NABBR breed standard

NABBR Breed Standard

General Appearance

The Boerboel is large with a strong bone structure and well-developed musculature. + (correct) 0 (acceptable) – (fault)

  • The profile of the head and body appears blocky. Has an impressive demeanor created by the combination of confirmation, carriage, confidence, and powerful movement.
  • Has powerful, buoyant, and unencumbered movement, notwithstanding its size.
  • Is symmetrical and perfectly balanced within the desired proportions for the breed.
  • Has a distinct sexual dimorphism, with the female less prominently developed. 
  • The Boerboel is a large robust dog that is very impressive and imposing figure of strength worthy of attention and respect.
  • The Boerboel has prominent and well-developed musculature over the entire body with buoyant movement.
  • Males are distinctly masculine while females appear more feminine.
  • The female appears more feminine due to supple musculature.
  • ideal height of the male dog is 26 inches under 24 inches is a disqualification.
  • The ideal height of the female dog is 23.5 inches less than 22 inches is a disqualification.

Temperament and Character

  • The Boerboel is a magnificent breed that is reliable, obedient and extremely intelligent with very strong protective instincts that are innate. This means there is no need for formal protection training. An uncontrollable or fearful Boerboel is unacceptable and a disqualification.
  • The Boerboel is intelligent, trainable and manageable.
  • Has a strong protective instinct and is loyal to members of the family.
  • Is steadfast and calm with a balanced and confident nature when approached.
  • Is fearless and shows courage when threatened.
  • Requires training and firm handling from an early age.

The Head

  • The head is large and typically Boerboel.
  • Is short, broad, deep, square, and muscular with well filled cheeks.
  • The plateau is wide and flat and displays prominent musculature.
  • The head is impressive and a distinct feature of the Boerboel
  • It is blocky, broad, deep, fairly short and in proportion to the body.
  • It is muscular with well filled cheeks.
  • The roof of the skull is square, flat and muscular. · The cheekbone is well muscled, but not too prominent.
  • The face gradually blends with the skull and maybe with or without a black mask. 
  • The stop is visible but not prominent.
  • The section between the eyes is well filled without deep, vertical grooves between the eyes.
  • The nose is completely black with large and widely spaced nostrils. Any color other than black is a disqualification. ·
  • The nasal bone is straight and parallel to the line of the cranial roof.
  • The nasal bone is deep broad and tapered slightly toward the front and proportionate to the head measuring 3 to 4 inches depending on the overall size of the dog’s head.
  • The top lip is loose and fleshy and does not hang past the bottom jaw.
  • The center of the top of the lip under the nose covers the top of the bottom lip.
  • Flukes are not too loose and fleshy, with no excessive lip that can be affected by outside temperatures. The flukes are part of the dog’s cooling system and the larger the dog’s head, the larger the flukes. This will be taken into consideration during an appraisal.
  • The jaws are strong, deep broad and tapered slightly toward the front.
  • The teeth are white, well developed, correctly spaced and complete with the preferred scissors bite. An obvious excessive or underbite is unacceptable and underbite up to 1/4 of an inch is acceptable more than 1/4 of an inch is a disqualification. If the dog’s mouth is closed and you can see teeth, the dog is disqualified. It must not show teeth when the mouth is shut.
  • Eyes can be any shade of brown, gold or black.
  • The eyes are set on the same horizontal level on our widely spaced.
  • Eyelids are firm and well pigmented and have no structural deviations. Entropion and ectropion are faults and should be noted on the appraisal.
  • The ear flaps are medium sized obviously V-shaped in proportion to the head and are set quite high and wide. When attentive the top of the ear flaps must form a straight line with the top of the head; slightly above is acceptable. Ears that are stand up are a disqualification. Rose ears are acceptable.
  • The bottom edge of the ear flap is in line with the indention which is the small grooves where the jaw muscle ends, and the jawbone continues.
  • The facial expression should be intelligent, attentive, and confident, not excessively shy or threatening.

