We at Mouzer Boerboel Breeders, strive to select the right owner for each dog. We cannot sell a puppy or dog unless we are sure that you, the human, would know how to take care of your new friend.

Before you consider buying a dog, you have to be financially and mentally prepared. Before you buy, please consider the following:

• Am I financially able to provide my dog with well balanced food, preferably from a vet?
• Do I have the time to change his water, feed him and spend some time with him daily?
• How is my health, can I take part in activities with him/her?
• Where will my dog stay during the day when I'm at work and where will he sleep at night?

When you get your puppy home, you need to keep him warm, he has just come from his mother and is used to being next to her warm body. When you get a bed make sure it is big enough and easy to clean. These days you can get a nice big cushion with a pillowcase made of strong material that can easily be taken off to be washed, at a very reasonable price from leading pet stores. The material has to be strong and durable because dogs love to scratch before they lie down.

VACCINATIONS

It is very important to take your puppy to the vet for his vaccinations, make sure you take all the relevant information with you. I cannot stress enough the importance of completing the vaccination course!

TOILET TRAINING

A puppy needs to relieve itself approximately six times per day. Start training your dog to “doodle” after each meal. Newspaper can be layered and placed in a corner away from the area it feeds and sleeps. After meals take your puppy to the newspaper and praise it when it does a “doodle”. Change the sheet after each motion, place the bottom sheet on the top. This helps remind the puppy that the newspaper is where it's supposed to go, by sight and smell.

Out of experience we have learned that a happy puppy is a “clean-conscience” puppy. He will not want his living area to be dirty and smelly and will out of his own choice “doodle” further off in your garden.

FEEDING

“Feeding is half the breeding!” This is so true. For your puppy to grow into a healthy dog he needs to have the right food at the right stages during his life. Let your vet help you in selecting the right food for your dog for your dog's nutritional requirements will change in each stage of his life.

GROOMING

It is not such a bad idea to take your dog to a grooming parlour now and again. Usually when our dogs go to the vet, I also take them to the parlour. It doesn't cost that much and they love the attention. It gives them time to clean the ears, clip the toenails and check for any other irregularities that you might not have noticed.

EXERCISE AND TRAINING

This is so important! Boerboels cannot grow on love alone. They need lots of exercise, especially the males. A dog that doesn't get enough exercise, particularly if they are kept in a small garden, tend to get irritated and aggressive. Before you take your dog for a walk buy the necessary equipment. You will need at least a choking chain and a lead. The most important rule is that you should NEVER be cruel. It won't help you one bit to yell at your dog. He still will not understand what you want from him, there are other ways of communicating. It is never too early to start training your dog. Consult a trainer or enrol your dog at an obedience school.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. It you stay in town or have a small yard, it is preferable to rather have a bitch than a male dog. Males tend to get easily frustrated and aggressive if they are cooped up in small spaces with little or no exercise.
2. Dogs love digging. Identify a space that could be keep moist, to help ensure that your dog only digs on one spot.
3. A concrete slab of some sort may be more hygienic and easier to clean but causes rough patches on the dog's legs.
4. Usually a dog gives preference to a specific place to do his business “doodle”. If you keep that place clean, he will keep to that spot and not mess around your garden.

SELECTING THE RIGHT DOG FOR YOU

This is surely the one test that many of us fail at. We tend to pick the quietest puppy. That doesn't necessarily mean it is the right puppy for you. Here are a few hints in assisting you to select the right puppy:

1. Buy from a registered breeder. Insist on proof of membership at the SABT or the HBSA. A cheap bargain will eventually prove to be expensive.

    

2. Insist on seeing both parents and there genealogical register. Very important don't just have a look at the dogs over the fence. Ask the breeder to handle the dog a bit, for example: turn the male on its back, put his hand in its mouth and fiddle with its teeth, sit on its back and play with the dog for a while. If the breeder or owner is not able to handle the dog in that manner, you should not buy a puppy of that bloodline. This might seem harsh to you but it is common knowledge that if the father is an overly aggressive dog, a great presentation of his offspring will have the same problem. This is also called temperament. If the breeder cannot handle his dogs, how sure are you that you will be able to handle yours when it is grown up. The dog's temperament is one of the most important aspects to keep in mind when you buy a puppy. A cranky, temperamental dog is not a Boerboel.

3. Colour should not be the decisive factor – as long as it complies with breeding standards.

4. Pigmentation is very important, namely black muzzle, black toenails, black lips. The palate must be as black as possible.

