About the South African Boerboel

The Boerboel breed originates from South Africa and is a member of the Mastiff family. It is a large and powerful dog and was originally bred by South African farmers as a working dog for protecting the herd and the farmers.

Its name comes from the Afrikaans words “boer” which means farmer and “boel” which is a shorting of the word “boelhond”, which means “bulldog”. Boerboel literally translates in English from Afrikaans to farm dog.

In its native South Africa, the boerboel breed is a landrace animal which means that it is protected by the Animal Improvement Act.

Boerboels and History

Boerboels and the early dogs they descend from are also sometimes called the South African Mastiff, the Boer Mastiff, the Boer Dog or Boer Hunting dog.

Like all Mastiff type dogs, Boerboels are descended from the “Molosser”, “Molossus” or “Molossoird” dogs and are believed to be one of the oldest known groups in the world.

It is believed that the South African Boerboel as we know it today is likely to have been shaped and formed via breeding with the Dutch Bullenbijter and other Mastiff type dogs from France and Germany. It is also likely that as part of the English colonialism, the English Mastiff was also introduced to the bloodlines.

Whilst the origins of the Boerboel date back several hundred years, the South African Boerboel as we know it today is a relatively new breed and is still considered to be a developing breed.

Characteristics of a Boerboel

Boerboels are naturally very protective and have strong guarding instincts. Like all mastiffs, Boerboels are calm, confident and balanced dogs and can be fearless.

An adult boerboel can weigh from around 50kg up to 90+kg. The height of a boerboel ranges from around 60cm to 70cm tall.

Boerboels have a life expectancy of around 8-12 years.

A boerboel is a large, muscular, powerful dog and needs consistent training and socialising throughout the life of the dog. The boerboel needs a strong pack leader to look up to or the boerboel might assume this position.

They are very intelligent dogs, so along with its size, confidence and drive, they make excellent family guard dogs.

Generally, boerboels are not a suitable dog for a first time, inexperienced owner.