Looking into getting a boerboel

[Steven C]

@Kenneth Smith Jr I have been doing some reading in older threads this morning. I came across this site https://www.banderaboerboels.com . I really like how they have the DNA profile for each of their dogs. I think Corso would do much better if they had that as well, I haven't seen that with any Corso yet. I also saw that there are a few IPO vids with them, surely hobby IPO but it shows if you get a smaller more athletic one it is possible.

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

You guys have given me the itch, I already showed the wifey. I would go with brindle, black brindle or black. I don't care about AKC or UKC or any of that anymore as I think the whole Corso problem developed from that? I am going to watch vids on obedience with them and see how their muzzles are categorized on flights. They look brutal, more than my Dogue did.

@Kenneth Smith Jr Did you say they are not guard like? I need to watch some vids on their guarding performance also. Very cool.

AKC and UKC are strictly registries, they can not be the down fall of the breed as they aren't the ones that are breeding. Breeds go downhill and get messed up due to breeders and their overall greed not the registries... they are just an easy scape goat rather than laying it at the feet of who is truly to blame. When it comes to shipping, all mastiff breeds are embargoed I think. At the very least regardless of age/size if they do allow it you will have to have an impact crate, which are approx. $700.

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

I have met some fantastic people to use as a sounding board and am watching to see how some dogs mature and turn out health wise as I know with large breeds they can face similar issues that the corso have. I also have a great friend that works closely in rescue that has great connections with the BB community from that aspect. They are not recognized up here in Canada, and we don't have a lot of UKC shows but we do have a few that I would like to make it out to if I get one. In all honesty this will likely be my retiring from corso dog, so if anything will be 95% pet over everything else. I will just have to fight my breeder side on some things.

There are some great FB groups as well that have lots of reading material but like any other group, you take the good with the bad and learn something from each response.

 

[Steven C]

AKC and UKC are strictly registries, they can not be the down fall of the breed as they aren't the ones that are breeding. Breeds go downhill and get messed up due to breeders and their overall greed not the registries... they are just an easy scape goat rather than laying it at the feet of who is truly to blame. When it comes to shipping, all mastiff breeds are embargoed I think. At the very least regardless of age/size if they do allow it you will have to have an impact crate, which are approx. $700.

I have flown international with my bordeuax for years. I didn't need an impact crate but if I did I would get one. My limits were flying with him in the hotter months, not possible. That was South America 3 and 4 hour flights. I figured they would be stricter on the longer flights especially with the mastiff muzzle, even if they allowed it I wouldn't. Its better knowing the dog has a longer muzzle for peace of mind if the flight is delayed or anything.

Ahh ok, I thought it was from people trying to get the standards of size up or other standards in those registries which made them screw up the breed. Good to know, I used to use them always before purchasing.

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

Believe it has been put in within the last year as it was all over the corso boards and the added expense. And Delta site shows all mast breeds and even provides a list for those that might wonder what breed of mastiffs.

I have flown international with my bordeuax for years. I didn't need an impact crate but if I did I would get one. My limits were flying with him in the hotter months, not possible. That was South America 3 and 4 hour flights. I figured they would be stricter on the longer flights especially with the mastiff muzzle, even if they allowed it I wouldn't. Its better knowing the dog has a longer muzzle for peace of mind if the flight is delayed or anything.

Ahh ok, I thought it was from people trying to get the standards of size up or other standards in those registries which made them screw up the breed. Good to know, I used to use them always before purchasing.

 

[Kenneth Smith Jr]

I believe both breeds Cane Corso and Boerboel are great dogs. It appears they can both be great family companions and working dogs. I guess cause Boerboel are somewhat new, we don’t see them in the various shows. I do believe in the near future this will change. From my research the Boerboel are very athletic and love to work. It is just great getting knowledge and learning about these wonderful animals. My girl Gabby is my best friend. When time is right hopefully will get her a brother.

 

[Sheila Braund]

Nice and guardy. We may see you over at Dekken Kenneth. lol

Oh my goodness.... I started to watch this on my iPad.... it upset Bella so much I had to stop... lol she's in full guard mode right now..... hackles up running from door to windows..... even after I shown her it's from my iPad...... I'll have to watch this in the office on the day I don't take Bella with me lol

 

[Steven C]

Oh my goodness.... I started to watch this on my iPad.... it upset Bella so much I had to stop... lol she's in full guard mode right now..... hackles up running from door to windows..... even after I shown her it's from my iPad...... I'll have to watch this in the office on the day I don't take Bella with me lol

Yeah same here but I like to use them to try and teach the off switch. Another thing about this video that is interesting is midway through the dog actually jumps up on the handler twice. While this may look like the dog is happy with her, its actually the dog protesting her holding him back. This is how many bites occur when building drive, they turn back in protest and bite the handler. You can see she got scared and walked away and around to the other side. She has experience and knows this can get bad quick.

