Boerboel Farm Dogs: Mizpah Pups for Sale

Boerboel Farm Dogs: Mizpah Pups for Sale: I wanted to post this very cute photo of a pup nicknamed River from the authentic Mizpah Boerboels in South Africa.  As of December 3rd,...

This beautiful Boerboel puppy was posted on  http://boerboelfarmdog.blogspot.com/. I hope he finds a great home he is a beautiful pup. Follow the link for contact info

  Unfortunately River has  risen a little early for me. 

 As a side note and update: Remy's last pregnancy was a false call. I am currently looking for a prime mate for Remy's last breeding attempt.  If you are a Boerboel owner with such a male I am willing to travel and pay for the breeding. 

Remy and Bogaloo Did it South African Boerboel Puppies onth way!!!

The above picture was taken today Feb. 11,2013 Remy is currently  25 days into her pregnancy, sponsored by Bogaloo from Exotic Boerboels . In the picture on the right stands Bogaloo at 8 months. weighing approximately 145 lbs.

Bogaloo was recently featured in the  fox 8 video shown in the previous post.

 Look for more posts as I attempt a photo a video documentary of this pregnancy. 

South African Boerboel in the news

This video is from Cleveland Ohio's local Fox affiliate Fox8. 

The story was about Ohio's push to get tough on puppy mills. The video features Jordan Pittman with Boogaloo a South African Boerboel male. Jordan is my brother and breeder of Remy. 

Remy is due to come into heat very soon and Boogaloo is the Chosen One Come...drift with me, while I dream of the beautiful puppies Remy and Boogaloo will produce. It seems like this is a match made in heaven, as this may likely be Remy's last litter,and Boogaloo is a dynamite stud. 

Puppies are long gone

It has been its been awhile since the puppies have been shipped off to their new homes. I have not been able to post as much as I would like because I did not realize how much dedication and time the puppies required. This is my warning to anyone who is thinking about breeding South African Boerboels.

Boerboel puppies are very intelligent, they how to circumvent all efforts that you may employ to keep them contained and they can become restless and cause trouble any every opportunity if not provided with enough stimulation to keep their every growing thirst for new things. I countered their high energy by recruiting kids from the neighborhood to help me clean up and feed the pups. I think this works to accomplish two very important things. It is beyond important, to socialize Boerboel puppies, if they are not introduced to new things on a regular basis Boerboels puppies could possible grow up to be aggressive. Aggression in a Boerboel is something none of us wants. South African Boerboels are big dogs that are extremely protective by nature, in in order to raise a well balanced socially responsible dog socialization is a must and the initial responsibility lies with the breeder. I would never want to see one of my puppies in the news for savagely attacking an innocent person. Secondly and far less important in the long run is that the excitement generated by kids totally exhausts the pups. It did not take me long to figure out that tired puppies are good puppies.
Although it was a chore it was a labor of love and I look forward to breeding Remy again soon. This time I think I am going to keep a puppy for myself.!

Time to get to know the puppies: Bubkis:: Boerboel Boy #1

What can I say about Bub. He is a very confident male, a boerboel all the way.

He is the girls running mate where u see one the other is not far behind. Until recently they we very hard for me to tell apart. Bubkis has gotten bigger lately so now I know who is who. Bubkis has always been one of the first to do anything he has no fear and is very sociable. He reminds me a lot of my brothers Boerboel Pluto. Among the puppies Bubkis is the first one to play. New sounds do not scare him they simply get his attention.

Time to get to know the puppies : The girl

Remy's boerboel puppies are now 6 weeks old.....,

Finally, only two more weeks to go so now I thought it would be a good time to introduce you to the pups on a one by one basis. I will start with the girl since she is the only lady of the litter. We really do not call her anything except girl since she is unique in that way. She is a vibrant and outgoing female. She is very alert and active. She likes to get out and explore. So far her favorite spot is under my bed. She is cautious in her movements choosing instead to inspect before she moves.
The girl puppy is paper trained and has been for about two weeks now. It amazes me how smart South African Boerboels are!!! Girl likes to have her belly rubbed and will lay there all day for you.

She is going to be just as amazing and fun to watch grow up as Remy I am sure.

