# has anyone ever heard about this????



## davidfitness83 (Jul 7, 2009)

Other breeds vs. a South African Boerboel

The boerboel does not carry the neurological disorder known as "Spinocerebellar or Hereditary Ataxia" while American and Stafford pit bulls do. Hereditary Ataxia is a nerological disorder that affects the brain and it is a hereditary. This is the main cause that makes a pit bull turn on its own pride or family and it usually affects the dog between the ages of 2 and 8 however it does not affect every single dog the carries the gene. The breeds most affected by this disorder are the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Brittany Spanial, Gordon Setter, Old English Sheep Dog, Rottweilers, and the Scottish Terrier. 

The reason for this comparison is simple; unlike many other breeds the Boerboel is loyal. A Pit has a history of turning on many owners for no reason what so ever while the Boerboel will not turn on its owner for no reason. Many other breeds are not highly trainable while the Boerboel is. The American Pit is NOT considered a family dog while the Boerboel is great with the whole family. The Boerboel would protect the owner's family with its life as this is what its nature is. However mistreatment of the dog may alter its natural makeup. This brings us to our motto, treat the dog right and the dog will treat you right. 



This sounds like a bunch of crap what do you guys think?


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## davidfitness83 (Jul 7, 2009)

BUMMP Let's have a discussion about this..


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## juniperdragon (Sep 28, 2010)

sounds like a load of crap to me...but hey I'm open to hearing "Professional's" opinions on this topic to see what the fuss is REALLY all about


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## aimee235 (Apr 29, 2007)

Well obviously it's a lie seeing how we are all alive and typing. Whoever wrote that should be smacked. There are also tests for Ataxia.


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## k8nkane (Jul 9, 2010)

Where did you get this from?


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## davidfitness83 (Jul 7, 2009)

I got this from a breeder of BB's, I know Ataxia is an actual disease that affects neurogical function but I thought it mainly dealt with movement and coordination not behavior.


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## k8nkane (Jul 9, 2010)

Well, they're obviously going to be a little biased. Some of the stuff you see pit bull breeders write on their website makes it sound like their dogs are descended from heaven, lol.

Also, what they wrote doesn't make any sense. If the reason those breeds of dogs and the APBT "turns" is because of this disease, then it doesn't make them any less loyal to their owners. It makes them victims of a disease.


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## k8nkane (Jul 9, 2010)

Also there are very few dog breeds I can name off the top of my head that aren't trainable, or even "highly" trainable.


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## davidfitness83 (Jul 7, 2009)

I checked it out and Ataxia is a disorder that affects the dog's movement, it has nothing to do with behavior. This breeder just made all of this up to make our breed look bad and his look great.


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## aus_staffy (Nov 10, 2009)

This breeder's claims are pretty rich considering the boerboel is still a very young breed. The original boerboel was diluted to the point of being effectively extinct and was only "revived" again in the 1980s in South Africa. That's why there is still such a variation in type when you look at different examples of them (I know the same can be said of the APBT and associated breeds but the variation is for different reasons).

The point is that boerboel breeders can't make sweeping genetic claims about a breed that has yet to really get it's consistency right. Don't get me wrong, there some awesome boerboels out there and there might come a time when I might be tempted to get one but it won't be soon.


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## aus_staffy (Nov 10, 2009)

davidfitness83 said:


> I checked it out and Ataxia is a disorder that affects the dog's movement, it has nothing to do with behavior. This breeder just made all of this up to make our breed look bad and his look great.


That doesn't surprise me. I read something a while ago on a boerboel breeder's site that said that they weren't suited for protection work and that the APBT would be a better choice for that purpose .


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## Gimbler (Jan 29, 2010)

I'd never heard of an African Boerboel. Looks kinda like a mastiff to me. I also don't know anything about the condition the breeder is talking about, but thought I'd put in a plug for Rhodesian Ridgebacks. LOL

If you're looking for a good African dog breed, I don't think you could beat a ridgeback.


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## aus_staffy (Nov 10, 2009)

Gimbler said:


> I'd never heard of an African Boerboel. Looks kinda like a mastiff to me. I also don't know anything about the condition the breeder is talking about, but thought I'd put in a plug for Rhodesian Ridgebacks. LOL
> 
> If you're looking for a good African dog breed, I don't think you could beat a ridgeback.


They are some very nice boerboels around but like I said before, the consistency isn't quite there yet.


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## heflinskennel (Sep 14, 2010)

this is for you guys to read about a little history on the South African Boerboel. maybe this will answer some ?'s on the breed it self. but to answer the origan topic I cant answer that sounds like crap to me. but who am I ? I'm not a gene exspert or desease expert. I surpose I will just have to wait and see if I am attact buy my 16 dogs to be sure they dont have it. lol any ways here you guys go the link. Boerboel (South African Boerboel, South African Mastiff)


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## heflinskennel (Sep 14, 2010)

try checking out these sites Canine Genetic Diseases Network 
Untitled Document


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## angelbaby (Feb 4, 2010)

we were going to get a boerboel before we got loki but doing research on them nothing was consistent it was hard to find 1 answer to certain questions. However our friend in the states owns one and we talked to him as stated above where it says they are highly trainable they are but they are a molester and have a bit of a stubborn side to them and take a lil longer to train he said. And they can be highly aggressive if not corrected in the right manner , so I found alot of the breeders made them into being angels when in fact that isnt the case always. I think you have to take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt you dont always get the whole truth depending on who the author is. Like above they made it sound like pitbulls are NOT family pets , now im sure we all know how true that is!!! 
n I dont buy the gene thing cause if it were something that simple as to why a dog turns on you dont you think there would be tests to detect this , I think there is alot more going on if a dog turns on his owner, very little would I relate to health issues .


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## aus_staffy (Nov 10, 2009)

angelbaby said:


> we were going to get a boerboel before we got loki but doing research on them nothing was consistent it was hard to find 1 answer to certain questions. However our friend in the states owns one and we talked to him as stated above where it says they are highly trainable they are but they are *a molester* and have a bit of a stubborn side to them and take a lil longer to train he said. And they can be highly aggressive if not corrected in the right manner , so I found alot of the breeders made them into being angels when in fact that isnt the case always. I think you have to take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt you dont always get the whole truth depending on who the author is. Like above they made it sound like pitbulls are NOT family pets , now im sure we all know how true that is!!!
> n I dont buy the gene thing cause if it were something that simple as to why a dog turns on you dont you think there would be tests to detect this , I think there is alot more going on if a dog turns on his owner, very little would I relate to health issues .


I think you mean molosser. You don't want to confuse those two things .


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## william williamson (Feb 26, 2006)

I've never seen one in person or known a handler of one.
the thing thats becoming the sad truth,pits are more and more becoming guard dogs above and beyond gaming.
I truly feel,and have noticed a higher percentage of pits,when I see them it raises the hackles on my neck.
i'm not sayin I'm a dog whisperer,yet I sense and feel something,that in the past I felt.I've been attacked twice by pits.well, 1 pit and one staffordshire.
that dog went about 75# A solid pig hunter that just one day flipped his switch.were it to be someone else,they'd have been killed or severely maimed.
the other was when I was A cable lineman.it went 55#.it didn't bark or growl,it just came right at me and meant to do me grave bodily harm.
they both got straightened out.
that experience,with the dogs I've put down of my own and for others theirs something about that moment.


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