The Neck

  • The neck forms a noticeable muscular arch with a high attachment at the shoulders. 
  • The neck is in proportion to the rest of the dog. It forms a unit with the head and shoulders.
  • The neck is strong and muscular with a firm attachment to the head, gradually broadening toward the shoulders.
  • The dew flap is loose from under the chin and becomes tight between the front legs. · The neck is powerful of medium length, strong, muscled and with a pronounced crest.
  • It is set medium high and flows smoothly into the sloping withers and forms a unit with the head and shoulders.
  • The dewlap is noticeable but disappears between the front legs.

The Four Quarters

  • The shoulders are well attached with well-defined musculature and correct angulation.
  • The chest is strong and muscular.
  • The chest is broad and placed deep between the forelegs.
  • The elbows are parallel with the body.
  • The front pasterns are short, thick strong and are in proportion to the length of the four legs.
  • The front pasterns are vertical extensions of the four legs as seen from the front and side.
  • The four paws are large well-padded ball shaped and point straightforward.
  • Just as long broad deep with well sprung ribs and strong developed pectoral muscles. It is filled behind the shoulder blades.
  • The point of the sternum is level with the point of the shoulder.
  • The shoulder blade should be well attached and not loose.

The Centerpiece

  • The body of the Boerboel narrows slightly in the loin area.
  • The top line is straight without deviation no humps or dips.
  • The back is straight broad and has prominent back muscles.
  • The loin is short and strong. · The rib cage is well sprung and well filled behind the shoulder blades.
  • The body is approximately 15% longer than the height and is measured horizontally from the point of the shoulder to a vertical line at the rear of the rump.
  • The length of the chest, loin and rump is approximately proportioned 2: 1: 1:
  • it is blocky, muscular and solid and has good depth and width.
  • The back is broad and straight with pronounced muscles that form an imperceptible arch in the top line over the lumbar region. 
  • The brisket reaches down to the point of the elbow, which is approximately half the total of the height of the Withers.
  • The transition between the chest loin and rump is well filled and flowing.

The Hind Quarter

  • The hind quarter is strong and sturdy and muscular. It is in proportion with the rest of the dog and has the ability to propel movement effectively.
  • The dog must drive their movement from the hind quarter.
  • The croup is broad, strong and has well defined musculature. Viewed from the side there will be a slight drop.
  • The tail is set high. It is straight and preferably short, but not so short as to interfere with the anal gland expression. Long tails are permissible, screw tails are a fault.
  • The upper thighs are broad, deep, well-shaped and muscular when viewed from the side and from behind. · Secondary thighs are well developed with prominent musculature.
  • The stifles or the knees are strong and firm with the correct angulation as seen from the side.
  • Hock joints are strong and firm, not cow hocked or pointing toward each other. · Straight hind legs are unacceptable and a disqualification.
  • Behind patterns are relatively short, strong, thick and are parallel with one another as viewed from behind.
  • The hind pasterns are vertical when viewed from the side.
  • The front of the hind pasterns is in line with the back of the haunch.
  • Dew claws may be removed but they are acceptable. · The hind paws are slightly smaller than the four paws. They are well padded, well-shaped and point straight to the front.
  • The lumbar line region is short, straight and muscular and slightly narrower than the chest and rump.
  • The flanks are well filled, only moderately tucked up and the depth is slightly less than the length of the loin.
  • The rump or the croup is broad, strong muscular and in proportion to the rest of the dog.
  • The top line drops slightly towards the tail.
  • The croup is broad and flat to provide a fulcrum towards powerful reach of the hind legs.
  • The tail is thick and set fairly high. It should be well covered with hair and without kink.
  • Tails are traditionally docked but undocked tails are acceptable. Docking tails takes place at the 3rd or 4th caudal vertebrae.
  • The natural tails should reach approximately to the hocks when the dog is standing.