Remy and Moe puppies born 11-27-11

South African Boerboel puppies are a joy to have in the house. They are a handfull to care for but the reward is watching them grow. I am temtpted to keep all of them because I would just love to watch them grow from little puppies into full grown dogs. But that definately will not happen!! I am just determined to find great owners for them that will allow me to share the joy of seeing these puppies become great representatives of the South African Boerboel breed.

Here are the pics of the latest puppies from Remy and Moe. Pictured above is the number one puppy also know as Forrest, he is a very wary and alert puppy her is going to be a very big dog one day. I love the form on this puppy.

This is male puppy number 2 better known as Bubkis he is very outgoing and always the first one up. This is my personal favorite.

This is the only girl puppy in this litter but have no fear she can hold her own with her brothers, she is most often found side by side with Bubkis.  We just call her Girl!!!!!

 This is Big Six he is the one that is kinda in the middle amongst all the puppies he is not the most active but he is far from lazy nor is he timid. I really like his laid back manner.

Caring for Boerboel puppies.....

  As I mentioned in the previous post Remy just had a litter of four puppies. I thought now would be a good time to relate my tips for caring for new born Boerboel puppies.
 As of today the puppies are two weeks old this week and so now they are becoming significantly more active.Up until now I have been leaving the care of the pups up to Remy, after all she is a very good mama. The best thing I for me to do up to this point is to make sure Remy and her pups are kept warm and semi secluded. We used a closet in an unused room for a whelping box, it provides Remy and the puppies a place to relax without disruption from our normal household activities, while at the same time it is still close enough that Remy knows we are not far and have not forgotten about her.
  It is very important to remember that Boerboels are very protective dogs, taking this into consideration we selected a space in our home that is not in a frequently traveled part of out home, so that  Remy is not disturbed by guests that come over to visit. Remy's protective nature is understandably elevated since now she is now looking after her human and k9 family. Keeping Remy calm is imperative for the safety of her puppies. In a fit of excitement Remy could possibly trample a pup or drag one or two who may be feeding. Those puppies have an iron grip when feeding.
  For the first two weeks our primary responsibility was to make sure Remy had enough water and food. It is very important to make sure there is plenty of water available so that she will be able to produce the milk to feed the pups, since they are entirely dependent upon mom for nutrients. As followers of this blog know Remy is normally fed raw meat and bone. Since the puppies have arrived I have switched her to Puppy Chow supplemented with chicken gizzards and beef liver. I switched from raw feeding because I did not want to risk not provided enough of anything that was necessary for the puppies. Finally I have also made sure that Remy always has fresh water and food close by, so she can have her needs met while staying close to the puppies.
  For the first couple of days it is normal for Remy not to want to leave the puppies alone at all, in fact she is not too thrilled when we came by to check on the puppies. You should see the look on her face.
  The decision to cut or not cut the tails should be made before the pups arrive so that you are prepared to have it done in the first five days. You do not want to hurt the puppies so it is best to do it early before the cartilage hardens. We cut the puppies tails at 6 days. If you have a Boerboel, or any dog for that matter take her far enough away so she does not hear the puppies cry out. 
As week two approaches it is time for the puppies to be wormed, wal mart has a good dewormer, but these pups will be wormed by our vet since Remy is do for a post delivery check-up.
I will continue to update the whelping process as the puppies grow so please follow me to receive all updates.

Remy Pups are on the ground 11-27-11

Well the time finally arrived on Sun November 27, 2011. I was watching the Cleveland Browns throw another game away to the Cincinnati Bengals. Definitely not how I hoped the day would go. Thankfully Remy was able to bring a little joy to my Sunday. I was dozing off at about halftime when I heard some whining in the closet. I got up to take a look and lo and behold there were four tiny little Boerboel puppies in there with Remy. I did not hear a thing to indicate she was in labor or delivery. Maybe she heard me yelling at the T.V. and decided to keep it quite. In any event when I made it over to the closet there were three boys and only one girl. The crying that caught my attention was from one of the males my son calls Forrest. It was a turning out to be a pretty good day spite of the Cleveland Clowns loss.

