Spring has sprung . . . sort of

Well, spring has sprung in some places! In others we are patiently waiting for the snow to melt for the third or fourth time; and spring to finally arrive.

Boerboel puppies are soon to be popping up all over, and puppy buyers are soon to be visiting the breeders to determine the suitability of the parent dogs.

WHAT? But First Dog, why would I want to visit the parents, why ever should you do that?

To determine the suitability of the offspring for your living situation.

So lets take it from the top;  -- you've read the posts in this blog; re: temperament, family guards , why you even want a Boerboel.

So lets get down to the nitty-gritty. You are contacting the breeder to be put on a waiting list, you've done your homework re: the breed and your circumstances, you have contacted the breeder and they have invited you to visit them, either off property or at their home.

What are you looking for? How do you know whether this breeder is the one? Well follow along; dear potential Boerboel owner; and we shall see.

1. Meeting place -- If the breeder is willing to meet you both on/off property - they get a gold * If you are only provided the opportunity of one or the other; please dear reader; be skeptical. Why? Well there are many Boerboels who are confident on their own property, but totally unnerved in the real world. It is possible this type of dog simply lacks socialization; but -- you have to realize that unsocialized dogs will still have to encounter some different situations (vets/shows/etc.) and shouldn't urinate in fear or stand shaking with their tail tucked between their legs (or clamped to their butt if their tail is docked). To be met only on property is to limit the information you can gather about this dog; to be met only off property -- I would question the environment your puppy will be raised in -- if you want a puppy from non-kennelled parents and you never visit the property they live on; how do you know whether they are kennelled or not?
2. So you go to the meeting place; let's say off-property. What was the first thing you noticed about the potential parent of your puppy? Were they alert, confident, willing to meet you? Were they reticent, dopey, sullen? Temperament is genetic as well; and what you see in the parent will come out in the offspring. Did they appear healthy? How was the dog's eyes -- clear, no drooping lids, no watering? How was the dog's skin -- unwrinkled, pretty clean, glossy coat. Be aware; due to the size of these dogs; and their thin hair coats; they often get callouses on their elbows and hocks; not pretty but hard sometimes to get rid of -- consider it a neutral factor in your parent evaluation. If you were purchasing the puppies as a family dog; did you get to see the dogs with children? How were they with small animals? These are vital considerations for the safety of your kids and your pets. Training can improve/manage many situations; but familial tendencies tend to be born out; sooner or later. Better to know from the get-go; what you are potentially dealing with. How was the dog handled and how did the dog take to being handled. Please don't be turned off by the use of prong collars, or chokers or the like -- these are big dogs and sometimes need firm reminders -- but was the dog totally insane or could it be easily handled and if corrected; accepted it with grace; again information to be put on your checklist. Does the dog love its owner? Weird question -- but if you want a loyal guard dog; how loyal is the parent of your puppy to its owner? Seems like an appropriate question to me!

