Few (if any) attributes in a breed standard are there because of whimsy. In some breeds, aspects having to do with color are, in fact, for the dog’s own safety. How so?

Consider the Boerboel. Regardless of coat color, the skin is well pigmented, and while a black mask isn’t mandatory in the AKC standard, it’s preferred, and the further the mask goes back over the dog’s muzzle and head, the better. That this mask imparts a distinctive, handsome look is a secondary benefit. More to the point, the black pigmentation on the nose, lips and around the eyes offers resistance to the harsh UV rays of the South African sun, and therefore, protection against skin cancer. Boerboels that tend not to have this black pigmentation are pied. We don’t have statistics to back up the claim that light-colored dogs with thin coats that also spend time in the sun have a higher risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma, but a report by NC StateMedical Oncology Veterinary Hospital states that they do, and there are rumblings that skin cancer is more prevalent in lighter skinned, poorly pigmented Boerboels that lack the black eumelanin pigmentation that protects exposed skin from the sun. It is presumably for this reason that the breed standard states as a disqualification white exceeding more than 33 percent of the color on a dog, ticking or spots within the areas of white, and/or nose leather in any color other than black.be black.

Image: Boerboel by Alexey Bazhan is available as wall art, home decor and accessories here