All four of the puppies looked pretty good and I could tell there would be more to come. I made sure Remy had plenty of water and let nature take it's course. Unfortunately the next four pups did not make it, they were all still born as far as I could tell. Sorry Remy!!!

The puppies are doing very well and are growing rapidly I noticed yesterday that all four had their eyes open and they have been crawling around a lot, almost since day one, which is why it has taken me so long to post this birth announcement.

These puppies are from big Moe so I am anticipate to see some very big things from them. I expect these pups will be very sought after, so if you are interested please let me know as soon as possible. They will not be ready to go home until late Jan. so you still have time to get everything prepared for your puppies arrival. The puppies are doing very well and are growing rapidly I noticed yesterday that all four had their eyes open and they have been crawling around a lot, almost since day one, which is why it has taken me so long to post this birth announcement.

Are South African Boerboels good Hog n Dogs

   I have asked myself this off and on since our Boerboel Remy came into our family. It looks like it would be big fun even if we do not catch anything, as many of you know the thrill of the hunt is in the chase.
   Hog hunting  has been on my mind with the recent premier of hog hunting shows on television. I did some research and it seems that some breeds have what it takes while with Boerboels, like many other breeds, it depends on the animal.
     I think Remy would be a pretty good bay dog, which is the dog that is specially trained to find, chase, and "bay" hogs. Remy is very houndy, and is always sniffing for something. She always sniffs out groudhogs and deer around my neighborhood. I do not know is she would be a good catch dog, which is a dog that physically takes hold of the hog, typically seizing the base of the hog's ear. Once the catch dog has physical control of the hog, they will hold it down by the head indefinitely until the hunter arrives. Remy likes to sniff out and corner whatever she is after and bark like hell at it, which is what I have read is the duty of the bay dog.
    Boerboels seems to have a wide range of characteristics that make it difficult to say whether or not they are good for hog hunting. I would say based upon my research that the primary factor that would exclude a Boerboel has nothing at all to do with it's ability to hunt but the very high risk of injury or death for your Boerboel, that is in always present when hunting hogs. From what I understand there are much less expensive dogs that are generally better suited for hog hunting. 
    Remy would probably do very well as a hog dog, but I think we will stick with the local groundhogs, squirrels and the occasional deer around here.

Video of one and Moe and Remy's finest

Here is video of Tiberius from Moe and Remy's litter in this video he is 13 weeks. Hopefully soon we will have more updates. It is a very amazing thing to see a puppy from Remy looking like I remember her like yesterday. I think he is a very good looking pup and I am excited to see him grow and mature

My Remy is back

Remy was in Cleveland to have her puppies at my brothers house, she has been back home for awhile now and is pretty much returning to the old Remy. When she was dropped off she had a look on her face like she was being abandoned, fortunately she has returned and taken up her place around the house. I have noticed that she is a little bit more laid back but she is also more protective of our space if that makes any sense. As usual Remy gets a lot of exercise the boys keep her going, so her body is really snapping back into shape, snapping is not the right word but she is definitely returning to her old form

Lets hear it for Exotic Moe

As I mentioned Moe from Exotic Boerboels
was recently appraised at the SABT appraisal in Columbus, Ohio and was scored an astounding 89.9 which makes him eligible for the SABT's elite registry. This registry is reserved for Boerboels of exectional quality. So Moe,to you and your breeder Exotic BoerboelsI raise my glass congratulations.

The Boerboel Breed standard

I. General Appearance
The Boerboel is a large, robust, and smooth coated mastiff type dog. The Boerboel should be powerfully built and muscular, and should also be agile and dynamic in movement. The dog should not be long-limbed nor squat but have a skeletal and muscular structure that allows for maximum degree of power and agility.

II. Weight
Weight is not a definite measure of a Boerboels fitness. A Boerboels general shape, size, and contour are the focal points. The correct proportion of these attributes is paramount to the dogs working ability.

III. Sizes, Proportion and Substance
Size In line with present day requirements, a full size, well balanced dog should ideally measure in height from the withers to the ground, Male 26 inches, Female 24, but in any event should not be shorter than 23 inches – The bitch being proportionally shorter with an ideal height of 25 inches, but in any event not being shorter than 21 inches – height being related to weight.