So in this choose-own-adventure scenario -- you go to the kennel/owner's property. Again, the same questions beg to be answered, with some additional considerations. When you arrived; were there any dogs out? And did you feel it was safer to stay in your car than exit the vehicle. If there is the space/fencing/availability for a dog to be out guarding the property and you were met in the driveway by the family's watch Boerboel -- good job eh? If you felt it was in your best interests to remain in the car, also a good job on the part of the guard dog. When the owner came out, did the dogs appear happy to see them, responsive to any commands? What was their general demeanour? Did they cower and slink about; or were they pleased that their owner was taking care of the situation. Did they stand by to protect/guard their owner? And when the owner came out; were they able to control the dogs without putting them up? If they did put some away; why? What was the reason? If a potential parent to your dog (any relative really) was one of the dogs put away; you don't want to hear nervous, frightened of strangers, unsure, we've only had her/him for a couple months (begs the question why they chose that dog to breed with) not sure of their reaction to strangers. Those are statements that don't cut it for a breeding/family dog. Maybe for guard-only/compound watch/junkyard dog. Next questions assume you are meeting the parents outside -- same as above {What was the first thing you noticed about the potential parent of your puppy? Were they alert, confident, willing to meet you? Were they reticent, dopey, sullen?  Did they appear healthy? How was the dog's eyes -- clear, no drooping lids, no watering? How was the dog's skin -- unwrinkled, pretty clean, glossy coat. If you were purchasing the puppies as a family dog; did you get to see the dogs with children? How were they with small animals? How was the dog handled and how did the dog take to being handled.Does the dog love its owner?} If you have decided on a kennel dog; because that's what suits your family; ask to see the kennels your breeder houses the dogs in -- here; look for cleanliness, health of dogs, nobody is pacing or throwing themselves around (at least not the dogs related to yours). As a breed the Boerboel is better able to guard and protect from within the family household; so keeping one kennelled means they are outside of their preferred environment -- how are they handling it? Gives you an idea of how your puppy will handle it, too. If you have gone with the household dog; your conscientious breeder will likely invite you in to talk dogs (remember for a good breeder; you are being interviewed too!). Once inside; how do the dogs react? Are they comfortable, confident animals; or is there any nervous behaviour, slinking, tail tucked etc. RED ALERT Do not accept a puppy from dogs that you cannot behave as yourself around. If you are given strange directions such as how to talk; what to wear; how much to move -- listen please to the owner -- and as soon as you can comfortably exit; do so, that is a powder keg waiting to go off! Instructions for children are a bit different. There may be dogs in the mix that aren't the breeding animals; but are relatives and they may not be familiar with the noises, and movements of the children. As long as the owner has these animals on leash and under control; this is not an issue; especially if you aren't considering these dogs for your puppies parents (assuming the children are yours and you intend to keep them!) If the potential puppy's parents aren't overly social in the house; do not fear -- Boerboels are truly family guards and can often be standoffish to strangers; that is the element of guard dog. You most likely will be formally introduced to the dogs and then allowed to interact like Sunday company (no peeking in the bathroom cabinets, no running naked down the halls). While you are in the house with the owner's full attention; now is the time to get any/all information you need about the breed and these dogs in specific, out of the way. Boerboel owners love to talk about their dogs; so this part should be easy.

Hopefully your visit went well; and hopefully you found great parents that will produce the ideal Boerboel pup for your situation. Keep us linked; our next post is how responsible Boerboel breeders temperament test their pups and what you can expect from these tests.

Stick around.

The First Dog

What Happens During a Vet Appointment for PennHip

Well, we finally made it.

It's been a round of rescheduled trips; but we finally got Dora in for her hip x-rays and elbow x-rays.

For those that are having these done; I will run through the process.

What we had done; hip x-rays for submission to the University of Pennsylvania for a PennHip rating. Click the link to discover more about the PennHip program. We also had Dora's elbows X-rayed for signs of dysplasia, to be submitted to our Ontario Veterinary College. To have her admitted to the stud registry of the SABT; she would also need verification of entropion/ectropion status and Vaginal Hyperplasia status. The Veterinarian at the Dunnville Veterinarian Clinic was able to provide us with paperwork verifying Dora to be free of entropion or ectropion; and we will schedule another visit when she is in heat to have the VH exam done.

We entered the clinic (of course my children decide that they want a mental health day today; so they came too), Dora was weighed (63.1 kg, or 138 lbs.), heart listened to, temperature taken (my son suggested that was gross and Dora probably felt violated!) and general health noted. We proceeded to the back where the x-ray machine is located, the technicians got their gear together, gave Dora a relaxant shot (which worked admirably fast; about 120 seconds and her head was nodding, probably 5 minutes; she was firmly out), they picked her up; positioned her on the table, checked the alignment; shooed me out (no need for me to be exposed to x-rays) and took about another 5 minutes to do the slides. Brought me back in; printed the slides; made sure they could read them and they were satisfactory for the University and the College, and they gave her a shot to bring her out.

