# Boerboel? Bullmastiff?



## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

Anyone own or meet either of these? I'm trying to narrow down on some breed possibilities for my next dog, which I am hoping to show, a few years from now. I am really wanting a large, healthy (for a large/giant breed) LOW ENERGY dog. My ideal dog is an English mastiff but I don't like the long list of health problems. These two breeds resemble an English mastiff and among a couple other breeds they are pretty high on the list of prospects. Figured here was another good place to find out more about these two breeds 

I've read Wikipedia and countless dog breed websites, looking for real life experiences now. What impressions did you get from them? Decent temperament? How were they with other animals?


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## jimxxx (Dec 5, 2013)

Hi Sarah

I like both breeds, but the BB is still one off my favorites 
I have for almost 10 years a BB and he was super.

Now these days the English mastiffs are much healthier than a few years ago.
On the list with health issues the English mastiffs doing ''better'' than the BB.
So you must really do serious research to the breed and breeders,
I also know that in the USA are very good breeders.

There are breeders who doing temperament tests with their puppy's (5 weeks)
The BB isn't easy as a English mastiff, the BB have high protective temperament and they are social when young, when they reach maturity (about 3 years) they temperment can drastically change from nice and social, to highly dominant and protective behavior.
(todays best friend tomorrows biggest enemy) with other words they become (''Einzelgangers'' ) solists.

So you've a lot to do with socialization and training, because with no proper training enz enz they can be DA/HA, that's why you must do good training, and the BB is a very strong dog, you don't have to train them much for guardian Because the BB has that in the genes, probably one of the only breeds who have that.
Speak as many breeders and tell them what you're looking for, there are BB breeders who breeds the working line BB's (In the USA) they are not as heavy/big as the Commercial lines off the BB but still strong and really powerful.


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## jimxxx (Dec 5, 2013)

Here are some pic's

This was my BB ''Sipho'' at 8,5 yrs










And here are some off my favo's (specialy the blacks)





































Nice he you understand why the BB is still one off my favo breed enjoying searching


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## ::::COACH:::: (Apr 4, 2012)

Good post ^^^^! And I agree with what was said above. Both of those breeds are guardian breeds so can be both human and dog agressive....which will require a lot of training to keep managed. They are tough dogs and not for the faint of heart.


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## Cain's Mom (Oct 25, 2012)

That was a great post from jimxxx. My in laws were and still are very big in the mastiff community and started and ran a bug mastiff forum that is still going today. I can pm you the link if you'd like. Many own English but I'm pretty sure there dome bull in there too. And some people who might be able to point you to breeders yo talk to about the breed. 
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## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

Thank you Jim, that was very helpful! Actually, if they are producing healthier English Mastiffs, I would really prefer that over anything else. After seeing those pictures though...... Boerboels are so stunning! Extremely handsome dogs!

I was reading how all three of these breeds (BB, BM, EM) have pretty mild temperaments and are good for most families. Good thing I asked here before going too much further..... I am really looking for an easygoing, mild mannered mastiff. Lower energy than my GSD and my mix, a dog that I can show in conformation. No matter which breed I choose, I am going to go through the best breeder available to me and the dog will be socialized thoroughly, I can't show an aggressive dog. Cain's mom, if you would link me to that site, that would be great! I would love to hear more from mastiff owners. 

I'm glad I'm giving myself so much time, I'm agonizing over every little detail... but I want this to be the perfect fit into my house!


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## jimxxx (Dec 5, 2013)

Sarah here are some kennels/breeders in the usa and they have nice BB's with high % in their pedigree also very important they do health testing before breeding (Hips, elbows enz)
Well take you're time and these links are just some of the BB kennels in the usa....

South African Boerboel Breeders - STL Boerboels

Proffer's Kennel - home

South African Boerboels & Boerboel Breeders - Great Lakes Boerboel

Oak View Boerboels - South African Boerboel Breeders

Alpine Lions
This breeder also breed ''Hybrid'' dogs''
African Mastinos - Boersos - Black Boerboels


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## Cain's Mom (Oct 25, 2012)

Sent! It's good you're taking the time. It will be better in the long run. You'll be fully prepared

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## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

jimxxx said:


> Sarah here are some kennels/breeders in the usa and they have nice BB's with high % in their pedigree also very important they do health testing before breeding (Hips, elbows enz)
> Well take you're time and these links are just some of the BB kennels in the usa....
> 
> South African Boerboel Breeders - STL Boerboels
> ...


