The Boerboel is a traditional working dog breed originating from South Africa, developed over decades on farms as a guard dog. The original lines carried natural colors such as red, fawn, brindle, and light shades. However, solid black was never part of the Boerboel's original genetic makeup – and there is no documented evidence of it before the 2000s.
The first known black Boerboels – Muller Poppie, Muller Lady, and Pet Shop Jim – emerged after 2003. The backgrounds of all three dogs are unknown, and none had pedigrees or verified registration information. Pet Shop Jim was not registered with any recognized organization, yet he quickly became the sire of many dogs carrying the black color gene.
Long-time breeders of the breed, including Lucas van der Merwe of Mizpah Boerboels, had never seen solid black Boerboels – not even in their childhoods or throughout decades of experience with the breed. Lucas, one of the original developers of the Boerboel type, once attempted to breed for a black appearance using very dark brindles, but was only able to produce so-called “ultra brindles.” Even he was unable to bring out a truly black dog, confirming that the color is not part of the breed’s original gene pool.
Lucas often referred to ultra brindle Boerboels as “black” – always using quotation marks – to emphasize that they were not genetically black. Unfortunately, some individuals who later wrote about the history of black Boerboels have sought to distort the truth by removing the quotation marks from Lucas’s original writings, thereby misrepresenting his stance.
When black dogs suddenly began appearing on the market, the South African Boerboel Breeders’ Society (SABBS) initially took a strict position. Black individuals were disqualified from appraisal and not accepted for breeding. The organization even went so far as to ban the export of black Boerboels, due to concerns that these dogs were not purebred Boerboels, but possibly crossbreeds with other breeds, such as the Cane Corso, Labrador retriever, Neapolitan mastiff and others.
Later, under commercial pressure and growing demand, SABBS changed its position and allowed the black color to be registered – but its origin was never clarified or documented as purebred. Perhaps even more crucially, no other molosser-type breeds – such as Bullmastiffs, English Mastiffs, Presa Canarios, or Rhodesian Ridgebacks – have historically included solid black individuals.
Furthermore, genetically solid black dogs do not naturally occur in South Africa’s wildlife – nor are there any entirely black wild animal species in the region. This indicates that the black color gene is not native to the area's fauna or genetic structure. This further supports the claim that the black color in Boerboels could not have arisen without outside genetic influence.
Tuebor Boerboels does not support the use of dogs with unclear backgrounds or possible crossbreeding in breeding programs. To us, a Boerboel's value does not lie in its color – but in its balanced temperament, working ability, and healthy, well-documented background. We believe the breed should be protected, not modified to follow trends.
The Boerboel’s roots run deep in South African soil – and it must remain authentic.