She woke up; about another 5 minutes; starting with her tail, her head, back legs, front legs; she was a bit distressed; they have a door bell that rings whenever someone enters the clinic, so that staff in the rear of the building are alerted to someone entering; she barked and wanted to "check the door" whenever it rang. So of course; for my poor girlie, while she was wobbly and coming around; there were workmen coming in and out delivering, so she was rather confused; barking and trying to stand and go to the door; but not so capable.

I put her in the van; sorted out all the paperwork necessary for release of information and everything else; and we were out of there in 1 hour.

Total cost was $604 CDN including our crappy tax. That included 2 elbow xrays, 3 hip x-rays + an extra hip slide for myself that I can submit to OFA if I wish later; and/or keep for my own records.

The vet attending checked her elbow slides, saw no degeneration and checked her hip slides, no degeneration, good formed socket and tight-fitting ball, one hip was able to distract more than the other; but looked pretty good.

So now we await the official results which are mailed to my house, but the attending vet did say that he is given the results by email quicker; and since I provided my email, he can fwd the information to me.

So yay; we got some good stuff done today.



Good Ole' Canadian Girl - Proudfoot's Tad Bit O Tina - Dora - 30 mos.



Frosty Lips

More Frosty Lips

What is a Family Dog?

There is a very popular kennel (I got my bitch Proudfoot's Tad Bit O Tina ~ Dora from this kennel), that has as their slogan; Farm Dog First . . . Family Dog Always, and they produce working-type dogs with an emphasis on the family.

You may well ask, oh First Dog; Why do you consider the Boerboel a family dog?

Well dear reader, if you take into account the recent history of the Boerboel, and it's traditional use on the farms and properties of South Africa; how could you not consider the South African Boerboel a family dog.

If a Boerboel was meant to be guarding the homestead; just who do you think that would be in deepest, darkest South Africa?

Why the family that was left at home, while the menfolk went off to war, to civil unrest, to town, to farm.

They are a mastiff breed; mastiffs are known the world over to be guardians of the homestead; gentle giants with their family and fierce defenders against all strangers that mean harm.

Again; you may ask; Why First Dog; why does it matter to the breed and why does it matter to me?

Good questions both; and I will attempt to answer them to your satisfaction.

Breed-type as Family Guard.

What else is a Boerboel going to be used for? They are not fighting dogs; although they are dominant and can be reactive. They are not draught dogs, they are not hunting dogs, they are not herding dogs. They belong to the wonderful and ancient guardian breed category.

A Family Guard from my perspective should be intelligent enough to realize what a threat is (dark, looming, scary stranger with deep voice, dubious behaviour, aggressive movements) as opposed to the neighbours unsupervised 3 year-old daughter that toddles onto your property. Bite one; but not the other.

A family dog shouldn't be so reactive that you can't take the dog camping, or to your son's soccer games or to your daughter's horse show. They should be confident enough to survive a trip to the grocery store and be fine with being left in the car while the family shops, they should accept the accolades of friendly strangers with indifference; but not outright hostility, they should look to you for direction; but react with enough force if it is warranted. I'm not asking a lot; I have this within my own dog; and aim to reproduce it with her progency.

If you are interested in acquiring a Boerboel; expect them to want to guard you; if you have a good one; they will also want to guard whomever is in your house, vehicle or party. Expect them to be a little unimpressed with rough-housing between you and your friends; but controllable none-the-less. Expect them to vocalize their displeasure if someone approaches the car too closely while you are inside; but they should settle when told, expect them to have your back while you are at the ATM. This is attainable when you select the right breeder and the right cross.

But First Dog; you ask; how will I know I have the right breeder; and how will I know I have the right parents for my future dog?

Good question; and research is the best way to gain useful answers.

A good breeder can indicate which breedings they are doing that will produce puppies that suit the family environment. To achieve a family dog is not magic; nor is it a given. It is the result of a breeder working within their own lines to develop a dog that enjoys the family, is low-key enough to accompany their family everywhere and comes from a long line of family guards.

