DMikeM
Well-Known Member
The first advertisement mentioning the name “Boerboel†was placed in the “Landbou Weekblad†(Farmer’s Weekly) of August 1984 when Mr. Johan de Jager of Utrecht stated: (Free translation): “If breeders want to assure the future of the Boerboel, and rescue what could still be rescued, a breed association must be formed as soon as possible to lay down breed standards and appraise dogs that are as close as possible to the set standardâ€
But what caused this dog to retain and develop its unique characteristics without directed human interference for such a long period of time?
Firstly the absence of human interference in breeding practices caused the breed to remain unchanged as a result of cosmetic whims for much longer that most other dog breeds. No breed society existed for the Boerboel until 1986. If Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival at the Cape is taken as the “origin date†of the breed, it means that unregulated breeding, including cross breeding, took place for 334 years, followed by a human managed breeding program, barely 24 years old. Humans have a known tendency to manipulate and change animals to what their desires dictate. As stated earlier, breed societies are simply collections of humans with a specific purpose in mind. By not regulating the Boerboel, the strongest genes were allowed to dominate freely. An unregulated dog pack is very similar in nature to a wolf pack in that the strongest male (Alpha) will mate with the females in season and the strongest female (Alpha) will kill the weaker females and sometimes their offspring to reduce competition.
If cross breeding was allowed to happen at will, why didn’t the dog lose its unique characteristics? The Boerboel genes that were dominant over other dog breed genes were simply those characteristics made them exceptionally suitable to the harsh African environment. If a dog was not hardy and resistant to the African illnesses and parasites, if it did not possess an amicable nature, was no good at protecting the ox wagons of the Voortrekkers or the homestead of a settler; if it could not face up to a lion or a leopard; if it could not kill snakes; if it could not run properly to at least keep the chase dogs in sight and if it could not hold its prey down until its master could kill it, it was of no use in its environment. Dogs showing these characteristics were therefore fed and deliberately bred with other dogs showing the same or complimentary characteristics long before any breed society was established. The result of the functionally driven breeding program, which clearly included survival of the fittest, resulted in a recognizable, unique dog named the Boerboel or “Farmer€™s Dogâ€.
But what caused this dog to retain and develop its unique characteristics without directed human interference for such a long period of time?
Firstly the absence of human interference in breeding practices caused the breed to remain unchanged as a result of cosmetic whims for much longer that most other dog breeds. No breed society existed for the Boerboel until 1986. If Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival at the Cape is taken as the “origin date†of the breed, it means that unregulated breeding, including cross breeding, took place for 334 years, followed by a human managed breeding program, barely 24 years old. Humans have a known tendency to manipulate and change animals to what their desires dictate. As stated earlier, breed societies are simply collections of humans with a specific purpose in mind. By not regulating the Boerboel, the strongest genes were allowed to dominate freely. An unregulated dog pack is very similar in nature to a wolf pack in that the strongest male (Alpha) will mate with the females in season and the strongest female (Alpha) will kill the weaker females and sometimes their offspring to reduce competition.
If cross breeding was allowed to happen at will, why didn’t the dog lose its unique characteristics? The Boerboel genes that were dominant over other dog breed genes were simply those characteristics made them exceptionally suitable to the harsh African environment. If a dog was not hardy and resistant to the African illnesses and parasites, if it did not possess an amicable nature, was no good at protecting the ox wagons of the Voortrekkers or the homestead of a settler; if it could not face up to a lion or a leopard; if it could not kill snakes; if it could not run properly to at least keep the chase dogs in sight and if it could not hold its prey down until its master could kill it, it was of no use in its environment. Dogs showing these characteristics were therefore fed and deliberately bred with other dogs showing the same or complimentary characteristics long before any breed society was established. The result of the functionally driven breeding program, which clearly included survival of the fittest, resulted in a recognizable, unique dog named the Boerboel or “Farmer€™s Dogâ€.