IV. Balance
This may be defined as the correct proportions of certain points, when considered in relation to certain other points. It is the keystones of a Boerboels anatomy. The main points for consideration are the relative proportions of skull and foreface; head and back; height at withers and length of body from shoulder point to buttock – the ideal proportion being reached when the last two measurements are almost the same (9:10 ratio). It should be added that, although the head measurements can be taken with accuracy, the height at withers and length of back and coat are approximate, and are inserted for the information of breeders and exhibitors rather than as a hard-and-fast rule.

Proportion – In proportion, the length of back (length from point of shoulder to tail set) is not equal to distance from withers to ground, or slightly longer than tall, in a ratio of 10 to 9. The Boerboel must not evolve towards a square conformation.

V. Head
The head is a very important feature of the Boerboel, as it represents its total character. The head is short, broad, deep, square and muscular with well-filled cheeks. The Boerboel should have an alert and intelligent expression. The top of the skull (occipital area) is broad and flat, and from the side the muzzle and head are square. The skull must gradually decrease in width to the eyes and the stop should be visible but not prominent.

a. Eyes
Eye color ranges in all shades of yellow and brown, but 90% of dogs' eye color is lighter than the pelt. The eyes should be horizontally and wide set and looking straight forward, with firm well-pigmented eyelids. Eyes should not be protruding or set too deep, and haws should not show. Blue eyes must be seen as a serious fault. (Disqualification)

b. Ears
The ears should be of medium size, V-shaped and of moderate thickness. The ears are set high and wide against the skull. Ears should drop side ways close to the cheek. When the dog is interested, the ears should form a straight line with the top of the skull. The ideal length is when the lower tip of the ear is in line with the eye.

c. The muzzle
The muzzle is black with large nostrils that are largely spaced.

Disqualification: Liver colored, white or spotted nose.

d. Lips
The upper lip is loose and fleshy, and should not hang lower than the lower jaw. The upper lip (beneath the muzzle) should cover the lower lip

e. Jaws
Upper and lower should be strong, broad and muscular. The jaws should not be flat or snipey.

f. Teeth
The teeth should be white, well developed, correctly spaced, a complete set of 42 teeth and should have a scissors bite- a bite in which the outer side of the lower incisors touches the inner side of the upper incisors.

Penalization: Badly overshot and badly undershot i.e. more than 1 cm.

g. Disqualification
Rose, tulip, pricked or full drop is a serious fault.

The nasal bone is straight and as near to parallel as possible to the top line of the head, and should taper slightly from eye to muzzle, with or without a black mask. The nasal bone should be in proportion to the skull (approximately 8-10 cm long). The ratio between skull and nasal bone being 1/1.5:1

VI. Neck
The neck is muscular and clean in outline, with no dewlap (the skin must be loose under the throat and stretched taut between the forelegs). The neck shows a noticeable muscle curve and gradually widens toward the shoulder. The neck must be in proportion to the rest of the dog. An over long or short neck should be considered a fault.

VII. Body

a. Forequarters
Front legs are thick, strong and muscular to support overall balance of dog. The forelegs viewed from any direction must be straight as possible and stand perfectly vertical, without knees or feet turning either in or out. The front pasterns should be short, strong and a vertical extension of the front legs and pastern joints. The distance from the knee (stifle) joint and pastern (wrist) joint must not be too long to ensure a well-balanced dog capable of fluent movement.

b. Shoulders
Shoulders should be well laid back, with good muscle development. The upper arm should have good muscle development.

c. Chest and ribcage
The chest must be strong, wide and deeply set between the fore legs, with well attached and curved ribs. The ribcage should be in proportion to the chest.

d. Front Paws
The front paws are big, well padded and rounded with strong, dark and short toenails. The paws should point almost straight forward. Most large breeds' front paws however turn slightly outward

e. Top line
The top line should be straight.

f. Back
The back is straight, broad and in proportion, with prominent back muscles and a short loin. A straight “tabletop” back is however not ideal for efficient movement, a very slight dip behind the shoulder ensuring better overall movement. The back sloping slightly toward the loin is sometimes seen in young Boerboels.

