Introduce Yourself!

[Marco]

Hello, and welcome!!  Don't be shy and no need for anything fancy.  Just tell us who you are, and what brings you here.  We are happy to have you share with us!

[Mrs David/Bonnie]

Hi y'all,

I guess it wouldn't be fair to compare the two breeds but we happened to have the opportunity of acquiring a 7 wk old female rottie pup as a companion for our BB pup. 

BB - dropped a bone at her feet, she took it. He dropped another one, she took that too. He dropped a 3rd, she cornered that one too and he looked up at us as if to say, now what! She then attacked him.

According to our breeder, a BB is a family dog, so the rottie would have been within the realms of his "family" and he would have defended her at any cost. The rottie on the other hand is a pure guard dog. 

We now have 3 male BBs and they get along v well. We sadly returned the rottie, the dynamics wouldn't have worked. My BBs don't bark unnecessarily. When they do, they have different bark tones for different levels of anxiety. They may let a visitor in but watch out when they try to leave. They are super super alert, take turns in the night doing guard duty; everyday they surprise us; couldn't be happier. 

Hope you enjoy yours as much 

Dan Pross said:

Hi Colleen and Bob
My experience is similar to Bobs.

I used to own a rottweiler - which died 15 years ago.

I now own a 7 months old male boerboel.

It is very early days to make comparisons as the boerboel is still very much a pup.

Size wise, he is definitely going to be bigger than my rott was - something  like 120 pounds already at 7 months.

Temperament wise he is fine with other dogs and seems to love people too.

He is very welcoming of invited visitors - but is very impressive in his guard reaction if he hears anything outside.

Do far easy to train in basics - but I agree with Bob that they are stubborn.  He does undertsand and obey - but you get the definate impression that he is weighing all his options before he commits to do anything (especially "come") :-)

My rott was I think unusually aggressive even as a pup and far more intimidating than my boerboel pup - although I am very much aware that the boerboel is a slow maturer - and he is already a good guard.

The main difference ofr me so far is that I can leave invited guests in the room with the boerboel with confidence (at the moment).

You could never have risked this with the rott , who would have tried to get through doors at people and even put his head through a window once trying to get at a guest.

Although I loved my rott - although nobody else did :-), I actually prefer the boerboel temperament as it is so far.

I would stress though that I am following all the advice on socialising etc that is given just in case his character "hardens" as he matures.

I wouls also say that "play biting" has to be a big NO from the start.  Whether he is trying on a little dominance or just playing , the puppy teeth are very sharp and the adult ones he has now are no more comfortable to the flesh :-)

I hope that is some help.

Bob Ovodock said:

Colleen, sorry to hear about your Rotties.  I have owned several Rottweilers, they are special dogs.  Currently, I have a male Boerboel puppy.  I have owned him since December, he just turned 8 months.  I am no expert on the Boerboel, being this is my first one - but, I will share my comparisons to a Rottweiler.  A Boerboel is a bigger, stronger dog than a Rottweiler.  I find both to be very intelligent, the Boerboel a little more stubborn (at times).  The Boerboel loves his Family as much as a Lab, they LOVE personal attention.  He loves his Family, and needs to be with them all the time.  If you leave a room, he will follow.  Basically, he is a loving dog like a Lab in a Boerboel body.  He is good with other dogs, and is good with people.  He still is young, but I find him more weary of people (especially on first encounters) than my Rotties ever were.  The coat of a Boerboel is short like a Doberman, unlike the Rottie coat.  (Won't be seeing the shedding the Rotties gave you at times).  I love my Boerboel, and am very happy with my decision to get one.  Are there negatives?  Of course - no dog is perfect.  If he gets excited with food, here comes some drool.  Nothing outrageous, but it's there.  When he takes a drink of water, it will be messy!  Anyways, we love him and would certainly have another.  Just remember, this is my first Boerboel - I'm only giving you my 6 months of experience opinion.

[Matina H.]