A good breeder will also be able to arrange for you to meet some of the family dogs they have produced, they will have satisfied clients that are proud of their dogs, ideally you are able to meet the dogs off property, as well as at their own house; to give you an idea of what you can expect, in a normal living arrangement.

Second choice for a breeder would be one who has a integrated kennel environment; the dogs live in kennels, but visit in the house; or house-like structure. You should be able to get an idea of what the dogs will be like in a common living space.

Worst choice would be the breeder who has all dogs constantly kennelled. If the dogs are never given a chance to display their behaviour in a home environment; how can that breeder assure you that you can live with your dog once he or she grows out of the cute puppy stage.

Additional Questions to ask of the Family Dog Breeder

1. Do your dogs fight? Are they dog aggressive? How do you handle them?

As a large, dominant dog breed; there are bound to be scuffles; especially if the breeder has a number of intact dog living together; when hormones run high; so do tempers. But you want to be careful selecting a puppy from parents that constantly want to fight. Reactivity is to be expected, aggressiveness is something to put in the maybe box. If the dogs seem hot; but can be controlled by a look or a yell; they aren't all that dedicated to the brawl; physically having to constantly separate battling canines is not an enjoyable occupation for even the seasoned Boerboel owner.

2. Are your dogs good with small animals - cats, birds, small dogs? Merely tolerate, or enjoy?

Some Boerboels have a lot of prey drive and you have to be careful, some have less and you have less to worry about; but if you are a small pet owner as well as wanting to own a Boerboel; then it is an important consideration; so look to breeders who at least have experience with their dogs and smaller pets; breeders who have successfully homed pups that grew to adults in multi-pet homes; that would be your safest bet.

3. How are your dogs with kids?

 This is a tricky question; and one again that is best asked of the experienced breeder; who either raises and manages their dogs daily in a house with children; your kid's ages; or has homed pups into similar environments.

Note the First Dog doesn't advocate unsupervised dogXchildren interactions; but you can't keep your dog crated ALL the time while the kids are running around; so you are looking for some sort of indication from the breeder; that their lines can handle children in the home.

4. How do your dogs handle off-property situations?

Probably best observed by meeting the dogs off-property, also by meeting past clients of the breeder; also off-property. Listen for the "good words", "Oh our dog Freddy just loves the neighbourhood kids; he can be walked by any of them; he's so sweet when they come over to play with our kids. He's such a good dog, he gets to go everywhere with us." <<<<<< examples of "good words"

Well; that's all for now; hopefully this has given you some ideas of what to look for; to make sure you are getting a reasonable representative of the Family Dog.

Training; or Continuing Education for your 'boel

Many breeders require in their contracts that the prospective owners attend Obedience classes with their Boerboel puppy.

I'm here to tell you that training for a Boerboel is often a circumstance of Continuing Education; rather than a one-time seminar in How to Be a Model Dog Citizen.

But First Dog; I thought you said the Boerboel is an intelligent dog?

Yes, I have said as such and continue to state that I will not knowingly breed a "stupid" Barbie-type Boerboel (they exist; oh man do they exist -- dumb as the proverbial blonde). However the purpose of Continuing Ed isn't necessarily to "teach" your dog something new -- {although most good Boerboels and most good dogs of any breed enjoy the challenge of learning something new; and performing it well}, it is to emphasize to your dominant, ladder-climbing South African Mastiff that you still have the upper hand, you  (commonly referred to as "The Owner") still dole out the cookies, you are THE BOSS!

So after Puppy Obedience, what comes next?

Well more obedience classes to be sure. You may not want to compete in obedience; but a lot of good learning goes on beyond Puppy Class.

You could ask your Trainer if you could prep your Boerboel for the CGN/CGC, which is a nice title to have for your Boerboel; that clarifies that your dog is a Model Citizen.

If you did want to compete; there is the option of competing in all venues of obedience, tracking, agility and rally, if your Boerboel is registered in the AKC-FSS program. Of course AKC shows only occur on U.S. soil; so that may limit those that get to participate; but it is an option. An AKC-FSS Boerboel also is able to compete in Herding events.

