, but the general health of the breed overall is in the shitter.  No kidding.  Breeders claim on their websites that the Boerboel is one of the healthiest of the mastiff breeds, and that they don't have the health problems of the other mastiffs.  Don't believe it.  It's simply not true.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  

OFFA, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, promotes the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease.  At the end of every year, they release statistical data from each breed.  The Boerboel breed is currently only ranked on hips and elbows, as there isn't a large enough sampling to be ranked on the other genetic diseases.

At the end of 2015, the Boerboel is ranked 7th worst breed in terms of hip dysplasia with The fact is that as of the end of 2015, 43.7% of Boerboels have been diagnosed with HD.  That means that nearly half of the Boerboels have HD.  

OFFA Hip Dysplasia Statistics and Ranking by Breed

The Boerboel is ranked 4th worst in terms of elbow dysplasia at the end of 2015.  Sadly the statistical information from OFFA show that 37.2% of the Boerboels have ED.  

OFFA Elbow Dysplasia Statistics and Ranking by Breed

Before you spend a lot of money buying a Boerboel puppy, ask the breeder if they can provide proof of the hip certificates and the elbow certificates.  If not, why not?  Don't accept excuses.  If the breeder doesn't have the certificates, then walk away.  Better yet, run as fast as you can.  

Ask yourself if you can afford the expense of hip or elbow surgery?  Ask yourself if you are prepared for the emotional turmoil of owning a dog that may get arthritis before it hits its prime.  Don't get conned.  Don't be a victim.  Don't believe their word that the breeding parents are "healthy" or that their hips and elbows are good.  Get copies of the certificates.  If the breeder cannot provide the proof, then hightail it out of there.  Don't be a victim of the next puppy scam. 

Sure, Boerboel puppies are cute, but not if they cringe when they walk.  Not if they bust your bank and credit cards to keep them sound.  Not if you need to pump them with pain killers and supplements.  It's not worth it.  Demand the best.  If the breeder makes excuses, go elsewhere.

I wish I had better news.  

Jaf, a Boerboel Puppy

I took this photo of Jaf on his second day in the US.  He was born in the Kwa Zulu Natal region of South Africa.  He was a trooper on his flight over from RSA.  He was hungry when he got off the plane, but none the worse for the wear.

I shot this picture on my property on his second day in the United States.  He was 9 weeks old.  This picture has been making the rounds on the internet and Pinterest, so I know a few people like my photo!  It is a nice enough photo that I thought I would share it again.

Jaf, the Boerboel puppy, owned and loved by Sharon B.

Jaf is a red male Boerboel.  He has his SABBS birth certificate/registration, and he is also registered with AKC.  I expect to register him soon with UKC.  He is a farm dog that enjoys life on the farm.  

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Boerboel Romps with Arabian Horse

I absolutely love this photo of a Boerboel romping with an Arabian.  

All of the credit for this photo goes to Gabriele Boiselle Horse Photography.  If you like horses, visit her gallery of some of the best horse photography I have ever seen.  

This is her Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/editionboiselle.de/.  I started to follow her on Facebook, as she has a ton of information on how to improve your photography, especially as it relates to equine photography.  Enjoy!

Black Boerboel Rejected by Registrar of Animal Improvement in SA

Important news if you are considering purchasing a black Boerboel or if you own a black Boerboel!

Black has been rejected for the Boerboel by the Registrar of Animal Improvement in South Africa.  The Boerboel is a protected landrace in South Africa through the Department of Agriculture, Forestries and Fisheries.

"The Registrar of Animal Improvement‚ Joel Mamabola‚ has ordered breeders of black Boerbul to bring him “scientific proof” from an internationally accredited institution that the colour is as acceptable as fawn‚ brown‚ or brindle for the breed‚ which is widely considered the most agile of the mastiff-type dogs."

This is important to know since it impacts registration of black Boerboels.  Currently black dogs are not eligible for registration with AKC or UKC in the US, and now registrations are currently being withheld for black dogs by SABBS in South Africa.

This article was published on January 22, 2016 outlining the issue: 

Black dog breed rejected by South African animal inspector

If papers and registration certificates are important to you, please verify directly with the organization that you will be able to get completed certificates for your Boerboel.  

 

How to Pronounce Boerboel

Irene and her Boerboel, Misty, made this short video to help people understand how to pronounce the name Boerboel.  Irene is from South Africa, and Afrikaans is her first language.  Enjoy the video.  It is well done!

Boerboel Puppies for Sale - Buyer Beware!

When a breed has a sudden rise in popularity like the Boerboel, there are bound to be scammers and backyard breeders coming out of the woodwork.  I stumbled upon a PuppyFind ad by a breeder of Boerboels in Alabama.  Their PuppyFind listing claims the puppies have Show Potential and Champion Bloodlines.

When I contacted the breeder to inquire where the pups were registered, they responded that they were registered with ICR (International Canine Registry).  I had never heard of ICR, so I tried to find some information.  It turns out that ICR is one of those bogus registries that just issues papers on any dog.  You can't do anything with these papers, and they are not recognized by any US registries or international registries.  They don't have any shows like AKC or UKC, so there is nowhere to show these show potential pups.  Minor detail I guess.

So my next question was about the bloodlines of the sire and dam.  The breeder would not disclose this information.  The ad states the pups have Champion Bloodlines, but yet there is no way to confirm this.  Minor detail I guess.  As an fyi, the Boerboel breed obtained full recognition with AKC in January 2015, and there are only a handful of Boerboels that are conformation show champions.  UKC gave the Boerboel full recognition effective January 1, 2016, and no Boerboels have been shown to date with UKC.

The worst part about this breeder is that they are allowing puppies to go to their new homes at 4 - 5 weeks old!  Everyone knows that a puppy needs to be with its mother and siblings at least until it is 8 weeks old, preferably longer.  This is proudly displayed on their Facebook page:  

Here is a link to an excellent article by Dr. Becker that outlines the reasons puppies should stay with their litter until at least two months of age. 

Puppies Taken from Litter Too Soon Develop Behavior Problems as Adults 

According to the article, research showed some serious behavioral issues with pups that were separated from their litters at too young an age:

• 68 percent of the dogs were attention seekers – they nuzzled, pawed or jumped up on family members looking for attention and physical contact
• 60 percent showed signs of fear when exposed to loud noises

It is important for puppy buyers to thoroughly research breeders and bloodlines before they make a decision on bringing that new Boerboel puppy into your home.  Boerboels are a dominant breed, and it is crucial that you find a breeder who is breeding for health and temperament.  Tip-offs that you are talking to a backyard breeder include: 

• pushes puppies out the door when they are under two months old
• won't disclose the bloodlines of the dogs
• makes outlandish claims that cannot be true (champion bloodlines from pups that are not registered with either AKC or UKC)
• doesn't health test or can't show results of health tests (check the OFA database)
• doesn't show proof of working abilities and/or results of temperament tests.

Knowledge of the bloodlines of a pup are also crucial.  Certain bloodlines are more dominant and territorial (not a good fit for a suburban home), some are dog aggressive (not good for a family that has other pets), some are good in packs, some are good with children, and some are not.  If a breeder is unwilling to discuss the bloodlines of their dogs, run don't walk!  If they don't know the difference between Mizpah and Grasland, or Cabaret and Nostras, or Dopper and Baden, then they really either don't know anything about the breed or they just want to make a sale.  Cha-ching!  

Most importantly, beware of breeders willing to rehome underage puppies.  Alabama does not currently have a law against selling underage puppies, but good sense would dictate that a responsible would not release puppies until they are at least 2 months old, and preferably longer.

Good luck!