Oh wow, thank you! Awesome links  I don't know about the hybrids, since my goal is to show in AKC conformation but they are VERY nice to look at. The black adds to the presence they already have.



Cain's Mom said:


> Sent! It's good you're taking the time. It will be better in the long run. You'll be fully prepared
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Great! Thanks! And yeah, that's how I'm looking at it. Taking the time to research now can only work in my favor later.


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## ThaLadyPit (Oct 12, 2008)

Growing up, my mother had numerous Mastiffs (both English, Bull and mixes thereof), so I'm somewhat familiar with them. She got our first EM when I was about 10 yrs old, living in Seaside Heights, NJ. He was a 4 y/o male, in tact, that had been raised with two girls and the girls had "outgrown" him, or vice versa (the reason why the dad was re-homing him). His name was Big Ben (appropriately named), and was great with my brothers (one was a toddler, the other my mom was pregnant with when she acquired Ben). He was the only dog at that time, and I honestly don't remember if my mother re-homed him or what happened to him. Many years later, after moving to TX and my mother re-marrying, she got a BM (from the shelter) and he was a good dog, just very dog and small animal aggressive. I witnessed him killing one of our cats when I was about 14-15 yrs old. After he passed, my mom adopted a EM/Rottweiler mix from the shelter (he was an owner surrender, along with his sister), and the shelter didn't know he was HW+ when they adopted him out. He was with us maybe 9 months at the most. Then, my mother found a breeder and purchased a brindle, AKC reg'd EM. I was in the military and married when she called to tell me that he had passed away from a heat stroke (SE TX heat and humidity is a killer for big dogs). In my experience, the EMs were very docile, gentle with humans in the family, but they are guardians so they were very protective of the property, vehicles, and us children. I don't recall any of our EMs being animal aggressive, but like with all breeds, the possibility is there. 

Best of luck in your search, and I'm happy to see you're researching way ahead of time. Please keep us updated on what you decide.


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## Cain's Mom (Oct 25, 2012)

ThaLadyPit said:


> Growing up, my mother had numerous Mastiffs (both English, Bull and mixes thereof), so I'm somewhat familiar with them. She got our first EM when I was about 10 yrs old, living in Seaside Heights, NJ. He was a 4 y/o male, in tact, that had been raised with two girls and the girls had "outgrown" him, or vice versa (the reason why the dad was re-homing him). His name was Big Ben (appropriately named), and was great with my brothers (one was a toddler, the other my mom was pregnant with when she acquired Ben). He was the only dog at that time, and I honestly don't remember if my mother re-homed him or what happened to him. Many years later, after moving to TX and my mother re-marrying, she got a BM (from the shelter) and he was a good dog, just very dog and small animal aggressive. I witnessed him killing one of our cats when I was about 14-15 yrs old. After he passed, my mom adopted a EM/Rottweiler mix from the shelter (he was an owner surrender, along with his sister), and the shelter didn't know he was HW+ when they adopted him out. He was with us maybe 9 months at the most. Then, my mother found a breeder and purchased a brindle, AKC reg'd EM. I was in the military and married when she called to tell me that he had passed away from a heat stroke (SE TX heat and humidity is a killer for big dogs). In my experience, the EMs were very docile, gentle with humans in the family, but they are guardians so they were very protective of the property, vehicles, and us children. I don't recall any of our EMs being animal aggressive, but like with all breeds, the possibility is there.
> 
> Best of luck in your search, and I'm happy to see you're researching way ahead of time. Please keep us updated on what you decide.


How funny. My in laws had a brindle EM that was named Big Ben lol. He had fear aggression bad. But didn't have a problem with the other house dogs. He was very protective over my MIL and the property though.

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## DickyT (Jan 29, 2014)

I had Bull Mastiffs in my 20's, they were great dogs. They were very loyal and protective of me though. I was a bit of a party animal back then and I had to crate them in a locked door room when the house was bumpin'.

I tried once just putting them in the room and they destroyed every bit of furniture in it and the door to get out, knocked several partiers over trying to find me in the chaos. Luckily they did not bite anyone, just knocked a few drunk girls over. After that when the rounds came to my place they had to be crated and the room locked so stupid drunk folk didn't wander in and get hurt.

