Owning dogs, especially taking care of the boerboel, is old hat for people. Zoologists say dogs were domesticated between twelve thousand and twenty five thousand years ago—and that all canines evolved from wolves. Since then, we have selectively bred more than four hundred different breeds, which range in size from four-pound teacup poodles to Irish wolfhounds, whose three-foot stature earns them the distinction of the tallest canine. However, the most popular canines are non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mixed-breeds. The boerboel is another favorite pick among dog owners. Some owners are uninformed, however, of many important boerboel care tips.
Health care cost of your boerboel
The yearly budget for taking care of your boerboel—to include meals and treats, to doctor bills, toys and license—can vary between $420 and $780. This figure doesn’t include capital costs for sterilization surgery, collar and leash, carrier and a doggie crate. Note: Make sure you have all the required supplies before getting your boerboel home for the 1st time.
Typical boerboel Care
Feeding the boerboel
- boerboel pups between eight and 12 weeks need four meals in a twenty-four hour period.
- boerboel pups 3 to 6 months old should be fed three meals each day.
- Feed puppies six months to one year old 2 times every twenty-four hours.
- When the boerboel makes his 1st birthday, 1 meal daily is adequate.
- Sometimes adult boerboels, however, do better with 2 smaller bowls. It is your job to adapt to your boerboel’s eating habits.
Excellent-quality dry dogfood ensures a balanced diet for full-grown boerboels and can mix with canned food, broth, or water. Your boerboel may love cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables, and cooked eggs, but these shouldn’t be more than 10 pct of her daily nutrition. boerboel pups should probably be given top-quality, brand-name puppy food. Please try to limit “people food”, though, since it can cause mineral and vitamin deficiencies, tooth and bone concerns, and may result in some very picky eating habits and obesity. Give clean, potable water always, and be certain to clean water and food bowls very often.
boerboel Care Tips: Your boerboel needs exercise daily
boerboels need exercise in order to stay in shape, recharge their brains, and maintain good health. Daily activity also seems to help boerboels fight boredom, which often has the potential to lead to to difficult behavior. Some outside playtime can cure most of your boerboel’s desires to retrieve, dig, chew, chase and herd. Exercise needs vary based on your boerboel’s age and his level of health—but a couple of walks down the street every day and ten minutes outside probably is not enough. If your boerboel is a six to 18 month adolescent, his requirements will be more.
Grooming tips for boerboels
You can help reduce shedding and keep your boerboel clean with frequent brushing. Check for ticks and fleas every day during warm weather. Many boerboels don’t need a bath more than a few times a year. Before the bath, cut out or comb all mats from the boerboel’s coat. Rinse all soap out of the coat, or the dirt will stick to the soap residue.
boerboel Handling
Pups are obviously easier to handle. When carrying your boerboel puppy, place one of your hands beneath the dog’s chest, with either the forearm or your other hand supporting his hind legs and rump. Never try to grab or lift your pup by her front legs, back of the neck or tail. If you must lift a larger, full-grown boerboel, pick it up from underneath, holding his or her chest with one of your arms and rear end with your other arm.
How to House your boerboel
boerboels need a warm peaceful spot in order to rest apart from all breezes and off the floor or ground. You may want to purchase a doggie bed, or make one from a wooden box. Put a clean sheet or pillow in the bed as cushion. Wash the boerboel’s bed covering frequently. If the boerboel will be spending a lot of time outdoors, make certain he has access to covering and plenty of cool water in the summer, and a dry, covered, warm shelter during the winter.
boerboel Licensing
Follow the city’s licensing rules. You should attach the license to the boerboel’s collar. The license, along with an ID tattoo, can easily help secure your boerboel’s return if he happens to go missing.