g. Hindquarters
The hindquarters should be firm, strong and muscular and enhance effective propulsion. The hindquarters should be free from droop or crouch. The upper and second thigh (gaskin) should also be well developed with prominent muscles.

h. Knee (stifle)
The knees are strong, firm and correctly angulated. The hock joints are strong and firm with correct curving (45°)

I. Hocks
The hocks are relatively short, strong and thick. The hocks are parallel. (Dewclaws, if any are generally removed)

j. Hind Paws
The hind paws are slightly smaller than the front paws. They should be well padded, rounded and should point straight forward. The nails are strong, dark and short.

k. Tail
The tail is attached high to the body. It should be straight and is generally docked at three joints, however long tails are also accepted.

l. Faults
Faults are defined, as a prominent dip behind the shoulder, a round back, and a sloping loin, is a sign of poor rib- and or back development. Loose shoulder blades are also considered a fault. A large male has a “saddle” behind his shoulder blades, and behind this “saddle” is a slight “dip”. This “saddle” consists of muscles.

VIII. Coat
The coat is thick, smooth, short and loose, with dark pigmentation on the skin under the hair. Moderate wrinkles on the forehead when the dog is interested. The belly and underside of the thighs should be bare. Long hair is a definite sign of another breed.

IX. Color
All colors are accepted, although poor pigmentation is penalized.

X. Gait / Movement
A smooth, powerful ground-covering ability must be seen. Movement is the crucial test of conformation. Hind legs furnish the principal propulsion power. Perfection of action being found in the Boerboel possessing long thighs and muscular second thighs well bent at the stifles. When approaching, the forelegs should form a continuation of the straight line of the front, the feet being the same distance apart as the elbows. At a trot, both front and rear legs tend to converge toward the centerline of gravity. The Boerboel must show good extension both front and rear. Viewed from the side, the top line is firm and parallel to the line of motion – in other words in movement a straight top line should be maintained.

XI. Temperament
From past history of the Boerboel, the modern dog draws its character of remarkable courage, high intelligence, and tenacity. The Boerboel is also reliable, obedient and has a strong watchdog instinct. This coupled with its affection for its friends, and children in particular, its off-duty quietness and trustworthy stability, makes it a foremost all-purpose dog. The Boerboel has a quick and intelligent mind and is easily trained. He is outgoing and shows a tremendous willingness to please. He makes an excellent family dog as well as a trustworthy hunting companion.

S.A.B.T. Appraisal schedule

S.A.B.T. Appraisal Schedule
Date Event Type Location Start Time Appraiser
10/10/2009 Appraisal Harrisburg, NC 1:00 PM Johan van Wyk
10/10/2009 Appraisal Burton, MI 3:00 PM Thys von Solms
10/11/2009 Appraisal Outside Hamilton, ON 12:00 PM Thys von Solms
10/11/2009 Breeders Course Concord, NC 8:00 AM Johan van Wyk
10/12/2009 Appraisal Bensalem, PA 1:00 PM Thys von Solms
10/12/2009 Breeders Course Concord, NC 8:00 AM Johan van Wyk
10/13/2009 Appraisal Clearbrook, VA 10:00 AM Johan van Wyk
10/14/2009 Appraisal Redmond, WA 10:00 AM Thys von Solms
10/15/2009 Appraisal Westerville, OH 9:00 AM Johan van Wyk
10/15/2009 Appraisal Los Gatos, CA 12:00 PM Thys von Solms
10/16/2009 Appraisal Collinsville, IL 12:00 PM Johan van Wyk
10/18/2009 Appraisal Tempe, AZ 10:00 AM Johan & Thys
10/20/2009 Appraisal New Orleans, LA 8:00 AM Johan & Thys
10/21/2009 Appraisal Live Oak, FL 9:00 AM Johan & Thys

Boerboel obedience

This video was extremely fun to shoot. Darris and Remy did a fantastic job. Of course we did it all in one take. Darris has been working with Remy quite a bit and sometimes she gives him a little trouble, I think it has to do with him being the smallest in the house but I am very proud how far both of them have come.

