A Little History for a Big Dog
The South African Mastiff, also commonly known as the South African Boerboel ( ‘Boerl’ – meaning farmer, ‘Boel’ – meaning bull or mastiff) is claimed to fame by its superior skill of guarding a territory and its owners. This breed came about specifically to guard the people of the Great Trek during the rebellion against British colonization of Africa. During this “Great Trek” thousands were displaced, and used the guardianship of the Mastiff to protect them from predators such as lions and to aid in hunting.
The specific origin of the south African Mastiff is real sketchy. Due to this continuous breeding by various scattered colonies, using various dogs, brought in by European settlers and mixing them with other indigenous African dogs, there’s little hope in pinpointing the past influences of this breed.
It can be speculated that the “bullenbijter” mastiff brought in by the Dutch East Indian Trading Company including long legged bulldog and other varieties of molossers brought in by European settlers had the greatest influence on this breed we know today.
Presence
Just their sheer presence of the South African Mastiff is enough to intimidate oncoming predators and strangers. You’ll find that these dogs can tip the scale to 200 pounds (90k) and with most of that being ripping muscle compacted into height of 28 inches, these dogs are a powerhouse!
These powerhouses come in a verity of shades colors and markings including light shades of brown, tints of back, brindle, and red. So you have your choice when it comes to color.
Temperament
If you’re considering getting a Boerboel mastiff for your home, please be aware that this breed is highly dependent on human companionship. If left on their own for extended periods of time, they can become destructive and bad tempered. You’ll also want to have a large back yard where your Boerbel can run and play; preferably an acreage as this breed will go stir-crazy cramped up in an apartment.
Through play and attention the South African mastiff will develop a favorable temperament of being loving calm and obedient. They’re naturally intelligent and confident so their guardian style can be very territorial without aggression (unless they are trained to do so). The level of obedience you will obtain from these dogs will depend on your status as being the alpha master, or pack leader in the dogs mind; this needs to be established to have full obedience and it’s not hard to do.
On the flipside of the coin, if you do not establish dominance over this mastiff, and do not give them the adequate amount of socialization and playtime you can have some trouble on your hands; as their natural guardianship and territorialism instincts can become aggressive and even dangerous.
So socialization for the South African Mastiff is essential. Make sure to give your mastiff proper introductions to new people so they feel comfortable around them. If it’s the first time “big fluffy” meets Aunt Martha, give them a quick introduction so fluffy knows Martha is cool.
The South African Mastiff In Action
Here’s a quick video example of a South African Mastiff, look at those mucles.
If guardianship is of your highest priority within the mastiff breed then the Boerboel can be the premium choice.
photo by thephreak99
