THE STANDARDS OF THE BOERBOEL
GENERAL APPEARANCE
The boerboel is a big, strong and sturdy dog with powerful muscles. He should be agile, his body should be sturdier, heavier and bigger than the boxer but should have shorter legs that the great dane.
An indication of the ideal size: male 66cm (26 inches) 70 – 85 kg
Female 61 cm (24 inches) 50 – 65 kg
CHARACTER
It must be a good matured, intelligent dog with a steadfast, well balanced character, and loyal to his owner even if it means losing his own life. He must show good watchdog qualities from a very early age, and must love all the members of the family especially the children.
HEAD
This is the most important character of the dog, as the whole character is reflected in the head. It must be big, strong and broad between the ears. It must have a strong upper jaw and broad at the back,with only a slight narrowing to the front. The lower jaw must be broad with only a slight narrowing to the front. The lips must be loose and fleshy and the top lip flaps must not hang over too low or appear too coarse and thick. A black nose is a must, not liver coloured. The bone nose has to be straight, with very little or no tilting. The ears must be floppy and of medium size and fit the head.
BODY
The body must be strong and muscled with a loose skin. The neck has to be strong and thich with sufficient length to go with the body. The top of the neck should be straight and blend well into the shoulders. A strong, braod and straight, slightly hunched over the haunches back is acceptable. The chest must be braod and strong with loose skin of the neck that blends in and tautening between the front legs, that should be widely spaced to accommodate the broad chest. The legs must be strong, straight and able to carry the body well with well shaped paws. It is preferable for the tail to be cut short. And the coat must be short and smooth.
COLOUR
Brindle, yellow(lion), grey, rebrown, brown with white markings, with or without black muzzles, will be accceptable. The goal is to achieve a single colour with no or very little white.
EYES
Light brown, yellow brown and dark brown are acceptable. Blue or blue-grey is unacceptable. |