Hi Colleen,

very sorry for your loss! I own a Rottweiler ( he will be 9 next month ) and I owned one before him. I am a big Rottweiler admirer, but we decided to add a Boerboel to our pack this time ( we also own an American Bulldog ). For me the comparison is a lot different than from other replies on here. My Rotties were always very mellow and loved people as well as other dogs. They could get a little dominant with dogs their size but they would never start or pick a fight. Barking was never an issue at any time, I knew if they barked it was something they were absolutely and totally not comfortable with. Easy to train but headstrong at times. They love and protect their family and are very patient. Now here is my Boerboel ( and I said my for a reason because every BB is different as I can see since his brother lives right next door to us ). My BB was the perfect puppy ( he is now 12 months old) , I was amazed at how fast he picked up on things and how sweet he was. He was very brave and tried out new things without hesitation. He was guarding very early on, basically hearing a needle fall on the 3rd floor. I had to get used to the alertness because my other two only bark if really necessary. At one year of age he still barks at a lot of unnecessary noises. He is extremely head strong, almost as bad as the bulldog, but reacts very well to treats, including the drooling. He is a fast learner but gets bored quickly. We take him out for long walks during the day but we see that it is not enough anymore and he wants to work. He used to be really good with other dogs but as he matured he started to dominate others, which led to quite a few fights with my pack as well as with his brother. We now keep him on leash while walking together, before that we were able to let them run off leash and they would play. He tries to resource guard over and over which I am keeping a close eye on. He as well as his brother picked one person out of the family that they are especially loyal to. They do respect the other family members but they as it seems would do anything for that one person they picked. When walking he does not like loud trucks or mopeds. He is not keen of bicyclist or joggers or anybody who stares at him for too long. He needs a strong, calm and assertive leader. And mind you I said my BB, my BB does NOT like to cuddle! To me he is a working dog through and through and I believe that's what he was bred for. Very different from any breed I have ever encountered. I am still trying to find a way to fulfill all his needs to make him a happy and satisfied member of the family. Good luck in finding the perfect match for you! And have fun learning lots and lots of new things!

Greetings from Germany!

Matina
 
Colleen Martin said:

  Hi, I'm getting a BB in Sept. I've owned several Rotties, before and I just lost my 2 girls last month 2 weeks apart. I'm reading up on BB's, as much as I can!!!

[Lisa Tiro]

This is why one has to do their homework when buying a Boerboel. Look for a breeder that breeds what you are looking for in a dog. Ask lots of questions! My first Boerboel was a train wreck in every way. My second is a dream! He is loyal, loving, athletic and very biddable. He has a wonderful temperament and gets along great with other dogs. He loves to be cuddled and kissed on. He is 20 months now so even though he is not fully mature I don't expect him to change a whole lot. The bottom line is don't rush it. Do your due diligence. Talk to owners and get their opinions. Groups like this are a great place to start. Good luck!

[Hayley Shennan]

Hi I am Hayley. I am a first time Boerboel owner. I don't have my pup yet, but he should be flying here any day now from Ontario. My Boy is from Greenbelt Kennels. The mother is Electric's Gloria and Proudfoots Lord Raydn. I am super excited. And look forward to all the adventure we will be having together :)

[gilbert crocker]

Hi My pup is unpapered .Mom and Dad are as I know are from same kennel.(mom Tundra electric).sire is electric but again unpapered.I signed an agreement to not breed an had my dog fixed.I paid half price for this and what I got was a monster(super smart,well tempered,strong,100 lb fit ,(maybe too smart)machine.Mom lives in ontario.I lucked out.could not be happier with my wilson.

[Kent Munn]

Your pup will be on a plane in about an hour Hayley... Congratulations!
 
Hayley Shennan said:

Hi I am Hayley. I am a first time Boerboel owner. I don't have my pup yet, but he should be flying here any day now from Ontario. My Boy is from Greenbelt Kennels. The mother is Electric's Gloria and Proudfoots Lord Raydn. I am super excited. And look forward to all the adventure we will be having together :)

[Kent Munn]

I think I know Tundra.  She is from Monarch Jordan.  An absolute beauty!
 
gilbert crocker said:

Hi My pup is unpapered .Mom and Dad are as I know are from same kennel.(mom Tundra electric).sire is electric but again unpapered.I signed an agreement to not breed an had my dog fixed.I paid half price for this and what I got was a monster(super smart,well tempered,strong,100 lb fit ,(maybe too smart)machine.Mom lives in ontario.I lucked out.could not be happier with my wilson.

[Marco]

Hello, and welcome everyone! How exciting for all new pup owners, and those soon to be! Please share your boerboel experiences with us, the good and the bad. :) Be sure to check out the New Boerboel Owners group here on the site. Look forward to seeing all the new photos. Any questions you might have, please share them with us.

[jason m cusello]

Got my new pup from lukas at spitvuur he is a ramkat son

[Lynn Barrett]

How long were you on the waiting list?

jason m cusello said:

Got my new pup from lukas at spitvuur he is a ramkat son

[jason m cusello]

He is brown and not black so list wasnt as long but he is a replacement for pup i had to put down due to very poor bones

[Isaias Aviles]

i should be getting one from Lukas as well. How was your experience? I friend requested you so I can ask other questions.

Isaias

jason m cusello said:

Got my new pup from lukas at spitvuur he is a ramkat son