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Date Posted: 13:54:43 05/12/09 Tue
Author: Norman Epstein
Subject: Degrading the breed?
In reply to: Samantha 's message, "Re: The Trial" on 19:17:39 05/11/09 Mon

Not really. Samantha you are accurate that endurance is not a bred for trait in a correctly mastiff but they should be able to trot/run for distance if called to do so. Moreover it is folly to believe that given our proclivity for size and bone that today very many could even finish an AD. It is not, as you suggest, that a Boerboel would choose to run 20 miles it is that if their handler needed them to, they could. This is underscored in Tony McCallum’s video of his Boerboel Nugget (spelling?) pushing cattle. Do you think he took her out to the cows in a station wagon? I strongly doubt it. It is more likely he had her accompany him while on horseback, which would require a dog to be able to keep up and if it couldn’t it wouldn’t have been much help, hence would have been culled. It is good to remember “Boerboel” means farm dog. True the historic Boerboel must protect but that is only part of what they had to do to be of use. The Boerboel today is supposed to be one of the most athletic mastiffs, which begs the question how are we today going to confirm this claim , take a breeders word for it? e.g., “sure they can do it”. The AD is a lot more than just “impressive” but, sans work, helps confirms working conformation, cardio heath, pulmonary health, ligament strength, hips, elbows and the want to complete a difficult task and for the record said task becomes much more difficult in the summer months.

Samantha wrote in part:
“Trying to make it do 50 things its not bred to do is whats causing the watering down and degrading of the breed”.

First of all no one is making the Boerboel do anything. What is occurring is, a few want to confirm what a Boerboel can do if asked and not take our many web sites and breeders word for what they can and can’t do. I can’t imagine that efforts, such as this, are as you suggest “watering down and degrading of the breed” in fact IMO what is degrading this breed are folks asking as little as possible of this breed. Regards Norman

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