During the quieter times they were massive lap dogs, and one of them saved me from a highly HA dog attack on a walk once. Stupid dog jumped a fence and came after me. Arco got between me and the offending dog and body blocked, took the bite from the other dog, got his massive jaw over the other dogs neck and pinned it to the ground.


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## Raiderblue (Jan 1, 2014)

There's literally a bb right down the street from me, very very beautiful dog. I talked to the owner for about an hour as he walked the dog onto my yard where my dog was also leashed . The big boy tried to play with raider, wagging his tail, very friendly. He said the dog is very smart and is a totally different animal when in his own territory, but won't hurt a fly when taken anywhere (imo that's the making of a wonderful dog). He said the dog is from South Africa. Imo the best looking mastiff is the Italian though.


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## Katey (Aug 5, 2013)

The boerboel is a SAfrican dog. It was created using the Bull Mastiff and others. There is great dane in there apparently. 

They are nice dogs if you get them from a good breeder. I am not sure about in the US, but the boerboel is marketed and sold on the same scale here as giant gater mouf blue pit monsters there.

They (boerboel and bull mastiff) share a lot of the same temperament traits from my personal experience with them. 

The boerboel is a little more cautious of strangers though. 

we are what we do repeatedly. excellence is then not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle


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## Katey (Aug 5, 2013)

Oh Sarah, keep in mind though that Mastiffs of any description are slobery dogs. With their big jowls dripping and gross most of the time. 

Hahaha

we are what we do repeatedly. excellence is then not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle


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## Cain's Mom (Oct 25, 2012)

Katey said:


> Oh Sarah, keep in mind though that Mastiffs of any description are slobery dogs. With their big jowls dripping and gross most of the time.
> 
> Hahaha
> 
> we are what we do repeatedly. excellence is then not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle


YES. I overlooked that a.d wasn't warned when I met Russell parents. Got a lap full of mastiff drool after he got a drink lol

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## jimxxx (Dec 5, 2013)

@Katey, Yes the BB has different kind of breeds in them.
It all starts here in Holland when Jan van Riebeeck went to the Cape in 1652.
He took a Bavarian Bullbaiter ( extinct ) with him and from there they are mixed with spanish, german, and english big dogs (mastiffs enz...).
(They also used the big BM from fam ''De Beers'' who owned the diamond mines for guardian dogs)
A lot of them died because the heat and many diseases, parasites.
Than they used a African dog and mixed them, now they are strong enough to survive all these problems 
When the ''Boeren oorlog''(farmers war against the english) began the dutch farmers migrate into South Africa, and after isolation they where inbred to each other.
That's go on for decades, a lot off difference in phenotype, but then in 1980 they started with 72 dogs to breed the standard of the BB...
I like them a lot still one of my favo's
And before I forget the BB is much more ''Sharper'' in temperament then the BM EM and even the Presa. 

apologies for my english


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## Sarah~ (Mar 13, 2013)

Thanks everybody you guys helped a lot  after reading up on everything I think I will go ahead and get an English mastiff. I think if I can find a really good breeder I can get close to 10 years out of one, hopefully. And yeah, the drool, lol I am ok with that. I know mastiffs drool more but my GSD gets a bit drooly after he drinks water. 

The EM seems like they have the really low energy I am looking for + the mild temperament. I'm looking for an easygoing mastiff to start with so I don't get overwhelmed with a dog that's taller and weighs more than me!


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## Katey (Aug 5, 2013)

jimxxx said:


> @Katey, Yes the BB has different kind of breeds in them.
> It all starts here in Holland when Jan van Riebeeck went to the Cape in 1652.
> He took a Bavarian Bullbaiter ( extinct ) with him and from there they are mixed with spanish, german, and english big dogs (mastiffs enz...).
> (They also used the big BM from fam ''De Beers'' who owned the diamond mines for guardian dogs)
> ...


Your English is not a problem. It is a lot like when Afrikaans people write in English.  your English is better than my Dutch.

I remember reading about the Van Riebeeck dog, they sound pretty great.

My uncle spent the last few years looking into bb breeders around here looking for dogs that could be traced back to those 72. He got a bitch at the beginning of last year. She is incredible.

They are beautiful dogs.

we are what we do repeatedly. excellence is then not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle


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