“Genetic Pros and Cons of the Boerboel.”

Boerboels are an amazing breed with relatively few genetic problems. This is backed up by the fact that they are one of the longest lived large breeds/mastiffs in the world, with many Boerboels living over the age of ten and some reaching the age of fourteen. The genetics of the Boerboels that we have in Australia have excellent hips and elbows, once again thanks to Craig Blooms expert eye and attention for detail when selecting his dogs, we are trying to maintain the Boerboel’s quality by doing health checks on all breeding stock.

The major thorn in the Boerboels side is a problem that only bitches get and that problem is called Vaginal Hyperplasia which is an exaggerated response by the vaginal tissue to oestrogen during certain phases of the oestrus (heat) cycle. The vaginal tissue becomes swollen and may protrude through the vulva, or external female genital organ, as a tongue-shaped mass. Although many Veterinarians believe that Vaginal Hyperplasia is not genetic, we are treating this problem as genetic. To reduce the incidence of Vaginal Hyperplasia we are only breeding individual bitches that do not have any sign of Vaginal Hyperplasia and we are also breeding away from bloodlines that show a larger propensity for this problem. Fortunately even if a female gets this problem it can be easily fixed by desexing, allowing her to have a long problem free life. “Typically We Find That The Boerboel Is A Healthy Robust Dog That Will Live To Be Over 10 Years Of Age And Does Not Need To Go To The Vet Too Often Except For Their Yearly Vaccination And Check Up.”