The Elite Boerboel dog, also referenced as the African Mastiff, offers a South African ancestry and an innate instinct for hard work due to his heritage. The pup’s job was once serving as a guard to the Diamond Mines in his home country, meaning the animal is an incredible watchdog who is intensely loyal to those in the family.
Pet parents are fortunate to see the softer side of the Elite Boerboel dogs who turn to loving, affectionate balls of mush with their preferred humans. The need for quality time outranks time left alone to roam in the garden.
The pup’s ideal family will be seasoned pet parents, energetic and active, with a plot of land to enjoy plenty of playtimes involving running. If there are children, the canine will have fun keeping up with them, but another dog is not the best idea.
What Should You Know On The Elite Boerboel Before You Bring One Home?
Before adopting any puppy, it is wise to research the breed to learn their temperament, behavior, personality, trainability, maintenance, and so much more to ensure you can handle the responsibility and are willing to commit. The Elite Boerboel or African Mastiff is a massive, heavy, and strong dog.
The recommendation is that the pup has pet parents who have relatively extensive experience parenting dogs in order to handle what can be a gregarious personality; otherwise, training could be quite challenging for those who are new. Find out reasons you should own a Boerboel at https://itsfreeatlast.com/reasons-to-own-boerboels/. In learning about a breed of dog, it’s beneficial to become familiar with their history and know more of their personality. Some interesting facts on this canine follow.
The Elite Boerboel descended from South Africa
Dutch colonists settled in South Africa in the 17th century with their noble Mastiffs from which the Elite Boerboel descended. The belief is that the Mastiffs themselves are descendants of the Molossus, which came into existence during Ancient Egyptian times.
Dutch Farmers settled in South Africa in the mid-1600s and used their massive Mastiff pups for the family’s protection plus that of the farmland. These Dutch Mastiffs bred with native African canines, in turn producing the Boerboel.
A loyal and faithful watchdog
Workers could rest assured the Boerboel would accompany them to the farmlands, where they would serve as the guardians. As time passed, diamond mines developed, and the pups helped stand guard over these as well.
The legends indicate that groups of these dogs could ward off potential lion attacks plus other wildlife like leopards and baboons. The name “Boerboel” derives from “boar” meaning farmer in African terms.
On some occasions, there were other mixes.
Today’s Boerboel might not be purebred. In South Africa in the 1930s, Bullmastiffs came to the area from one of the diamond companies in an effort to help guard their specific mines. These Bullmastiffs were bred with the Boerboels often, potentially including the “Rhodesian Ridgebacks” also.
On some occasions, the dogs were not only mixed with the Bullmastiff but were inbred. That could have been disastrous to the initial bloodline.
There was almost a point of extinction.
During the start of the 1900s, through to the middle, the world wars, along with South African urbanization and subpar breeding practices, the breed was nearly obliterated. In order to save the Boerboel, enthusiasts created what is known as “the South African Boerboel Breeders’ Association or SABBA.”
Fortunately, at the hands of this organization, the breed started to restore roughly around the beginning of the 1980s. It took exceptional effort, at the start, to get the dogs back to the glory they once knew, with only 72 canines capable of registration at first due to bloodlines that had become severely depleted.
In 2006 another organization, “The American Boerboel Club,” was formed, their mission is to maintain the quality of Boerboel breeds and the reason animal thrives today.
Final Thought
Those who consider the Elite Boerboel to join their family need to educate on the breed apart from its mere history. Focus on the dog’s traits to see if the animal will fit your family dynamic, lifestyle, and around other pets in the household. Go to the site above to learn about the care of a Boerboel and how to keep them healthy and happy.
A pet parent shouldn’t bring a new puppy home until there’s a clear indication he will stay and that you can handle the responsibility and commitment that comes with him. No puppy wants to be returned.