Origin: South Africa

History: When Jan Van Riebeeck came to the cape (modern day South Africa) in 1652 he brought his own dog along to protect him and his family in this wild and unknown country. This dog was known as a "bullenbijter", a large, heavy mastiff-type dog. The settlers who came with and after Jan Van Riebeeck also brought along their strongest dogs to protect them against all the unknown dangers of this strange land. Thus dogs arrived here from many different countries. As the pioneers moved further and further inland and settled on remote farms, the dogs were forcibly isolated and a lot of inbreeding took place which had the result that the characteristics of the original Assirian dog started to reappear. Survival was of the utmost importance and it was here that the hardiness of today’s Boerboel was perforce bred into the dog. There was no veterinary surgeon or medicines available for dogs and they had  to look out for themselves to a large extent. During the groot trek the Boerboel had most of the features that it has today and is clearly recognizable from old drawings. In the period after the trek, on the distant farms, the Boerboel interbred further and only the biggest and strongest dogs survived.

Temperament: a very dominant but intelligent breed, with a powerful watchdog instinct. They are to be self-assured and fearless responsive to the needs of the family with an ability to sense if the family is in danger. the Boerboel needs to be watched around strangers and introduced to friends and other dogs early on to help avoid aggression. They require the company and companionship of their owner and should not be left unattended for long periods of time.

Size: Male are to be 66cm at the withers and females between 65-61cm. there is still a apparent size difference from varying parts of South Africa.

Today's Uses: Most are still guards of the family and ranch. few have been tried in weight pull but lack a dedicated serious owner to prove what the Boerboel can truly achive.