What else could your Boerboel "compete" in? Agility for one doesn't require registration in a specific Kennel Club, Schutzhund and other "protection" sports. There are also independent clubs that train tracking (which many Boerboels enjoy), train for Therapy dog certification, you might be able to train for scent discrimination, there are quite a few avenues for you to involve yourself in, if interested.

But First Dog I have 2 jobs, 2 kids, 2 households to run, etc., etc.; not enough time, what should I do to keep my Boerboel occupied, understanding and obeying the social order of things.

I would strongly suggest constant socialization and exposure then; starting from when you get the puppy at about 8 weeks until the dog is 2-3-4 years and beyond.

One hears plenty about how important socialization is for dogs; but often exactly what you are to do isn't clarified.

If you want to raise a good dog citizen you have to realize that you have thrust your domesticated, predatory animal into a hot-bed of human oriented situations; that the predatory animal may or may not understand.

So show them, and keep showing them.

Desensitize/socialize/expose your dog to what he/she will live with, be exposed to, participate in, etc. for the rest of your/his/her life.

Some suggestions;

1. Sleeping in a crate
2. Sleeping beside your bed
3. Sleeping in other people's rooms
4. Travelling in the car in a crate
5. Travelling in a car on a leash
6. Travelling in a car loose
7. Visiting children
8. Playing with children
9. Visiting playgrounds, playing on equipment
10. Hearing the noise from - garbage trucks, dump trucks, fire trucks, ambulances, police cars, fire works, yelling, kids yelling, pots clanging
11. Different footing - grating, gravel, snow (good luck you Southerners!), rain, grass, asphalt, wooden bridges, mud, wet leaves, hills
12. Having different moving objects go by; bikes, roller blades, walkers, joggers
13. Different animals - cats, rodents (maybe -- I expect mine to kill them; but whatever floats your boat), horses, cows, etc.
14. Different experiences, Hallowe'en, Parades, Festivals, elevators, community walks for fundraising, etc.

The reason I suggest such a wide variety of experiences (and not just for Boerboels; but for all dogs) is because we are teaching the mental capacity of a 2 year old (not necessarily accurate -- actual mental age compared to humans is debatable) how to live in the world as a 2 year old for 10-15 years. You would give your child every opportunity to learn about the world at large; so should you give your dog the same.

For all experiences; it is recommended the dog be neutral and you be neutral. It often helps to have an older dog model the correct responses.

TEMPERAMENT

When choosing a dog breed to live with, temperament is a very important part of the package. It should actually be the most important; before health, size, colour, head size and other requirements.

Why is temperament most important?

Temperament is most important because if the temperament of the household members don't complement the temperament of the dog; then there is sure to be a miserable household. Dogs will typically be rehomed (successfully or not) if their temperament is not what the household members were expecting.

The criteria of temperament as it relates to dogs incorporates; activity level/energy, initial reaction (bold/shy), adaptability to circumstances, mood, persistence/attention span.

To properly address what temperament the Boerboel should exhibit, needs one to understand where and why the Boerboel originated.

The South African Boerboel or Mastiff was intended as a versatile farm dog (Boer = Farmer; so loosely Farmer's Dog) that could guard both homestead and animals; family members, and vehicles. He wasn't particularily a hunting dog; nor was he particularily a herding dog; although possibly he did both on the African frontier where he was developed.

He was developed as a "breed" in the 1980s, with various infusions from the breeds of; bull mastiff, english mastiff, bull & terrier types, Rhodesian Ridgeback/hunting hound types, St. Bernard types and generally in the beginning any good dog that could perform farm dog duties that was tough enough to survive the trials of the African continent.

