What do you people know about Boerboels? I'm really interested in different breeds and breed characteristics (as some of you may have read from other threads). From what I've read, they seem to be ultimate family dogs, but obviously people who write about/own them can sometimes only tell you one-side of the story, and are unable to bring themselves to talk/write badly about their loving friend.
Does anyone have any firsthand experience with them? Could you please tell me the good/bad things about them.
Thanks
Josh_

My thoughts are they are the ultimate family dog for people selling them! Others might not be so sure. Do a search on here, this topic has cropped up before.

John

Such as a labrador is portrayed as and which I wouldn't touch with a barge pole!
Bec

Thanks for your responce Bec. Sorry i might be a bit thick by asking, but would you not touch with a barge pole, a labrador or boerboel? I'd love to know why you feel this way.

Josh, I was talking about Labradors. My very very limited knowledge on Boerboels is based on my South African vets experience, in that he owns one and thinks its the best dog hes ever had.
Bec.

Maybe it's BECAUSE 36000 are bred every year Bec. People see Labradors as a meal ticket! Why am I not supprised you like Boerboels?

:D ;) @John Here`s me trying to be polite!
Christine, Spain

We both know Labradors are being over bred Christine I just get sick of the breed I love being pulled down by fools

Best wishes to you, John :)

I know John. Then the dogs take the flak when all the time its not their fault at all and comments like the one just made are downright foolish.
Best wishes back :)
Christine, Spain.

It's a comment we've learned to expect Christine :( We all know there are some bad dogs but what other breed could you breed 36000 from and get so few bad ones? Very few breeds I think. And that includes the rank bad breeding by people just in it for the money! We regulaly get nine people and twelve dogs in the back of a Landrover and how many breeds would you want to do that with? Often one dog is sitting on the back of another with no fuss or trouble!

Yes I suppose it is John!
My 2 males who are more or less the same age still sleep in the one bed curled up together & quite often the others get in a bed with one of the others, no bother at all :) It`s a shame what some people do to them re over breeding.
Christine, Spain.

8 labradors,1 mongrel, 1 cat(have had 3 but died) all living free, together & never ever had a fight. 3 entire male labs, 1 of which is used at stud & 1 castrated male,2 entire bitches, 3 spayed, 1 of which is almost blind. All clean in the house. Plenty of photos & people who have seen this first hand to back it up. Eat juicy raw fresh meaty bones together in garden. Living in harmony just as labradors do.
Would you like to share with us your breed of dogs & how they live & your obvious experience of Labradors that you think qualifies you to pass such judgement on them please Bec?
Christine, Spain.

Each to their own opinion Bec but why so harsh on labradors? I presume you have a valid reason

Aren`t you going to share your experiences with us about your own dogs & labradors to justify this remark Bec?
Christine, Spain.

Ahh yes. Thanks John. WOW! what mixed reations!!! I guess I'm back to square one.......unless anyone else has any other opinions????????

Like you said in your first post. Everyone has their own ideas of the perfect dog. MY idea of the perfect dog is an APBT. Not a lot of people may agree. This is why we have such a variety of breeds in the first place. Just as there is no such thing as the perfect person(except me) or the perfect car(except mine) its the individuals choice.
Regards Mick

>perfect car(except mine) < You forgot ME!!!!! :)

I accept what your saying, but I'm not asking for a yes, it is the perfect dog, or, no answer. I am interested to find out peoples experience with the breed, the good and the bad
Josh_

Hi Josh
You must have the same car as me.

I dont think a lot of people except from south africa will know much about the breed. It hasnt travelled far out of africa really. What I know of the breed is that if it takes the hump with something there aint a lot you can do to stop it. They are bred to be guard dogs against wild animals and intruders. They have never been bred for pets as we know.

Regards Mick

Hi Josh,

I am familiar with the boerboel - I lived in South Africa for 20 years and they are an extremely popular dog over there - never had one myself but they are reared as fighting / protection dogs and very vicious - but that is how they are reared over there - a known killer once the jaw locks - it doesn't let go. There were numerous cases in the newspapers re: dog killed child / owner. There was one case when an owner came in after a night out, startled the dog and the dog ripped his throat out.

