The Boerboel is the only South African dog breed created to defend the homestead, and it’s also the most agile of the mastiff breeds. As such, its movement should be powerful and purposeful – but also fluid and athletic. The AKC standard doesn’t include a word that appears in the breed standard for the Kennel Union of South Africa, and that word is “buoyant.” It’s a fine word that aptly describes this large dog’s unencumbered movement.

What makes a Boerboel a breed success story is a temperament that is calm, stable and gentle with its family, but also a temperament that is courageous and brave in acting as the first line of defense against predators. The Boerboel remains the breed of choice amongst current day farmers in South Africa, and popular in urban settings for the same reasons. That said, a number of countries have prohibited the importation of this breed including Romania in 2002, and Denmark in 2010. In 2011, Russia designated the Boerboel an “especially dangerous breed,” subject to mandatory registration and certification. The Boerboel is also banned or prohibited in several other countries, while other countries mandate muzzling the dog, and full insurance carried by the owner. NPDD is not a fan of breed specific legislation.

Image: Boerboel created from 10 to 20 individually hand cut pieces of paper, layered and mounted on color stock so that no two are the same, by Patricia Peters – CanineCutUps – https://www.etsy.com/shop/CanineCutUps