 

[Kenneth Smith Jr]

Yeah same here but I like to use them to try and teach the off switch. Another thing about this video that is interesting is midway through the dog actually jumps up on the handler twice. While this may look like the dog is happy with her, its actually the dog protesting her holding him back. This is how many bites occur when building drive, they turn back in protest and bite the handler. You can see she got scared and walked away and around to the other side. She has experience and knows this can get bad quick.

So is this a good trait the dog is displaying. How does the dog know when to turn the aggression on and off. I could be wrong but all I see is an aggressive dog and no really training.

 

[Steven C]

So is this a good trait the dog is displaying. How does the dog know when to turn the aggression on and off. I could be wrong but all I see is an aggressive dog and no really training.

That is how a guard dog should be, they sense the owner is in danger and the dog acts. What they are doing here is building bite drive, its the same when you go to an IPO field they make you leave your dog in a crate while waiting for your turn. The crate builds drive, it makes the dog work twice as hard. But in many cases with an already working line dog the threshold is hit and it protests which ends in a bite to let it go. Basically the dog is saying let me go so I can do my job and its state is so focused on the target that it will bite anyone in its way. Very common in working dogs. Getting my dog out of a crate is the hardest thing to do, she comes out way above thresholds so what I have to do is put her prong collar on while she is still in and immediately take her for a walk with commands to get her back to reality.

If you want to own dogs like these you have to figure out the best way to redirect in a situation like that. She gave the dog some time by walking away and around the other side. They cant let the dog at that point otherwise the dog learns the protest works and it will get worse. The dog has to learn patience. This is not an aggressive dog, this is what a normal mastiff should be. All they are doing is testing to see if this dog is a solid dog or not.

 

[Steven C]

Think about it, if someone comes at you with a weapon do you want your dog to cower or protect you? I would think even an average dog would act like this. The guy is coming at them yelling waving a weapon. A working dog will die for its master.

 

[marke]

leaving dogs to decide who needs bit and who doesn't is the reason behind breed bans and restrictive dog laws , like giving your 3yr old a gun to defend your house at their discretion ……… not knowing the context , I may be wrong , but that dog is learning nothing more than to try and bite out of self defense …….. if that's not the case , the folks posting the video should know better than to put this video up as is ….. show the dog with some self control , i'd have liked to see the guy walking up originally follow through with the offer of his hand …..…. jmo

 

[Steven C]

leaving dogs to decide who needs bit and who doesn't is the reason behind breed bans and restrictive dog laws , like giving your 3yr old a gun to defend your house at their discretion ……… not knowing the context , I may be wrong , but that dog is learning nothing more than to try and bite out of self defense …….. if that's not the case , the folks posting the video should know better than to put this video up as is ….. show the dog with some self control , i'd have liked to see the guy walking up originally follow through with the offer of his hand …..…. jmo

ridiculous comment. It is obvious that you know zero about IPO or testing the drive ability in dogs. This is what happens when a mastiff owner has a docile mastiff and then one day the natural drive comes and the owner has no clue how to redirect it. When you own these type of dogs, you better learn about them and their abilities and how drives work.

I guarantee any of those dogs will run circles around your dogs in obedience. The safest way to own a working dog is to learn its drive and ability, then train/mold based on its abilities.

 

[marke]

I may know zero about ipo , but I got a phd in dogs personalities , language , drives and abilities , I understand them better than I do people ...........if you cannot recognize a dogs drives and abilities from raising them , you did a poor job raising them , and you definitely shouldn't be teaching them to bite …………. carry on with your lesson ……...

 

[Steven C]

I may know zero about ipo , but I got a phd in dogs personalities , language , drives and abilities , I understand them better than I do people ...........if you cannot recognize a dogs drives and abilities from raising them , you did a poor job raising them , and you definitely shouldn't be teaching them to bite …………. carry on with your lesson ……...

You know all those things, yet in your opinion dogs shouldn't be taught as protection dogs?

