Thursday, June 26, 2008

African Boerboel Dog Facts

The African Boerboel Dog is well known for being a muscular, large and impressive looking dog breed. It is usually confused as a cross between a Bulldog and a Mastiff but we are talking about an unique breed that appeared in Africa, mainly as a working and protection dog. This dog breed comes with stronger and bigger males while the females are smaller. It is easy to differentiate between them. The African Boerboel has a square head and a thick, short muzzle. Its skull is flat in the area between the ears and a stop is visible. The breed's ears are folded and triangular and the eyes can by color of brown that is linked with the coat color. African Boerboel dogs have characteristic muscular and arched necks with shoulders that are also strong and well developed.

The coating of the African Boerboel is uniform, short, dense and coarse. You can easily care for it and will need little grooming and bathing on a regular basis, of course. Talking about the breed's temperament, you should know that it is a powerful and loyal watchdog but can become accustomed easily with who is a friend and act friendly. African Boerboels make for great watchdogs and will defend the house and the owners as needed. You must pay attention to keeping this dog secured as it can become a danger for strangers. On the other hand, we are also talking about a very caring family dog that loves to stay with the family. Despite the sheer size it presents it can be a great playmate for children and they are tolerant towards kids in general. The trick is applying proper socialization and the dog will become friends with just about anyone you want them to and enemies with who they need to be enemies with.

The African Boerboel is usually a healthy breed and only two problems are known to appear more often. The first one will only be present in females and is vaginal hyperplasia. This is genetic and any such female should not be used for breeding. The second problem is also genetic and can be found in both male and female dogs. We are talking about canine hip dysplasia or elbow dysplasia. Breeding can still be done in these conditions but only if the vet gives the OK.

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