How to Care for a Boerboel       

   It is up to the owner to care for a boerboel thus being the case it is up to you how well you house and feed your dog. You are the leader and the one to over see the care of the dog.

                                                                  Living Conditions

                                                                    Inside Boerboel

   Boerboel's make a very good inside pet and simply need to be taught the basic rules of the house. When a visitor comes over and your boerboel comes into the room do not tell the boerboel no, instead when the boerboel comes in to the room and sits down pet the boerboel on the head and say good doggy, go lay down, and this will keep your boerboel on guard for you and not teach them to not protect you. This will teach the boerboel that it is okay to check on you but to go lay down when not needed. If you tell the boerboel no every time the dog checks on you then eventualy the boerboel will not come check on you at all because you will have taught the boerboel not to. For a boerboel to check on you is only in there nature and is not a worry and should not be an issue at all.

                                                                   Outside boerboel

   The fence = should be sturdy enough to hold a very strong and powerful dog. The fence should be without any week links and should be at least 8 feet tall, even though the Boerboel can clear a 6 foot fence, they generally will not do so. We do recommend a 8 to 10 foot fence. The Boerboel can be yard prone and that means taught to stay in the yard. Outside = The boerboel can withstand below freezing temperatures with a small igloo type of dog house to stay warm. The boerboel can withstand hot temperatures as well with some place to go for a good amount shade. However we recommend having a warm place to keep the dog if it gets really cold and a cool place if it gets really hot.

                                                                 Feeding a boerboel

                                                              How to feed a Boerboel

   Just like any dog except remember that this is a boerboel and not a normal breed of domesticated dog. A boerboel needs a dog food high in protein and fiber. This means that the boerboel needs good, healthy food not just the run of the mill food. In fact a steak or some ham on the weekend is good for this breed. We feed each one of our boerboel's around 2 1/2 to 5 lbs of real cooked meat a week on the average.  

                                                             What to feed a Boerboel

   Meat is great for boerboel's, cook the outside till brown and serve, we feed our boerboels cooked ham, deer, goat and beef in this way as to kill any germs and parasites before feeding. This is their natural food and is perhaps the best thing to feed them along with a sticky grass or weed as this is good for the boerboel's digestion and the boerboels love it.

   Puppies = We recommend feeding a puppy a top rated puppy food and ground meat till a least the age of 2 months of age then for one month feed the puppy a premium can food or premium dry dog food soaked in water in order to wean them from meat, then you may feed the puppy premium dry dog food with some meat on occasion. High protein milk should be given to the puppy every day until 3 months of age. Over feeding a puppy can result in hip and elbow issues so do not over feed your puppy. However during the first 3 weeks be sure to feed the pupies (if neccesary) all the high protein milk they will consume 3 times a day.

   Male adult = It is good to feed the adult only a premium dog food with a weekly feeding of meat. When cooking the meat use vegetable oil (to maintain their coat). High protein milk on occasion is also good for the boerboel if the boerboel is not over weight. However during the summer the boerboel may not drink very much milk.    

   Female adult = Same as a male except before, during, and after pregnancy when she needs more protein such as meat and goats milk or a milk high in protein as well as a high protein dry dog food and this should be maintained after pregnacy for about two weeks.

   Meat = Beef, chicken, pork, gopher, raccoon, possum, squirrel, duck, and deer. Real meat should be cooked medium rare or lightly cooked on the outside in order to remove anything bad such as germs. Why raw meat? Raw meat is what a carnivore eats and it is simply good for them. It is okay to cook the meat as well and some boerboel's may prefer the meat be cooked.  

   "A boerboel needs great healthy food and many name brand foods simply do not have the vitamins needed for a boerboel. Dogs are a carnivore and the meat with the bone is good for them and their teeth."

                                                                   About Raw Meat

   If you have access to fresh raw meat such as one who lives on a ranch or meat that you have butchered and prepared then this is okay. Raw meat from the store may not be as clean as the meat that is fresh. This is why we cook our meat for our boerboel's and besides, our boerboel's seem to prefer the meat be cooked.

                                                                        Dog foods  

   Blue Buffalo = is a dog food that also offers a high protein dog food and it is also all natural and contains less of the food filler than most other dog foods.  

   Diamond = offers a natural dog food.    

   Eukanuba = makes a sporting dog brand.

   Flint River Ranch = is a human grade dog food.

   Health Wise = use very high quality ingredients.

   Life's Abundance = premium health food canned, dried, diet, they have it all and it is a very high (human quality) quality dog food.

   Natural Balance = offers organic dog food.