In any event, Kenneth and I were having a civil conversation and you jump in to say how bad it is to teach Guard dogs.

queue the videos of police dogs biting people, or attacks happening from bad training.

 

[Boxergirl]

I get the dog going into guarding mode when the guy was being threatening, but I didn't see any reason for the dog to behave as it did when the guy just walked up. He wasn't being threatening in any way that I saw. I do admit to watching the video with the sound off, so was he yelling or something? Where was the justification for the dogs reaction at a friendly stranger? Not being argumentative, just curious.

 

[Kenneth Smith Jr]

You know all those things, yet in your opinion dogs shouldn't be taught as protection dogs?

In any event, Kenneth and I were having a civil conversation and you jump in to say how bad it is to teach Guard dogs.

queue the videos of police dogs biting people, or attacks happening from bad training.

Thank you both for your opinion and thoughts. Since having my female Corso we did all forms of training such as obedience, Rally obedience but we both learned and enjoyed IPO training. The various components which beats having to sign her up to different classes. IPO = agility + obedience + tracking + bite work. I will say this it takes a lot of energy and discipline from owner and dog. I do believe due to this brief exposure to IPO she has improved tremendously. I hope to get her back into it soon. But this forum was started cause once get my boerboel I want to train him in IPO too. Their are some breeders that will not give you a boerboel if plan to do bite work; for fear of making a instinctive protection guard dog into an aggressive dog. Honestly doesn’t make sense to me cause if a dog is properly trained one is spending time with the dog. Thus a bond a friendship a real relationship is developing. This dog like a Corso desires to please it’s owner. So a dog well trained will listen to his or her owner immediately to make the owner happy.

 

[Steven C]

I get the dog going into guarding mode when the guy was being threatening, but I didn't see any reason for the dog to behave as it did when the guy just walked up. He wasn't being threatening in any way that I saw. I do admit to watching the video with the sound off, so was he yelling or something? Where was the justification for the dogs reaction at a friendly stranger? Not being argumentative, just curious.

People that do work with their dogs like myself and a great myriad of others around the world understand that before you invest hundreds of hours into any dog, you need to see its drives, you need to test its hips, you need to test its nerves. Nobody wants to develop a 25k dog just to end up with a hip problem a few years down the road. Since I use my dog for protection work in todays environment, I have learned a great deal about what's involved in training for this. I can attest having owned dogs both normal obedience trained and dogs with protection training the later puts the owner much more in touch with the dog. It creates a great deal of discipline and much higher levels of obedience and by the way, my dog absolutely loves it.

Nothing wrong with allowing a dog to learn and use some of its instinctual genetics. For this reason breeds play a big part in which dogs are chosen for protection work. Mastiff is one of the top choices. Also I would feel much safer walking near a big dog with protection training then walking near a big dog with someone that has no clue as to control their dog.

In this video and any other video where they are testing drive, normally the dogs are young as this one is only 11 months and most likely is basic obedience trained. They are in the woods so the atmosphere alone puts the dog alert, secondly the man is approaching in a threatening manor with a bite sleeve. If i'm at the mall and hundreds of people are walking passed, my dog continues walking like nothing. If someone approaches me in a rapid manor or a loud manor my dog becomes alert as almost any dog would. By the time this dog is done with its training and the dog is wrong in its instinctual plus trained response that the man is a threat in the woods, then his/her master will say no. I mean its a very simple concept.

Since the dog has a decent reaction to that, they can move forward with bite work, then outs recall and all else. Which would make this dog a very valuable, possibly life saving dog to someone.

I think personally anyone thinking of getting a Boerboel better understand these concepts because apparently many of these dogs are naturally on very high alert so breeders are being very selective rightfully so. Its not going to be some watered down version where its a crap shoot, yet anyway.

 

[Boxergirl]

I just didn't see anything threatening about the initial approach. I still don't, honestly, but I'll have to watch it again with the sound on. I tend to watch most videos without the sound on several times to better judge the body language of the dog without any distractions. I totally get the response after that when the man was behaving threateningly.

 

[Steven C]

I just didn't see anything threatening about the initial approach. I still don't, honestly, but I'll have to watch it again with the sound on. I tend to watch most videos without the sound on several times to better judge the body language of the dog without any distractions. I totally get the response after that when the man was behaving threateningly.

I wouldn't watch it again. Don't waste your time.

@Kenneth Smith Jr I hope you do great with the corso and let me know how far you get in getting the Boerboel. I myself am looking into the ATTS now as I think it would be a fun thing to do one day.