1. |
General Appearance |
| The Boerboel is a large, strong dog. He is well-balanced with well-developed muscles, has resilient movement; is an impressive and imposing figure of strength. Male dogs appear more masculine and females more feminine. | |
2. |
Important Body Proportions |
| The Boerboel is a perfectly balanced dog with all body parts in proportion. | |
3. |
Temperament and Character Qualities |
| The Boerboel is reliable, obedient and intelligent with good watchdog instincts. He is also self-confident and without fear. | |
4. |
Head |
| The head is one of the most important characteristics of the Boerboel as it represents the whole character of the Boerboel. The head is short, broad, deep, square and muscular with well-filled cheeks. The section between the eyes must be well-filled. | |
5. |
Plateau |
| The plateau is wide and flat with prominent musculature. | |
6. |
Face |
| The face must gradually melt together with the scull. With or without a black mask. | |
6.1 |
Stop |
| The stop is visible but not prominent. | |
6.2 |
Nose |
| The nose is black (only) with large, widely spaced nostrils. | |
6.3 |
Nasal Bone |
| The nasal bone is straight and in line with the cranial roof. It is deep, wide and slightly narrows at the sides towards the front. It is between 8 and 10cm long. | |
6.4 |
Lips |
| The top lip is loose and fleshy and does not hang past the bottom jaw. The top lip (underneath the nose) must cover the bottom lip. The bottom lip is not too loose and fleshy – in other words: it should not have excessive lip. | |
6.5 |
Jaws |
| The jaws are strong, deep and wide and slightly narrow at the sides towards the front. | |
6.6 |
Teeth |
| The teeth are white, well-developed, correctly spaced and complete with a prominent scissor bite. | |
6.7 |
Eyes |
| The colour of the eyes can be any shade of brown, but darker than the coat. The eyes must be set on the same horizontal level. They are widely spaced with firm, well-pigmented eyelids. | |
6.8 |
Ear-flaps |
| The ear-flaps are medium sized, V-shaped and in proportion to the head. They are set quite high and wide. When attentive, the top of the ears must form a straight line with the plateau. | |
7. |
Neck |
7.1 |
Profile |
| The neck forms a noticeable muscle arch with a high attachment at the shoulders. | |
7.2 |
Length |
| The neck is of average length and in proportion to the rest of the body. | |
7.3 |
Shape |
| The neck is strong and muscular and firmly attached to the head. This attachment gradually broadens towards the shoulders. The neck forms a unit with the head and shoulders. | |
7.4 |
Scruff of the Neck |
| The scruff of the neck is loose from under the chin and tightens up between the front legs. | |
8. |
Body |
| The body of the Boerboel slightly narrows at the loins. | |
8.1 |
Top Line |
| The top line is straight. | |
8.2 |
Back |
| The back is straight, wide and in proportion, with prominent back muscles and a short loin. | |
8.3 |
Croup |
| The croup is wide, strong with well-defined musculature. | |
8.4 |
Chest |
| The chest is strong and muscular. The chest is wide and placed deep between the front legs, with a well-attached and rounded ribcage. The width of the ribcage is in proportion to the chest. | |
8.5 |
Tail |
| The tail is set high. It is straight and preferably short (three segments). Long tails are permissible. | |
9. |
Forequarter |
| The forequarter is strong and muscular and in proportion to the rest of the dog. | |
9.1 |
Shoulders |
| The shoulders are well-attached, with well-defined musculature and with the correct angle. | |
9.2 |
Upper Arms |
| The upper arms have well-defined musculature. | |
9.3 |
Elbows |
| The elbows are parallel with the body. | |
9.4 |
Front Legs |
| The front legs are thick, strong, with well-defined musculature and in a perfect vertical position. | |
9.5 |
Front Pasterns |
| The front pasterns are thick, strong, of medium length and a vertical extension of the front legs and pastern joints. | |
9.4 |
Front Paws |
| The front paws are large, well-padded and ball-shaped with strong, curved, dark toenails. The front paws must point straight forward. | |
10. |
Hindquarter |
| The hindquarter is strong, firm and muscular in proportion to the rest of the body and with the ability to move effectively. | |
10.1 |
Upper Thighs |
| The upper thighs are wide, deep well-shaped and muscular. | |
10.2 |
Second Thighs (Gaskins) |
| The second thighs are well-developed with prominent musculature | |
10.3 |
Knees |
| The knees are strong and firm with the correct angle. | |
10.4 |
Hock Joints |
| The hock joints are strong and firm with the correct angle. | |
10.5 |
Hind Pasterns |
| The hind pasterns are relatively short, strong and thick and are parallel with one another. Any dewclaws must be removed. | |
10.6 |
Back Paws |
| The back paws are slightly smaller than the front paws. They are well-padded and well-formed and point straight to the front. The toenails are strong, curved and dark in colour. | |
11. |
Movement |
| The movement of the Boerboel is comfortable, smooth, strong and purposeful with good drive by the hindquarter and parallel movement of the legs. During movement the straight topline is fixed. The back paws are slightly smaller than the front paws. They are well-padded and well-formed and point straight to the front. The toenails are strong, curved and dark in colour. | |
12. |
Skin |
| The skin is thick, loose and well-pigmented with slight wrinkles on the brow when the dog is attentive. | |
13. |
Coat |
| The coat is short and smooth with dense pelt. The recognised colours are yellow, tawny, reddish-brown, brown and all shades of brindle. | |
14. |
Size |
| The ideal size of the male dog is 66cm. The height can vary between 64cm and 70cm. The ideal height of the female is 61cm. The height can vary between 59cm and 65cm. |
|
15. |
General Health |
| As a result of natural selection the general health of the Boerboel meets high standards. | |
16. |
Pigmentation |
| The Boerboel is well-pigmented, especially the lips, eyes, footpads, toenails and genitals. |