Legs and Feet

  • Weak and malformed limbs jeopardize the physical functionality that is required of the Boerboel and should be disqualified.
  • The four limbs are strong boned with well-defined muscles and sturdy joints.
  • Should be correctly angulated from well-sloped shoulder blade down to the metacarpus or the pastern. 
  • Should form a vertical line from the point of the shoulder down to the paws, with the elbows held close and parallel to the chest when viewed from the front.
  • The four limbs seen from the side of the forearm should be vertical from the elbow to the carpus. The metacarpus is short, thick, and strong and angles very slightly forward.
  • The four paws point straightforward are large round strongly boned and compact.
  • The toes are well arched with curved black toenails and protected by hair in between the pads which are thick tough and black.
  • The hind limbs are strong bones, sturdy and muscular. 
  • Joints should be sound, strong and correctly angulated to support the powerful propulsion from the hind quarters during movement.
  • Upper thighs are broad, deep, muscular as seen from the side in the rear
  • The lower thighs have well-defined muscles and show substance down to the hawk.
  • The metatarsus is broad, relatively short and perfectly upright. The front is in a vertical line with the rear of the rump.
  • From the rear of the profile, the hind quarters should form an inverted view. With the stifles pointing straight forward and the hawk straight backwards

Movement

  • The movement of the Boerboel is easy, smooth, strong and purposeful with good propulsion by the hind quarters and parallel movement of the legs.
  • During movement the straight top line remains fixed. · The movement is strong purposeful buoyant and fluent with comfortable reach in front and rear.
  • Legs and body should move and the line from the front to the rear. The feet move closer to a center line as speed increases, forming a V shape in the observer’s mind.
  • Whilst converging towards the center line of travel the leg should never cross.
  • At all gates the top line is firm and strong without swaying or dipping in the middle and without excess body roll. ·
  • Weak unsound or plotting movement should not be tolerated and is a fault.

The Skin

  • The skin is thick and loose but fits smoothly.
  • A small dewlap is permissible, moderate wrinkles over the forehead when the dog shows interest.
  • The skin is thick loose and well pigmented with moderate wrinkles on the brow when the dog is attentive.
  • The coat is short and sleek with dense hair coverage. Dogs with long hair are disqualified.
  • The coat is short, dense, smooth and shiny.
  • The acceptable colors are as follows: all shades of fawn, all shades of brown, black, all shades of brindle, Irish marked piebald, dilute black, blue, and cream white. Chocolate and pure white dogs are a disqualification. ·
  • There are so many shades of yellow and fawn, starting with the lightest in color and eventually darkening to the lighter shades of brown. Browns gradually change into lighter shades of reds. A category of brown is the easiest way to cover the vast range of colors.
  • Brown covers the range of cream to light brown.
  • Any shade of black is acceptable including blue, if it has the right pigmentation, dilutes should not be bred to dilutes
  • Irish marked and piebald have always been acceptable; however, like with all the other colors, pigmentation must be in place. The dog must possess color on the eyelids, nose, lips and anus.
  • A piebald dog is a dog with a base coat of white and patches of color.
  • An Irish marked dog is a dog with a base coat of color and white markings that may include a white mask white legs white collar around the neck and a white underbelly.

Pigmentation

  • The Boerboel is well pigmented especially on the lips palette, the skin and hair around the eyes, nose, bulb, paw pads, toenails, the anus and the skin and hair around the genitals.
  • Only dogs with black melanin pigmentation are acceptable 
  • Pigmentation is the color of the skin and not the hair. ·
  • The Boerboel is well pigmented especially on the lip’s palette around the eyes toes foot pads anus and genitals.

Genitals

  • The male dog should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
  • Females have at least eight teats and a firm vulva.
  • Males with small or undersized testicles for their age should be disqualified.

Disqualifications

  • A dog that is too small and does not meet the minimum height requirement.
  • A dog that is too big and out of balance.
  • An overly aggressive dog.
  • A too small and untypical head.
  • Lack of pigmentation.
  • Long hair, feathers on the hind legs or long hair around the ears and neck ·
  • Excessively undershot bite more than 1/4 of an inch. · Excessive overshot bite. · Blue eyes.
  • Erect ears.
  • Red Nose Or liver colored nose.
  • Pink nose.
  • Chocolate colored.
  • A dog that is excessively thin and malnourished.
  • A dog with straight hind quarter angulation.
  • A dog that is excessively cow hocked.
  • A dog that is excessively sickle hocked.
  • A dog with bowed front legs. 
  • A dog that is obviously sick.