Puppy Preparation Guide

We want your puppy-buying experience to be a full and complete success. So we have a preparation guide to help new owners. Being prepared will result in a smooth transition for your puppy from our home to yours! 

Potty Training

All puppies need to be potty trained. One of the easiest ways to potty train is by rewarding your puppy with lots of love, affection and praise for using the potty correctly. Let your puppy know that you are proud of them for going to the bathroom. The designated potty area should be the very first place that your new puppy explores when it arrives to the new home. You should take your puppy to the potty every couple of hours and if the puppy just had water or food within 15 minutes of eating or drinking. Be sure to stay in the potty area with your puppy until the puppy goes potty. 

Puppy Proof Your Home

Remember that puppies like to explore new things with their paws and their mouth. Most household items are interesting to the new puppy. Examples: an open toilet lid, household cleaners, trash cans without lids and electrical cords are all things that should be made unavailable to your new puppy. Also keep your puppy out of the kitchen when you're cooking so the puppy does not get burned from the hot stove. 

Sleeping Arrangements for Puppy

Sleeping arrangements are crucial as this can be a difficult time for your new puppy. Remember, this will be the first time your puppy is away from the mom and siblings. Adjusting to sleeping alone can be difficult and an unhappy puppy can suffer from stress and this may cause the puppy to cry at night resulting from anxiety. I prefer to have my new puppy sleep in a bedroom, I find this helps the puppy with anxiety and helps build a strong bond. A new puppy will miss it's mom and litter mates having you there as a replacement is a great way to ease to the puppy into the new home. 

Walking/Exercise Schedule

This is very important! Do not forget that Boerboels are farm dogs that are bred to work on a farm all day. That means without mental stimulation they get restless. If you do not have time to dedicate to walking or exercising you Boerboel puppy daily then do not get one. This is one of the main problems that new owners face in having a new South African Boerboel puppy. South African Boerboels need sunlight and exercise to build strong bone muscles and minds. Remember all dogs not just Boerboels need to hear sounds and see sights and smell  smells they need to run and stretch their legs. It is never fair to expect your dog to live 40 plus hours a week in a cage while you are at work. Large and giant breed dogs should be exercised extensively prior to 18 months of age. Even after your puppy arrives healthy it should still see a vet to schedule the remaining vaccinations and worm treatments. Don't forget your puppy can still contract deadly diseases if it is not fully vaccinated. 

Boerboel Character

The Boerboel has been specifically bred as a protector. Their even character and friendly disposition should ensure that they are on top of your list as your next best friend.

A well-bred Boerboel should always be on your wave length and be ready to act whenever you feel threatened. The dog should also be able to sense whenever you feel uneasy about a specific individual, and he will no doubt make his presence felt in order to provide you with the necessary protection. This protective instinct is obvious even as a puppy.

By training your animal to defend, you will find that he is able to growl like a lion and protect you with a ferocity that doesn't take its own safety into account. African animal need to survive in Africa, and the Boerboel is no exception. Boerboels have often beaten off an attack from a leopard, in fact Aristotle named the Boerboel's ancestors, Leontix (sons of lions).

The Boerboel, a family dog

The Boerboel is a family dog, often spending hours playing with the children and accepting the protection of the whole family as his duty and cares for all of them. 

A Boerboel is a loyal and devoted family guardian that loves children especially. They very seldom bark, but when they do you can be sure it is for a good reason. One of the early kennels said of its Boerboels that they were, "faithful, fearless, but not ferocious". This sums up a well-bred Boerboel today just perfectly.  

You may have heard your vet talk about puppy socialization, but what do we really mean?
Strictly speaking it may be defined as "the process whereby the puppy learns to recognize and interact with the species with which it will live". Allow your puppies to interact not only with different breeds, but also with people of different age, sex and race, by allowing your boerboel puppy to meet as many people, dogs and other animals as possible, this builds a well-balanced dog, both physically and mentally.

Understanding your dog

The natural characteristics which make the dog so perfectly adapted to life as a pack animal, also govern its interaction with people. Thus, a dog is able to subordinate itself to an individual in the pack who enjoys higher status than itself. And so it is that, as the dog's owner, you are now its pack leader 

Ideal age to introduce your boerboel puppy

The ideal age to introduce a puppy into your home is when it is ten weeks old. It is at this stage of their development that young animals learn most quickly and certain vitally important behaviors are imprinted indelibly on their minds. For example, you will be imprinted in the puppy's mind as its pack leader and your home as its environment. A puppy will also adapt more easily and quickly to its new surroundings at this stage than if it were older.