What does that leave us (the Boerboel fan) with? Well; let's look at what would have been reproduced/encouraged early on;

1. Activity level -- varied; it depended of course on the size of the homestead, would also depend on what was needed from the dog -- were many miles/day to be covered with a horse/rider, or was the dog expected to just stay around the house; behind a fence, with the occasional jaunt in the rear of the bakkie into town for supplies. Homeowners likely kept some of each type; to ensure that any personal requirements were taken care of by the dogs at hand. Phenotype seems to have reflected activity level pretty closely; with the houndier/lighter builds having the highest activity levels; sometimes to the point of being compared with herders, as opposed to mastiff types, while the heavier/bulkier builds having lower activity levels. This can prove useful to you when considering what parentage to buy a puppy from.

2. Initial Reaction/Active vs. Reactive -- Consider the circumstances of South Africa; where in the frontier atmosphere there was legitimate fear from rather large violent wild animals, unfriendly native tribes and warring settler factions. A dog that leapt first and asked questions later, might find that he was a dead dog. A dog that was reactive could still defend, sound the alarm, get the household in gear and still live another day. There is much anecdotal evidence that the South African Boerboel possesses a decent blend of both active reactions (read forward, bold, unhesitating) and reactive reactions (read thinking, calmer, defensive). They are not a dog afraid of a fight, but they will also wait to make sure of the situation. They do not go charging off into the dark (filled with predators and evil men), but will remain close to hand with an alert and confident presence. They will engage, but not stupidly. Much is written about the Boerboel who will not venture far from his master's side; which seems about right in the view of guarding and defending his owner. This behaviour trait can lead to some poor decisions in puppy choice and in the case of a breeder choosing brood stock; making poor evaluations. 

3. Adaptability to circumstances -- The Boerboel has been asked lately to fill many shoes; there are Boerboels who are performing at the highest levels of the Schutzhund sport, there are Boerboels who perform as Therapy dogs, there are Boerboels who participate in Ring Sport, Boerboels who are participating at Agility, herding Boerboels, Personal Protection Boerboels, Beauty-Boerboels, tracking Boerboels and the list goes on.  Sounds wonderful, yet every avenue that offers competition to the Boerboel owner also potentially offers the incentive to create yet another "type" of Boerboel.  Originally a tough, confident, medium to big-sized Farm Dog; the Boerboel breeders are doing their best to produce dogs that will appeal to owners that participate in these activities, often leaving behind the basic tenets that made Boerboels such a successful breed in their homeland.
The questions that need to be answered with regards to adaptability should be limited to a flexible and confident attitude that allows the breed to accompany their owner whereever they are needed in their guardian duties.
The questions that are being presented to the breed have become;
can the beautiful show dog with the pretty head, perfect colour, and large size (since large size is very often rewarded with top ribbons from judges) be the same dog that is able to compete on a traditional agility course, be the same dog that is able to defend against bear or mountain cat or robbers or rapists, be the same dog that is performing flashy obedience routines, deep nose footstep to footstep tracking and high intensity send aways to apprehend the decoy be the same dog that wants to sit with Grannies in the nursing home, be the same dog that wants to herd sheep or goats or cows or ducks?

Not that they can't, but should they?

Personal experience suggests to me that the more prey driven, drivier, tracking, Schutzhund oriented type is not going to work well on the horse farm; which requires a big brown farm dog-type to hang out, do some chores and guard the perimeter. The prey driven, drivier type that is suited to Schutzhund may not be the best type for Therapy work (Granny's don't do so well when the dog is pushy and always wanting to go, go, go), the prey driven Schutzhund type may be very suited to Agility; since theoretically you could channel drives; but may not make such a good beauty dog since if bigger = better in the minds of judges; bigger is going to have a harder time holding it together for the very active components of Schutzhund (and Agility for that matter).

Something for new owners to consider when they want to purchase a puppy -- what were the parents used for, what is the goal with this litter? I wouldn't suggest to people that want a good big brown farm dog for their small holding and family that they should be seeking the higher drive, Schutzhund type.

