Bullmastiff vs Boerboel

[vadersmom]

Yes, I have searched a bit and understand the basic differences. I have owned BMs for 20 years and I know that breed very well. We are considering a BB this fall as well as my favorite breed. Tell me your opinions of the differences in temperament and what I have to watch for in the BB that is different. Our BM's have ranged from docile and friendly to all souls to small dog aggressive and intolerant of larger dogs but great with humans. My fear with the BB that the shear size would be hard to control(I am 55 yo) even with consistant training as we would absolutely commit to. We are looking for easy to train, family dog that is protective but not aggressive and is friendly to other dogs as we would like to add another in the summer. Thoughts???? Please don't tell me to use the search button

 

[DMikeM]

BB is not supposed to be an aggressive dog they are supposed to be protective guardians. They are generally not DA or HA, not really hunting dogs either but can be trained to do any of the things mentioned. They are malleable dogs that you could train to be aggressive or hunters. But everyone I have know just want to be close to it's human. Mine seems to want to be a hunter as she sniffs and tracks all the time. She does sound off is anyone or anything new comes into sight around our house. I don't really consider them to be overly large but if you look you can find some giants. I typical male should get around 160/170 lbs and females only around 140 for a big one. Jade is 125 these days but might be getting bigger again. BM and BB are closely related from what I have found out, might be like a BM with a longer head and a taller body because of the Rhodesian Ridgeback influence. BBs have hound in them so like I said they can be taught to hunt but the base is Mastiff (Guardian).

 

[Bbb]

High-end lifetime training is mandatory | Sarnia Observer. This article is spot on concerning boerboels. I loved my boerboel but a good one is very difficult to find. Even the good ones take a lot of work, but if you get one like mine with a less than perfect temperament then watch out. Sadly, that is not uncommon in this breed.

 

[dheepakh]

Try a cane corso. You wont regret.

 

[DMikeM]

I think Bbb is off base. Out of hundreds of BBs from owners I am in contact with I have only heard or 3 problem dogs so I say it is uncommon to get a bad BB. I personally know 10 and all are perfect in temperament and I am a member of several Boerboel related groups and am in contact with hundreds of BB owners even one guy that has around 30 or 40 Boerboels all living together on one ranch and he is in his 60's.

As for the CC comment all I can say is "To each his own". I have seen them and love the look but know little of the temperament and purpose of the breed.

 

[lamone32]

Your picking the perfect dog ive owned a few boerboels n take my word there more athletic then any bullmastiff there also great guard dogs n they absolutely love kids n there family. I would choose a bb over a bm any day of the week

 

[Dogdragoness]

I think that article is a little on the cynical side, I know I am new to molosser breeds but that article paints the picture that of you don't work with your dog every. Single. Day then they will implode like a dying star and become a black hole.

 

[DMikeM]

I think that article is a little on the cynical side, I know I am new to molosser breeds but that article paints the picture that of you don't work with your dog every. Single. Day then they will implode like a dying star and become a black hole.

You are correct. I interact with my dogs every day that does not mean I train every day but they do learn and benefit from the interaction. That article was one person's biased opinions.

 

[Bbb]

Believe what you like, but the writer of that article has impressive chops as a dog trainer. A boerboel with proper temperament is not an easy dog. They are bred to be suspicious of strangers and require a lot of socialization. Despite extensive training and socialization and professional assistance, my male was dangerous to anyone outside our immediate family. 98% of the time i could manage him, but when he lit up, it took two adult men to stop him. I know at least 4 other boerboel owners with the same temperament issue, two worse than my boy because they involved attacks on family members. Two of those dogs were euthanized. One died at under 2 years from an auto immune disease. There is an excellent posting on the North American boerboel rescue page with advice for people who are thinking about adopting a boerboel. Dimikem, it sounds like you got one of the good ones, enjoy her. But vadersmom, if you are considering a boerboel please do more research.