Boerboel
The farmer's fortress — a mastiff forged on the veld to guard everything it loves.
Vital stats
| Size | Giant · 59–70 cm |
| Weight | 50–80 kg |
| Life expectancy | 9–11 years |
| Energy | Moderate — 45–60 min/day |
| Shedding | Light to moderate |
| Coat | Short, dense coat · fawn, brown, brindle, often black-masked |
| Group | Working · AKC |
| Origin | South Africa |
Breed traits
Friendliness
Care
Mind
The Boerboel by the numbers
The Boerboel facts owners search for most — price, lifespan, weight, shedding and colours, in one place.
Widely bred, so you can usually find a litter from a registered breeder without a long wait. Ongoing costs run high — more food, bigger doses at the vet, and pricier insurance.
We don't quote a single figure: the real price swings with breeder, region, bloodline and health testing — and a rescue costs a fraction of a breeder's litter. Adopting is almost always the cheapest route.
Temperament
Bred by South African settlers to protect remote homesteads from leopards, baboons and intruders, the Boerboel is fearless, territorial and startlingly agile for its bulk. With its own family it is calm, affectionate and famously tolerant of the children it considers its charges; strangers meet a wall of watchful reserve. It needs an owner it genuinely respects.
Habits & quirks
Perimeter patrol
It walks its territory with the unhurried confidence of a dog that owns the deed.
The lean of ownership
Affection arrives as 70 kg of dog settling gently against your legs.
Child sentinel
It appoints itself bodyguard to the family's children and takes the post seriously.
Threshold judgement
Guests are studied at the gate; your welcome is noted, then independently verified.
Health
The Boerboel is a giant guardian, and the two things that most affect a long, sound life are its joints and its growth. Ask the breeder about hip and elbow dysplasia, and get a puppy raised to grow slowly — a giant breed that shoots up too fast pays for it later in the joints. Keep him lean for the same reason, learn the early signs of bloat in a deep-chested dog, and treat all of this as a serious commitment rather than a casual one: this much power with this much guarding instinct needs an owner who has thought it through, checked the local rules, and put the training in.
Nutrition
| Training | Obedience and wide socialisation from puppyhood are non-negotiable — an unmanaged Boerboel is a liability, a well-raised one a rock. |
| Containment | A high, genuinely solid fence; this territorial giant should never roam. |
| Health | Screen for hip and elbow dysplasia, keep puppies lean and slow-growing, and learn the signs of bloat. |
| Exercise | Daily walks and play on its own property; adult Boerboels are calm but should never get fat. |
Feed a Boerboel puppy for slow, steady growth, not for size — a large-breed puppy food, fed to the plan on the bag and weighed rather than guessed, so the frame comes up gradually while the joints keep pace. In adulthood the aim is a lean working weight you can feel the ribs under; for its bulk this is a calm dog, and extra kilos on a 70 kg frame are exactly what its hips and elbows don't need. Because it's deep-chested, split the day's food into two meals rather than one big bowl, and let it settle before and after exercise.
Puppy guide
A Boerboel puppy is deceptively easy — calm, biddable, and small enough to pick up — and that's exactly the window you can't waste. Wide socialisation and basic obedience from the start are non-negotiable with a dog that will end up this powerful and this territorial; teach lead manners while you still outweigh the puppy, not after. Keep the growing body lean and its exercise gentle and low-impact while the joints form, let it grow up behind a high, solid fence, and build the calm, respectful relationship now that the adult guardian will run on.
Training
Train the Boerboel as if the adult's size is already in the room, because it soon will be. This is an intelligent, willing dog that wants to work with an owner it respects, but the guarding instinct means obedience and broad socialisation aren't optional extras — an unmanaged Boerboel is a genuine liability, a well-raised one a rock. Start early and stay consistent, keep it under control in public and behind a proper fence at home, and remember that management never really ends: with a breed some places restrict outright, a calm, reliably controlled dog is the whole job.
Life expectancy
Boerboels live 9–11 years. The Boerboel is a giant breed, and giant breeds are not the longest-lived, so the years you do get are worth protecting. You hold it at the top of its range the same way you keep it sound: a puppy grown slowly, an adult kept lean, hips and elbows you asked about before you bought, and the daily walks and calm home that keep a guardian's body and temperament steady.
Similar breeds
Breeds with a similar build and background — worth a look if this one isn't quite the fit.
Breeds that look like this
Common questions
Are Boerboels good family dogs?
With experienced owners, yes — they're calm, deeply loyal and notably gentle with their own children. The guarding instinct means training, socialisation and management are lifelong responsibilities.
Are Boerboels legal everywhere?
No — several countries and some localities restrict or ban them, and insurers may exclude the breed. Check your local rules before falling in love.
How strong is a Boerboel?
Among the most powerful of all breeds — mature males can exceed 70 kg of muscle. Lead manners must be taught early, while you still outweigh the puppy.
Does the Boerboel shed a lot?
Moderately. The Boerboel sheds a fair amount, steadily through the year with heavier seasonal patches. A weekly brush keeps most of the loose hair off your floors and clothes.
Is the Boerboel hypoallergenic?
Not really. No dog is truly hypoallergenic, and the Boerboel's shedding coat releases plenty of the dander that sets off allergies. If someone at home is allergic, this isn't the easiest breed to live with — spend time around one first.
Is the Boerboel easy to train?
Reasonably. The Boerboel is trainable with consistency and rewards, though it isn't the quickest study. Keep sessions short and positive, and be patient with the basics like recall.