4. Mood -- Some Boerboels are happy-go-lucky; just like Labradors and Goldens, some are morose taking their guarding job very seriously, some are middle of the road. This can often be seen as puppies, and is usually firmly cemented by their second heat-season if girls, bit longer for boys. Some of it can be "trained", some of it is simply genetic. Not much you can do about choosing a puppy that is one mood or another; but acknowledging that you may be choosing a "serious" dog as opposed to a butterfly is a good thing to consider on the way in to Boerboel ownership.

5. Persistence/attention span -- There are people breeding stupid Boerboels and there are people breeding smart Boerboels. I'm going to suggest you find someone breeding smart ones; 100 lbs. of stupid is a lot to put up with. Housetraining, training, competing and generally living with an intelligent dog is far simpler and pleasant than constantly having to reiterate how the household works; to your 3, 4, 5 year old dog and beyond. They are manipulative and can pretend to be "stupid", but when push comes to shove and you "really mean it", the smart ones instantly recognize the change in situation and toe the line.


Now how does any of the above help someone buy a good Boerboel puppy so that they have a wonderful family companion for the next 10-15 years?

1. Visit your breeder, visit the parents of your pup. A lot of what I've written is genetic, people that are breeding for specific colours; either for or against aren't paying attention to what body type, activity level or intelligence level they are producing. Spend enough time with the breed to determine whether you can deal with them or not; listen closely to the pup's breeder.

Statements (when referring to broodstock) such as, "He/she is a wonderful dog; but they can't come in the car with us, drools all night when there is a hint of thunder, freaks out at the mailman, bites small children, eats other dogs, has dietary issues, needs constant meds, had hip problems at 9 mos., etc. is NOT a wonderful dog. Wonderful dogs don't have problems, they have life stages that you train through and don't revisit. They don't have repetitive health issues, just regular maintenance, like vaccines and flea medicines, etc.

The puppy's parents should be confident, outgoing (but not necessarily want to interact with you -- they are typically one-family dogs)not overly big, not overly lippy, be of good weight, not have droopy or watery eyes, sound in movement, decent coat without signs of mange or allergies and SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE VIEWED OFF PROPERTY and still project the kind of dog that you want to own.

Don't be wowed by huge size; unless you like picking up poop that a pony could leave behind, you have another couch/bed just for the dog, and you have a huge disposable income for dog food; raw or kibble.

Don't be wowed by a hugely reactive dog that hackles up, lunges and barks like a lunatic to minor alarms such as squirrels running by and children yelling. Interest and an alert expression is good, insanity is not!

Don't be wowed by a pedigree that is full of "Champions" and high Appraisal scores; just means to a judge either on a few days or a handful of days that your potential puppy's parents were "pretty". Doesn't verify temperament or health.

Don't be wowed by a "breeder" that continuously uses imports to breed with. The Boerboel is an international breed now; and unfortunately in its country of origin there seems to be numerous "breeders" who are selling entire litters to North America. These breeders also have upwards of 40 brood bitches; which begs the question -- how do you match up a puppy with a prospective owner?

BE WOWED by a breeder that health tests. Basics are hip dysplasia (OFA/PennHip/OVC) and elbow dysplasia; deeper are hearts, eyes, spine and any other body parts.

BE WOWED by a breeder that performance tests their dogs; or that has successfully produced dogs (by that potential puppy's parents) that have succeeded in events. Minimums include CGC/CGN, Herding, Temperament Tests, Obedience and can go as high as Schutzhund and Ring Sport. Ideally the dogs produced have participated in the event successfully.

BE WOWED by a breeder that produces successful family dogs, ask if you can speak to the families that own the dogs.

BE WOWED by a breeder that is using/creating their own line. All broodstock eventually traces back to South Africa; but a breeder that carefully chooses their broodstock and is developing their own line is using dogs they bred themselves and is able to more fully evaluate the genetics, behaviours and temperament they are working with.

The Boerboel is an amazing dog; when it is bred right, it is a devastating failure with huge potential for damage; when it is bred wrong.

ONTARIO RESIDENT - GOT DOGS - GET TO THIS PARTY!!!!!