Obviously, this is how the dog is reared over there and I think that alot of dogs would be capable of doing the above if they were reared that way. I have unfortunately not heard any good reports about boerboel - would probably be different if bred and reared in a loving / caring home but I still wouldnt trust them around childeren with their unpredictable nature

Donna

Thanks for that Donna. That really helps. Just out of interest, what do you think of rottweilers and dobermanns?
Josh_

Josh,

Rottweilers and debermanns are also bread as guard dogs over there and there have also been a few cases of fatalities caused by them HOWEVER - dobermanns (in my experience) are extremely obedient and will leave when told to, they will also hold their 'victim' until further ordered, I have never heard of a doberman harming anyone they know and have heard alot of good about the breed. Rotties on the otherhand - reported being unpredictable - on the other hand, my aunt owned one and he was as soft as s***. he played with the childeren, licked you to death and was very lovable.

Donna

Sorry Donna but I have never known a rott to be unpredictable, all the rotts I have known have been fantastic, loveing and soft as a brush, and will do what ever its owner and family tells them to do.

Josh have you not made your mind up what breed you are after yet.

The point I was trying to make is that in SA - due to the difference in rearing / owning rotties, some are unpredictable - no that this is the case over here.

I have a SA friend who says exactly the same about Boerboels. Mind you he's also had similar experiences with Staffies and Malamutes so I wonder if it's a SA thing rather than a breed thing.

We've often had discussions about how some of the friendliest breeds in this country are ones that he wouldn't go anywhere near at home.

Maybe it's a heat thing?

Fiona
x x x

Hi Fiona

I never new about the other breeds in SA being more aggressive than over here. Maybe its to do with breeding for a more aggressive dog over there, as they have wild animals and intruders that we dont have.

Regards Mick

Fiona,

I think it's the way they are reared - SA is a very violent place and people need protection - to give you an idea......everyone carries a gun, burgular bars on all the windows at home, don't go out after dark, 6 foot fences around your garden, sometime electic, people get shot walking down the street etc..... very nice place but you are always on guard, watching over your shoulder. You really have to live there to understand, people see a different side to it when on holiday but once you've lived there - the truth comes out. You need a good guard dog and that is why they are reared to be vicious.

Donna

>>MY idea of the perfect dog is an APBT. Not a lot of people may agree. << I DO :).

Taylor

Why are approx.36,000 plus bred every year, most sold as family pets,and yet so very very many finish up in Labrador rescue and dog rescue centres, if they are such perfect family pets? We are talking about individuals here, not whether they can live together in a group.
Bec

So you are implying that it`s all those very many own dog`s fault then? Nothing to do with the owners putting them there, I was under the impression there`s a lot of uncaring owners out there who put their dog`s in rescue for numerous reasons not necessarily because theres something wrong with the dog.In fact usually the opposite
" not whether they can live together in a group", I`m pretty sure if they get along in a group with themselves & people, they can get along being the only dog. But don`t see how thats got anything to do with your statement. Nor does it tell us of your experience with Labs to justify your saying you wouldn`t touch them with a barge pole. I take it your not going to share it with us, otherwise you would have done so already & nor how you own dogs behave & interact with each other. One things for sure I don`t have to keep mine caged to stop them fighting each other.!!!!!!

Woaaaah, reign in your horses. I know how it feels if *your* breed gets attacked. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, no need for heated arguments. I rescue bull breeds, never got attacked by one, but I did get mauled by a Lab. That doesn't mean I wont go near them again. A dog is a dog is a dog and sometimes it's better to agree to disagree.

taylor

Taylor was it a lab or a lab cross? simply asking because quite often dogs are labelled labs when in fact they are not :(

Mattie, a purebred Lab.

Taylor

Hi Taylor, don`t worry we`re cool :) Like yourself I`ve been got at by a large breed but hasn`t put me off them & I certainly wouldn`t go round making outlandish remarks about them without knowing anything about the breed, unlike another certain poster.
Christine, Spain.