Photos of my Boerboels

Why the S.A.B.T appraisal is important to me

   Many people attend the appraisals for many different reasons, here I will detail my own.
The number 1 most important reason to for me to attend the Borboel Appraisal is the opportunity to see other Boerboels. The South African Boerboel is what is known as a rare breed, here in the states, it is so rare that very few people have even heard of the breed let alone seen one.  I really like Boerboels and I would like to see more of them around. I think more Boerboel specific events should be planned. I n fact heeding my own advice I am going to start looking into something for the spring '10. So be on the look out for Borboelpalooza
    The appraisal are a very intregal part of the plan for anyone who breeds or is thinking about breeding South African Boerboels. It is the only way U.S. breeders can see how their dogs measure up against dogs bred in S. Africa. My dogs have made the commitment to come in in the best shape of their lives.

Preparing for the U.S. S.A,B.T. Appraisal

I am very excited the S.A.B.T. appraisals are coming up here in Ohio. I am very fortunate that this year the appraisal is in my back yard.
 Today I am going to give a brief detail of what I have been doing to prepare Moe & Remy for the appraisal.
I will start with diet, as I think that a boerboels diet has an effect on his overall health. I have stated in the past that I am feeding the B.A.R.F. diet with Remy. I am not following B.A.R.F to the letter though. I am feeding a lot of raw chicken and a mix which consists of rice cow tongue and some veggie I ground up in the blender. I would like to add some fresh green tripe, which I will do after the weekend.
  Remy is eating a total of 4 lbs a day which is about 8 % of her body wight. I began preparation for the appraisal by reducing her calories intake and now I have increased it from 5% to where we are today. Moe is eating 5 lbs a day which is about 6% of his weight. I am not sure about the actual % but I am observing them and altering the amount by what I see from them physically and by checking their stools.
  This will be my first Boerboel appraisal so I read "The Boerboel, South Africa's Own" by Anemari Pretorius, so that I could have a better understanding of what took expect. I also looked across the web for pictures of highly rated Boerboels so that I could try to see what the appraiser saw.
   I can only attempt to improve upon the muscular appearance of the dogs, or should I say their fitness. I started by extending our walks and gradually increased it to a run. Initially Moe, who in my opinion was carrying a little extra weight,  was having a hard time on the runs but with the cut in weight his activity level increased. Remy needed and probably still needs some mass but what I did was have her drop a little weight too. Once both dogs could maintain a good pace on a run or I should say jog, I turned them over to my son who is a training Junior Olympic fighter  for sprints on the hill. Moe is using the hill to improve his rear muscle which I am starting to see improvement. Remy is working on her shoulders and chest. So Moe is getting the work going up the hill and Remy is getting it going down the hill.
    I really feel like I have 3 fighters and I am the master trainer. I am also getting my work in so we should be the best looking group at the appraisal.

My Boerboel photo post

Here are a few photos of  two of my favorite Boerboels, Remy & Moe. 

They were having a ball working out, I am trying to get them in shape for the SABT,( South African Boerboel Breeders Ass.) appraisal, which is used to evaluate your dogs value to the breed in terms of conformation to the breed standard. This is very important  , in future I would like to breed Remy & Moe. In order for Remy to official recognized as a Boerboel she must score a min of  75% conformation to the breed standard..

 The SABT has set a minimum standard for any Boerboel to be considered for the stud register is 85%. The South African Boerboel is recognized by the AKC as a foundation stock, which means that the breed is new, and not enough Boerboels have been registered for the breed as a whole to be recognized. There is a lot of discussion amongst Boerboel owners regarding the merits or lack of the various organizations. My opinion is that the SABT which is recognized as the founding organization should be consulted for issues regarding breed conformation. I personally would like to see the AKC fully recognize the Boerboel if for no other reason than it will increase awareness of the breed in the states. Greater awareness means more Boerboel owners and more Boerboel events which at the end of the day, should be good for the breed as a whole. Boerboels are a native dog of South African, but I would like to see more Boerboels purchased from breeders in the states. I believe in keeping our money at home especially in times like this. The breeders here are producing quality animals which very soon should rival those bred in South Africa.

                   Here is Remy a little after her first birthday

Here is another angle of the who's that pose

Moe @ 2 & Remy checkin out the scene

It is time to go home baby!!!