Your boerboel the first 2 months

For the first two months, all you need to teach your dog is to respect the word 'no' and its name. However, during the first two months, the most important things are to see that your puppy gets lots to eat and drink, sufficient sleep, lots of human company, plays a lot and gets plenty of exercise.

Your boerboel after the first 2 months

After two months, you can gradually teach your dog to come when called, walk on a lead and sit and lie down on command. If your dog is to be a companion animal, this is really all it needs to know. However, there are a number of important rules you need to keep in mind at all times:

1. Always talk to your dog in a quiet tone; a command in a loud voice should be the first degree of punishment. If you constantly shout at your dog, you will not have a more obedient dog - all the shouting will merely blunt its perception.
2. Commands must always be brief, clear and expressed using the same words. Only then can you be sure that your dog will understand them. Although it is not clear whether dogs recognize the words themselves, they do register the rhythm and cadence of your speech. It is a good idea to accompany each word with a specific gesture so that later, your dog will be able to obey your commands at a greater distance and without words.
3. Praise your dog lavishly whenever he obeys you. Punish it only when absolutely necessary and never punish it harshly. As already mentioned, the first degree of punishment is a loud voice. Your dog will readily recognize the change in your tone of voice and the raised voice will tell it that it has done something wrong. The next degree of punishment may be with a folded newspaper. This make a characteristic sound which will be linked in your dog's mind with his having done something wrong. As your dog matures, there mere rustle of the newspaper will be enough to alert your dog to its wrongdoing. Never, under any circumstances, should you hit your dog with either its lead or your hand. He must always have absolute trust in both these objects!

The boerboel pack leader

Dogs follow direction from a human being because of its instinct to follow a pack leader. Wild canines such as wolves live in packs. Among the pack members is a definite hierarchical structure with one leader, leadership is held by the most dominant individual in the pack. 

Each individual holds a particular "rank" in the pack. Your puppy associates your family as his new pack. This is his second pack experience. His first was with his mother and litter mates His mother was the most dominant pack member. Each puppy maintained a position in the hierarchy.

Developing your boerboel's personality

If allowed to do whatever it wants, your puppy will naturally assume the role of pack leader. By the time your dog is eighteen months to two years old, it will have developed its full adult personality. If it reaches this stage assuming it is the pack leader, the dog will probably resist training and you will have a very difficult time training it. How large a leadership problem you have with your dog is determined by two factors: 

1. How dominant your dog's temperament is, and 

2. How assertive you are as an individual.  If you are naturally an assertive person and your dog is submissive by nature, you may never experience a problem. If however, you have a dominant dog, and you are inconsistent, extremely indulgent, and a non-disciplinarian, you may have a big problem convincing your dog that YOU are the PACK LEADER. 

The dog will assert its dominance and walk all over you. A dog will respond to each person according to how that person presents himself to the dog. That is why you must train your own dog, rather than send it to a training establishment where they train the dog for you.

Proper boerboel discipline

If you hit or kick the dog it will learn that you are stronger and more dominant, but it will also learn to fear and distrust you. Firmness combined with consistency are very important in establishing pack leadership. If you are inconsistent it is a sign of weakness and your dog will test you. 

Boerboel training

Obedience training is not all force and dominance. Canine pack leaders also show affection towards their followers. This is why it is important to praise your dog and show it that its obedient behavior is pleasing to you. More than anything else proper OBEDIENCE TRAINING will serve to strengthen the bond between you and your dog

BAD BEHAVIOR MUST BE NIPPED IN THE BUD BEFORE IT BECOMES HABITUAL.
A handler, who repeatedly issues increasingly louder commands, teaches the dog that it isn't really necessary to obey until his master's voice reaches full crescendo!!! 

CONSISTENCY It is most important to be consistent in your training.
For example:

1-  Don't give your dog an old shoe to chew if you don't want him to chew your new shoes. 

2-  Don't allow him to jump up when you are in your old clothes if you don't want him to jump up when you are dressed in your best clothes.

