Colour
The colour of the Boerboel ranges from a creamy white, through many
shades of brown, to brindle.
Grooming
Like most short
haired breeds that are bred to work outside, the Boerboel requires
little more than a regular bath to keep his coat healthy.
History
Research has revealed that the
ancestry of the Boerboel can be traced as far back as the time of
Herodotus and to Tibet,
Assyria and Babylon.
In Assyria the dogs were used as
soldiers covered with reinforced material to protect them when
Assurbanipal conquered
Egypt. Later, Alexander the Great was
responsible for taking them to Europe.
Apparently in 326BC Alexander received a present of 156 of these large
dogs that had been specially trained to fight lions and elephants.
Through the ages these dogs have developed into two definite strains,
the mastiff which was mainly used for protection and as soldiers, and
the hound which was used for hunting purposes. Both of these strains of
dogs were large and strong typical working dogs, with only slight
differences in appearance and build.
Positives
Boerboels are active, athletic
dogs. They will run, jump and play like no other mastiff breed that you
have seen. They are not hyper like a Jack Russell Terrier but they are
not lazy couch potatoes like most mastiffs either. Ideally you should
plan to take time everyday to train, play with and exercise your
Boerboel. In return you will get a very loyal family member.
Negatives
The Boerboel, given
it's size and athleticism, are definitely not suited for apartment life!
For
detailed information about any breed of dog sold in Australia, please
click on the appropriate link below.