   Nutro Natural Choice Large breed Kibble, puppy and adult = is a very high quality formula that provides nearly everything a dog requires.  

   Organix = makes a good can dog food.

   Pro Plan = makes a wide variety of very good dog foods and is a highly used dog food.   

   Royal Canine = makes a great variety of dry dog food with very high quality.

   At this time we use Pro Plan dog food and it seems to be everything a dog needs. We also feed our dogs a variety of cooked meats about twice a week.

                                                                      High Protein

                   (Rice formula for adding and maintaining weight and Protein for adding muscle weight)

                     (For an underweight dog use Rice Based Dog Food NOT Protein Based Dog Food)  

   Rice Based dog food will help keep the weight on the larger dogs such as boerboel's

   Protein Based dog food will help with the muscles however would serve to keep the dog lean compared to the rice based dog food.

   I would recommend a very high quality rice based dog food and then add the protein for the more active boerboel using whey protein purchased at a vitamin store (slightly cooked scrmbled eggs also work). The dog food I would recommend most for an under-weight boerboel would be none other then Alpo dog food because this is a dog food that most dogs love and will not only eat a lot of but Alpo also has a lot of weight factors needed to add weight to a dog. You may also mix the Alpo with other dog foods for a more rounded dog food. (This is something I have learned frist hand)

   For a very active boerboel I would recomend Blue Buffalo because Blue Buffalo offers a 26% protein dog food as well as a 34% protein dog food. This means that you can purchase the 34% dog food and use it to mix in with the regular dog food as needed to help maintain the weight of the boerboel. As well you can use this mix to feed the female before, during and after a litter. This makes Blue Buffalo the best dry dog food on the shelf for a boerboel.

(Note: Feeding a female to much protein during pregnancy is not good because it will inlarge the pups and could cause major issues during not only pregnancy but also during birth)  

   Puppy foods also offer a higher protein and could also be used for adding weight to your dog by mixing the puppy food with your regular dog food.  

   Adding muscle to your dog using protein is good however the addition of egg yolk (Not Raw Egg Yoke) and whey protein works as well or better than anything and it is all natural and healthy for your dog. Whey protein has every single protein known to man and this is why I use this for adding good weight to the boerboel.

   Using whey protein is easy, all you have to do is simply add one scoop to some meat while cooking, or add it to milk and mix it in good (our dogs love this). Also adding it to the egg yoke and mixing it into a batter works very well also.

   Boerboel's will have different taste just like people as is with our two boerboel's.

                                                                            Fiber 

   If your dog has the scoots then it may be the fiber that needs to be increased. Fiber is very important for your dogs health and will also stengthen up your dogs scoots. A good way to get faster results is pumpkin in a can. Open up a can of pumpkin and add it to a dish prepared for your dog and this should help your dog with the scoots.     

   If you want to know what kind of food to feed your dog we suggest going down to your local feed store and asking what dog foods are the best and what brand is the best. They will show you the brands and the brands ingredients as well as price. Be sure to look for wholesome, high quality, and nutritional dog food made for the dog that you own.

                                                                         Vitamins

   Vitamins are considered good for such large dogs as a boerboel because not all dog food has enough essential vitamins required by such large dogs. We feed our dogs vitamins on a regular bases to insure that they are getting their share of vitamins.

                                                                       Glucosamine

   Glucosamine is found naturally in the body and cartilage. Glucosamine supplements are used frequenty for dogs to help with maintaining the health of large dogs.       

                                                                        Grooming

   The Boerboel is fairly easily to groom. An occasional brushing and bath is all they need. I have not had to brush our boerboel's yet, only a bath when needed is all I have had to do. This is because I feed our boerboel's egg yoke. I seperate the egg yoke from the egg white using a big spoon or scoop. Then I cook some sausage and as soon as the sausage is cooked I turn down the heat and add the egg yoke to the sausage. As soon as the mixed egg yoke is cooked I put the food in a bowl and let it cool. Then feed it to the boerboel's for a good coat. This will stop the sheading and that is why some people have to brush the boerboel and I do not.  

                                                                    Companionship

   A boerboel needs companionship from other boerboels or from you or your family. They are a breed that needs to belong to a pack because this is in their nature. For a working boerboel it is good to work with the boerboel on a regular bases. For a family boerboel it is good to play with the boerboel on a regular bases. As with both it is also important to work with the boerboel on the basic rules like sit stay laydown and such. This is a good way for the boerboel to feel as though they are earning there keep and pleasing the family or the alpha person in charge of the pack. A boerboel also loves to be peted on a regular bases and this is also good for the boerboel.    

                                      Treat the dog right and the dog will treat you right   

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