:D :D You should hear what my own family says about *my* breeds and they wonder why I am still alive :D.

Taylor

I think we're all in agreement that a dog is what the OWNER makes it, any dog could be vicious if trained to be or a loving companion if given love and trained well. It's like childeren - you get what you give

I think that although 36,000 plus labs are bred each year, there just aren't 36,000 plus sensible owners out there for them!

I have a soft spot for Labradors having had a Lab/Whippet cross, and she was a great family dog :) Personally speaking, i have never met a bad one, just my personal experience. We all have different experiences which may in the end colour our judgement ;)

lindsay

Hi all,

It's a difficult one to debate. After Sonny, I would NEVER have another Golden retriever - not because I think they're a dangerous dog but because my own personal experience has been coloured. I'm sure that there are many goldens out there that are entirely trustworthy.
Having just got Murphy, I can see a difference already in temprement and that must be down to good breeding. However, I hope I'm not so naive to assume that he will be the 'perfect' family pet unless we train him to be so. I think a responsible owner needs to carry on the process that breeding has started......I do think Labs are a lovely dog and have a good reputation on the whole.

Ruth

I was very shocked to see Boerboel puppies advertised on an internet site that sells, cars, houses, furniture, etc etc etc ???????????? ( a Loot/adtrader kind of site)

I have unfortunately met a few aggresive Labs, and shockingly some of these were at shows. Have had them flying out as I walked past, and also a frontal attack on my bitch by a male, tha was only prevented by the length of his lead, and dragging my girl up onto her hind legs by hers.

Most Labs though have lovely temepraments, not the breed for me, but lovely nether the less. I would imagine that most of the iffy ones I have met were badly bred, and badly trained, though the ones at shows did worry me, as surely this is not something that should be in their make-up.

With a bred this numerous bad apples will occasionally surface, and as long as only the best temperaments are bred from then they will be a tiny minority.

Hi B/less, I`m sorry to say that I responded to the poster when I should have known better. In future I will just ignore that particular poster.
Fortunately I`ve never met an aggresive Lab but of course I`ve heard of them & think it`s down to the popularity of the breed & people thinking about ££££ rather than the welfare of them. Also sorry to hear of one trying to attack your girl.
By the way, what do you mean" not the breed for me"????? Don`t understand that at all, can`t imagine any body not wanting one !! :) :) :) :) :)
Christine, Spain.

I do wonder Christine if maybe we are arguing the wrong way. Maybe if we backed up people running Labradors down. It might get rid of all the thousands of people who think they can get away without training them. This would then get rid of the puppy farmers who see them as a good meal ticket and help the overcrowding in the rescues where people like Mattie are trying to pick up the pieces. This would then leave a much smaller number of dogs for the real enthusiasts like us and move the problem onto someone elses doorstep!

Best wishes, John :)

The next *in vogue* breed will come along, John, don't you worry :(.

Taylor

When I started in dogs the numerically largest breed was the GSD. A little later it was a terrier (West Highland White??? can’t remember now) Then the poor Labrador hit the high spot, and how! There is now around twice as many Labradors bred per year as the next largest breed! If one Golden Retriever was to bite someone it would need two Labradors to bite for the percentage to be the same! In fact with most breeds now, it would take over a hundred Labradors to bite people just too equal one dog bite and in some cases several thousand Labrador bites!!! But of course that is never taken into account! All we ever hear is, "I was once bitten by a Labrador!" As a well known politician once said, "There are lies, damn lies and statistics!"

Best wishes, John

Yepp, never trust a statistic you haven't falsified yourself :D.

Taylor

I have never read such utter rubbish before. You have never set eyes on a Boerboel. We toured South Africa from Capetown up through Bloemfontein and then further on to Johannesburg visiting Boerboel breeders. We never met a single dog that meets your description. What a fantasy!!! They are calm family dogs that are often kept on farms. They are good stable family dogs.

Anne and Shaun

boerboels are supposed to be very good home guardians,but some have said they are very over rated and not to believe the hype.jmo