He doesn't know the difference. Don't allow him on the furniture if you don't want him to jump on the furniture after he comes in all covered in mud. Don't feed him tidbits at the table if you don't want him to beg from the dinner guests. If he does something wrong, make sure you let him know he is wrong, each and every time he does it. If he doesn't sit straight, don't praise him, correct him into a straight sit, and then praise him. How is he to learn to do something correctly if you praise him when he does it incorrectly? How is he to learn not to pull on the lead if you correct him only occasionally? 

People who are not consistent in their training confuse their dogs to the point where the dog doesn't know what you want him to do. If you are truly consistent in your approach to your training, the dog will learn far quicker and will be one hundred per cent sure that what he is doing is what you want him to do. Think of the examples given above in UNINTENTIONAL TRAINING and CONSISTENCY, and then ask yourself how many other similar incidences apply between you and your dog. 

I have Veterinarian Certificates on the temperament and mental stability of each of my boerboels. The temperament tests are done every six months. 

House training your puppy   House training your boerboel puppy

One of the first tasks you will have as the proud new owner is to house-train your puppy. There are three basic rules you need to follow during this process:

1. Never be harsh with your puppy.

2. Any punishment must be administered immediately after the misdeed (it will be absolutely useless to administer any punishment a little while later as the puppy is unable to connect cause with effect).

3. Never rub your puppy's nose in the puddle he has made. This is not only cruel, but also unhygienic and has no positive effect whatsoever.

By watching your puppy's behavior constantly, you will soon be able to ascertain whether you need to put it outside. If your dog starts whining or running around restlessly, or if it starts looking around for somewhere, like a soft rug, take it outside at once. Praise it lavishly if it relieves itself there. It is, of course, very possible that, at first you will not notice the signals your puppy is making and it will do its 'business' inside. When you witness your puppy doing this, show it the puddle, scold it sharply and then take it outside. Know that in the beginning your puppy will relieve itself up to 20 times or more per day, so be prepared! It is advisable at this early stage to confine your puppy to one room in the house which is covered with a thick layer of newspapers. If you are able to notice your puppy's signals in time and put it outdoors at least five times a day, your efforts should soon start showing results. Observe what your dog does outdoors as well. Every time he relieves himself outside, praise him lavishly and show him how pleased you are with him.

You should be able to notice progress being made within the first week and after three weeks, your dog should be indicating to you when it wants to be let out. Try to accustom it to being let out at specific times.

Boerboel growing pains

Because the boerboel puppy has a great deal of growing to do in a short space of time, he should not be subjected to too much exercise at too early an age. Also, try to prevent your young puppy from rushing down stairs or leaping down from the back of the car or pickup. Rather carry it down stairs, or ease it out of the car by supporting it under the chest and holding its collar. The reason for this precaution is simple. During this major growth time, large amounts of cartilage are being formed at a very fast rate. If the puppy is over-exercised or allowed to jump off high surfaces it will damage this cartilaginous fibre, causing permanent damage to its skeletal structure. The best exercise, the safest exercise and the only exercise to be recommended for juvenile dogs is PLAY. But not rough play with larger, older, stronger pups or dogs. It must be play with age-matched weight and activity matched puppies.

It is vital however, that puppies eats well and are well socialized. Adult boerboels require adequate exercise to maintain their muscular frame. No special grooming is required, although a daily brush will produce a satisfying high gloss on that short, dense coat. Boerboels appreciate good food and plenty of it, although care must be taken not to let them get overweight.

The South African Boerboel puppies we breed and raise. They are handled daily by us, so that they develop strong bonds to humans from birth. Because of the way we raise our puppies, coupled with the fact that our family of champion South African Boerboel (SABT, SABBS, NKC, AKC, ARBA) dogs-puppies comes from legendary breeders in South Africa, we are confident that our traditional South African Boerboel athleticism. Our goal is to help our puppies develop into the best of its breed. Training your South African Boerboel puppy dog is also critical for its mental development. Our dogs have enormous mental capacities and a good South African Boerboel breeder will develop and stimulate that mental capacity while they are puppies, aiding them to become Great Boerboel adult dogs.  We teach our puppies the basic commands of sit, stay, and lay.

The South African Boerboel are also known as the South African Mastiff.  Our puppies are very active, they love to run and play.  The energy level of a growing South African Boerboel can be tremendous and a force to be reckoned with. We implement exercise in their daily activity allowing them to burn off steam and that will help keep the boerboel puppy or dog quiet, happy, calm and relaxed.