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Boerboel News
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This page contains various odds and ends that may be of interest to the Boerboel community.
The only two rules that apply to this page:
- Have no fear of controversy
- The truth must not necessarily interfere with a good story
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Stories
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Politics and the Boerboel.
Here is a particularly apt definition of politics, especially where the Boerboel community is concerned.
POLITICS, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of
principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.
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Boerboel photos from the past
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Jakkalskop, Heilbron 1927
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From the Labuschagne family albums these photos may be of interest to the Boerboel community. The photos can be dated and placed with a degree of accuracy and the dogs portrayed therein are the ancestors of todays boerboel.
Photo of Man, boy, horse & dog.
One of the farms in the Labuschagne family in the Heilbron district of the
Free state was Jakkalskop. The boy on the horse was Casper Jeremiah Labuschagne
and the man on his right was Frederick Jacobus Labuschagne.
The dog below the horse could very well be a
Boerboel and has many attributes of the present Boerboel. This dog was typical
of the working farm dogs of the time.
Photo of Man, baby & dog.
Casper Jeremiah Labuschagne (my grandfather and also the boy on the horse above) is holding Frederik Jacobus Labuschagne (my father) who was born in 1937. The photo was taken before the family purchased a house in Linden in Johannesburg in 1939. My grandmother used to tell a number of stories about the exploits of the dog in the photo. The dog originated from the Labuschagne farm in Heilbron before my grandparents were married in 1935.
Whether the dog on the 2nd photo is a Boerboel is uncertain. The dog has certain Boerboel characteristics but it also resembles a number of dogs from the Irish Wolfhound to the Great Dane.
It is entirely probable that the ancestry of the present Boerboel includes these sort of bloodlines.
Of interest is the massive chain on the dog. This was typical of working guard dogs where they would be tied up to protect a back yard or such.
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Johannesburg 1939
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If you have any photos of Boerboel dogs, please let me know about them.
If possible please forward scanned images to casperl@mizpahboerboel.co.za.
Casper Labuschagne
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The docking of Tails
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For the record I am against the docking of a dog's tail. To quote Lucas van der Merwe: "Why pay so much for a dog and then cut off a piece of the dog." The tails of the old boerboels on Mizpah pre 1983 were not docked.
Occasionally a Boerboel slips by where the tail is not docked as can be seen on the photo of Mizpah Stert.
In Scandinavian countries docking of tails are prohibited yet the Boerboels in Norway and Denmark appear to be wonderful dogs!
Unfortunately, unless legislation in South Africa prohibits the docking of tails, we have no option other than to dock the tails of the Boerboels since our experience is that it is much, much easier to sell puppies with docked tails. In other words, if the public demands docked tails, they will get docked tails. But the argument does not end here.
Reasons not to dock tails:
- There is a range of expressions a dog conveys through tail wagging etc.
- The balance of a dog with a tail is different when running and walking. In my view the motion of a dog that is not docked is much more fluent.
- There are genetic defects that can be recognised by a deformed tail or a tail with a kink. Dr Daan Marais, a well known geneticist has on occasion remarked: "Show me the tail and I'll show you the dog!"
- Dogs are expensive. Why pay all that money and then cut off a portion of the dog's spine?
- The measure of pain and stress caused to puppies in the process of docking tails is undeniable.
Reasons to dock tails:
- The perception exists that there is a possibility that a large dog will knock objects off small tables when wagging it's tail.
- Humans (born without tails and customarily seen walking on two feet) are used to the idea of not having a tail and seemingly would like to impose their prejudices on animals walking on four feet up to the point of conflicting involuntary amputation upon the misfortunate animals.
- To hide genetic defects such as a deformed tail or a kink in the tail that can be an indication of problems in the spine.
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