In case you've been under a rock for the past 5 years; Bill 132 - the Dangerous Dog Act went into effect 2005, with the restrictions being that no new APBT, Amstaff, SBT or any dog of similar characteristics could be added to a household; unless the additional dog didn't make greater the number of restricted dogs before the ban (i.e. your Amstaff died; you may replace with 1 more Amstaff)

“owner”, when used in relation to a dog, includes a person who possesses or harbours the dog and, where the owner is a minor, the person responsible for the custody of the minor; (“propriétaire”)

“pit bull” includes,

(a) a pit bull terrier,
(b) a Staffordshire bull terrier,
(c) an American Staffordshire terrier,
(d) an American pit bull terrier,
(e) a dog that has an appearance and physical characteristics that are substantially similar to those of dogs referred to in any of clauses (a) to (d); (“pit-bull”)

Now you'd think the above descriptions would have crossed South African Boerboels off the list, but you'd be wrong. Boxer dogs have been confiscated, American Bulldogs and their crosses have been confiscated, appropriately muzzled dogs who were attacked by off-leash dogs have been confiscated and the bullshit goes on! The Boerboel with it's short coat and muscular body is just a clerical error away from some stupid authority figure mis-identifying your South African Boerboel as a "pitbull".

This is a very serious bill, check it here Dog Owner's Liability Act with very serious consequences, including the ability of a peace officer to enter your facility and seize your dog if you are suspected of owning a "pitbull" and you haven't been abiding by the restrictions of the law. If they suspect you were not complying, they may also seize your dog on the street while you are walking it. Fines can be up to $10,000 and jail of 6 months.

The Dog Legislation Council of Canada has been the umbrella organization for a number of smaller groups who tried (without success) all the way to the Supreme Court to repeal the law as unconstitutional, there is even a private members bill in place to rectify the sweeping infringements upon citizen's rights that Bill 132 put into place.

They are hosting an awareness event and fundraiser on July 25, 2010, next event that lets you get in and see what concerned Ontario citizens are doing to educate the general public and raise awareness.

Got the Boerboel blues -- or is my dog a Blue Boerboel?

Just a little more information re: the blue gene in dogs; presented in a format that might make it easier to understand.

D-Series - for dilution
The "D-series" has only two genes (or alleles) to have to learn and understand: "D" and "d" - making it nice and simple. Even better yet, there's a simple order of dominance in play: dominant "D" (requiring only one "D" gene to fully express Eumelanin color), and recessive "d" (requiring two "d" genes or "dd" to produce the dilution action, and exhibit a visibly diluted Eumelanin color).

What Can Be Diluted?

Dilution through the "D-series" primarily affects Eumelanin, or the "Black" or "Chocolate" colors of the coat. While there may be some minor affect to Phaeomelanin (tan or red) with the dilution action of "dd," the visible effect is minimal - if at all.

Both Black ("B_") and Chocolate ("bb") Eumelanin can be diluted. Neither of these colors is a dilute, in and of itself.

When the double recessive of "dd" is present, the Eumelanin color is diluted. Black Eumelanin is diluted to "Blue" ("B_/dd").

Dominant D


When the dominant "D" gene is present (and remember, as a complete dominant, it only requires a single "D" gene in the pair to visibly exhibit its dominant effect), the Eumelanin color is fully expressed, with no dilution. This means a dog who is "DD" may be visibly identical to a dog who is "Dd," even though they are genetically different.

It is readily apparent on a brown/black brindle that it is "dd"; they are a steely/slatey blue in color. On red dogs it is sometimes apparent; their mask/ears are steely/slatey blue in color.

It is when the dog only carries one copy and is Dd and is bred to another Dd that there is the possibility of surprise blue pups in the litter.

From chasing bloodlines backwards in known red/blue mask Boerboels and trying to spot blue in older fuzzy photos; I would suggest if you were interested; keep an eye on the lack of pigment on a dog's ears to signify some dilution (maybe not blue but some other Boerboel specific dilution factor) and check eye color. The lighter the eye colour; the more likely dilution in either dd or Dd would appear.