LIVING WITH A BOERBOEL
Living with a Boerboel is not just about owning a large dog. They become part of everyday life very quickly, and in our home that means children, other dogs, visitors, work, noise, routines and plenty of ordinary days.
Our dogs live as part of the family. They are not separate from our everyday life.
Everyday life
Our dogs live in a busy household and grow up surrounded by normal life.
They learn to settle indoors, wait their turn, behave around children and other animals and deal with visitors and changing situations. They also spend plenty of time outdoors and have space to run, explore and simply be dogs.
Not every day involves training or some carefully planned activity. Most days are just normal life, and I think that matters just as much.
Raising puppies
Our puppies are born and raised at home.
From the beginning they experience the sounds, smells and activity of a household. As they grow, their world gradually becomes bigger and they meet different people, surfaces, environments and situations.
I don't try to expose puppies to everything possible before eight weeks of age. The idea is to give them a good start and enough experiences to see how they react, recover and adapt.
I also spend a lot of time simply watching them. By the time they leave, I usually have a fairly good idea of who they are.
Feeding
There is no single feeding method that I use for every dog.
Our dogs eat both raw food and complete commercial foods. What I feed depends on the individual dog, its age, condition, activity and what works well for it. I fed exclusively raw for more than ten years, but these days I also use commercial food when it suits the dog and our everyday life better.
Puppies are also introduced to different foods while they are here. I prefer them to leave accustomed to some variety rather than having experienced only one type of food.
Exercise and activity
Boerboels don't need to be kept constantly busy.
Our dogs walk, run, explore the forest, accompany us in everyday life and sometimes do more structured activities. Some enjoy pulling, cycling or other physical work more than others.
Young dogs are allowed to develop without unnecessary strain, while adults get exercise according to their individual needs and condition.
Just as importantly, they learn how to do nothing. A large dog that can settle down when nothing is happening is much easier to live with than one that expects constant entertainment.
Training
I don't expect a Boerboel to behave simply because it is a Boerboel.
Basic manners are taught from puppyhood and reinforced as the dog grows. With a powerful adult dog, things such as leash manners, handling, waiting, recall and being able to settle are not optional extras.
Boerboels can also be quite independent. They don't always see the point of repeating something simply because you asked again. For me, training is less about collecting commands and more about creating a dog that understands how to live with people.
Socialisation
Socialisation does not mean that a Boerboel needs to love every person or dog it meets.
Our puppies meet different people and experience different environments while they are young. They learn about traffic, strange noises, new surfaces, car rides, veterinary visits and other things they are likely to encounter later in life.
As they grow, I continue taking them to different places whenever I have the opportunity. Some of my dogs have even come to the airport with me when I go to work. It gives them a completely different environment to experience, with traffic, machinery, noise, unfamiliar people and plenty going on around them.
The goal is not to create a dog that wants to greet everyone. It is to give them enough experience and confidence to deal with normal life and unfamiliar situations without making a big deal out of them.
Growing up
A Boerboel puppy can be surprisingly easy.
Then it grows.
Adolescence brings size, strength, confidence and often stronger opinions about the world. A behaviour that seemed harmless in a 15-kilo puppy can become a completely different matter in a 60- or 70-kilo young dog.
This is one reason I place so much importance on everyday rules and handling from the beginning. It is much easier to maintain something the dog already knows than to start negotiating about it once the dog is physically stronger than most people.
Living with several Boerboels
Living with several Boerboels also requires management.
Dogs have individual relationships with each other. Some are close, some simply coexist, and personalities can change as young dogs mature.
I don't assume that every dog must get along with every other dog simply because they live here. We have enough space to separate dogs when necessary, and introductions and group dynamics are handled according to the individuals involved.
That is normal life in a multi-dog household.
Children and family life
Our puppies grow up around children, and many of our dogs live in families with children.
That does not make any dog automatically child-safe.
Children need rules around dogs just as dogs need rules around children. Adults are responsible for supervising both and making sure neither is put into situations they cannot handle.
For the right individual, however, a Boerboel can fit very naturally into family life.
The reality of owning one
A Boerboel takes up space.
Literally.
Food costs more. Veterinary treatment costs more. Medication is dosed for a large dog. Cars, crates, fences and equipment need to accommodate its size. Travelling can require more planning, and finding someone capable of looking after the dog is not always simple.
There is also the responsibility of owning a large guardian breed. Even a friendly Boerboel can be intimidating to other people, and the owner has to be able to control the dog regardless of the situation.
These are things worth thinking about before bringing one home, not afterwards.
The right home
I don't think there is one particular type of home that every Boerboel needs.
Some live in the countryside, others in towns. Some live with children, some without. Some share their home with other animals and some are happiest as the only dog.
What matters more is whether the owner understands the dog in front of them and can provide appropriate boundaries, exercise, training and management throughout its life.
That is also why I don't place puppies simply according to who contacted me first. The individual puppy and the home need to make sense together.
Living with a Boerboel can be remarkably uncomplicated when the dog, the owner and the environment suit each other.
But they are large, powerful dogs with their own minds, and that should never be forgotten.