5. A good breeder will be able to tell you how every puppy's character develops. He should be able to tell you more or less which pup will be the aggressive one and which will be the self assured one. (That would be the one that playfully welcomes you while pulling your shoelaces or trousers.) An over friendly puppy is also not preferable if you want it for a guard dog.

We hope this info in our series of health talks will be to you and your pet's benefit and save you money and heartbreak.

Important Tips

For both you and your Boerboel to be happy it is important to know and use these tips:

1. IT IS NOT FUNNY WHEN A CHILD TEASES A DOG. Remember that your dog is still only an animal. It is their instinct to protect themselves when they feel threatened. If a child is persistent in teasing or hitting the dog remove the CHILD.

2. Do not expect the pup to absorb endless punishment in the form of constant noise or teasing. He will learn to defend himself unless he has some place to go such as a crate, bed, corner, or run where he can go when he does not want to be disturbed. Make certain that everyone understands that he is not to be disturbed there, and then make sure that he is not. He will come back when he is ready to do so.

3. Do not leave your dog unattended in the yard with small children no matter how trustworthy you may think your dog is. Although Boerboels enjoy children more than many other breeds, they are not a miracle dog and must be treated the same as any other large dog when around children. A dog may not mean to hurt a child, yet it usually seems to turn out the other way. For the dog it may seem like he is playing, just the same way he would play with his peers.

4. Do not buy a dog until he can be securely fenced from:

   Teasing by small children
   Dog nappers
   Stray dogs
   Mishaps on the road

5. Do insist that neighbourhood children who come to play abide by the same rules that you expect of your own. If they don't, simply explain why and send them home. This will definitely save you a lot of trouble later on.

6. FOOD TRAINING is very important. From the moment that you bring the puppy home you should start training him. When you give him his food in a bowl, stay with him for a while and when he least expects it, put your hand in or near the bowl. If he growls at you, you have to let him understand that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. He will soon learn that he should not growl at you at any time. This is not cruel, this is a way of ensuring that your dog will never bite anyone when at his food bucket. Teach your dog to sit before he is given food, or a treat, and to wait for an okay before taking it. The boerboel pup will grow quicker than your toddler. If the 'sit stay' becomes automatic, you will find him sitting before a baby with food, hoping but never touching. Parents of visiting children are less than understanding when your 50kg dog grabs for a cookie and their child goes tumbling. Many a time fear of dogs is tracked back to such an incident. They will not only remember that it was a large dog but also that it was a Boerboel. They are just like children, it is up to you to teach your dog what is accepted and what not. With your guidance your child will grow up to be a responsible adult, the same goes for the dog.

HEALTH CARE BY A VETERINARIAN

When to act promptly and when to wait!

Symptoms: Lethargic, weak, quiet, hiding, anorectic, vomiting, diarrhoea, bad shivers or almost going into seizures, etc.

1. Take the temperature in the animal's anus for +- 30 seconds:
   1. Anything above 39°C take to the vet as soon as possible
   2. Anything below 39°C take to the vet if:

2. The skin of neck or stomach does not fall back at the same rate as your own hand skin on top = dehydration
3. The animal does not stop with diarrhoea or vomiting for over 3 hours and start to dehydrate (see i).
4. The blood in vomit that is tar like or like coffee granules is dangerous, fresh blood in stool is also dangerous!
5. The animal that is weak and going into deep sleep or coma.
6. Shaking especially in bitches with puppies (mostly 3 weeks after birth). The smaller the dog the more dangerous it is.
7. Hit by cars or traumatised in the lung or chest area. You may wait if the temperature is under 38°C if the animal is alive and does not show any of the above symptoms.

   TAKE ALL FOOD AWAY AND DOSE WATER WITH ELECTROLYTES. DO NOT RELY ON THE PET TO DRINK ENOUGH ITSELF. PREVENT ANY CONTACT WITH GRASS, OTHER ANIMALS OR ANY FOOD, NO MATTER WHAT, FOR 24 HOURS!!

   You may dose with "Pectrolyte" or "enteritis mixture" at a rate of 1ml per 5 kg together with the electrolytes.

   Even if the animal drinks by itself you must still dose extra electrolytes at a rate of at least 2-ml per kg every 10 minutes or more if possible. The animal must be OK after 24 hours - otherwise consult your vet.

8. If your pet goes limp, into a coma, or keeps on shaking as with epilepsy, please contact your vet.

Also contact your vet for a diet that your pet must follow 24 hours after stomach upsets. Please feel free to contact us for telephonic support or any queries.

Animal greetings

Dr Jaco Jacobs
VAL DE GRACE ANIMAL CLINIC
Tel: +27-012-804-8901