Information on boerboel Behavior
Thoughts on Training the boerboel
Well-mannered, companion boerboels are truly a joy to own. But left untrained, your dog will most likely be a lot of trouble. Teaching your boerboel the fundamentals—”Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, and “Leave it”—improves your relationship with both the boerboel and your relatives. If you have a pup, start training her on the appropriate behavior quickly! Food can be used as incentive and recognition. Puppies should start obedience courses when they are sufficiently immunized. Call your community humane society or SPCA for details on obedience course recommendations. It is wise to walk your boerboel on a leash while in public, even as a puppy. Be sure your dog will come back to you if you tell her to. An aggressive or disobedient boerboel should not play with children.
boerboel Health
boerboels should see the veterinarian for a full diagnosis, vaccinations and a heartworm exam each and every year, and promptly when she is ill or injured.
Knowing Your boerboel’s Dental Health
Although we might simply dislike our boerboel’s foul breath, we must be aware of what it might indicate. Foul breath is a sign that your boerboel should get an oral examination. Plaque , which is brought on by bacteria brings a foul stench that necessitates the help of a professional. Once your boerboel has had a cleaning from a professional, his teeth and gums can be maintained in a healthy state by feeding a special diet focused on dental health, eliminating table food, and regular brushing. Your vet can provide you more advice for reducing dental problems as well as halitosis. You can clean the boerboel’s teeth with a dog paste or a baking-soda-and-water paste twice a week. Use a child’s soft toothbrush, a gauze pad or a piece of nylon stocking stretched over your finger. Sometimes boerboels get periodontal disease, frequently referred to as gum disease. Frequently, loss of teeth takes place as a result of gum disease. Infections can sometimes also spread to the rest of your boerboel’s body. The vet will sometimes brush the teeth at a typical checkup.
Breeds with Halitosis (bad breath)
If your boerboel has bad breath, gum disease might not necessarily be the only disease, as other more serious illnesses also have that symptom. A fruity, even pleasant smell may frequently be a sign of diabetes, while intestinal or liver diseases may cause foul breath. When your boerboel’s breath smells of urine or ammonia, kidney disease is a possibility. Set an appointment with a veterinarian whenever your boerboel has halitosis along with other signs of disease like excessive urinating or drinking, depression or lethargy, weight loss, nausea, or decreased appetite.
boerboel Tick and Flea Issues
Regular, daily checks of your boerboel for fleas and ticks in the summer are critical. Use a flea comb to remove and find fleas. There are numerous new procedures of tick control. Speak to your veterinarian about his options.
Heartworm problems in boerboels
The heartworm is a parasite that lives in the heart and is passed from a contaminated dog to your boerboel by mosquitoes. Heartworm infections are known to be fatal. It is wise to give your boerboel a heartworm screen every single spring—this is necessary to detect infections from the past year. A once-a-month pill given throughout the course of the warm, wet time of the year can protect your boerboel. If you vacation in warmer regions with your boerboel in winter, your dog ought to be on the preventive medicine during the trip. In some of the milder regions, veterinarians advise preventive heartworm medication be taken all year.
Toxins and Medications
If you’re pondering giving your boerboel pills that was not prescribed for her by his vet, forget about it. For example, did you know that 1 regular-strength ibuprofen caplet causes stomach ulcers in boerboels? Make sure your boerboel is never exposed to rat poison and other rodenticides. When you suspect your doggie has been exposed to a poison, immediately call the vet or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 twenty-four hrs. per day for assistance.
boerboel Reproductive Operations
It is recommended that female boerboels be spayed—which is the removal of the uterus and ovaries—and males neutered—removal of the testicles—by six months of age. Spaying before maturity significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer, which is a usually fatal and common disorder of more mature females. Spaying also eradicates the chance of an infected uterus, a traumatic condition in older females that necessitates surgery and intensive medical care. Neutering males eliminates the risk of prostate and testicular diseases, certain aggressive behavior and some hernias.
Immunizing your boerboel
- Your boerboel puppy should be immunized with a combination innoculation (called a “5-in-one”) at 2, 3 and four months of age, and then once per year. This vaccine protects your boerboel puppy from parainfluenza, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis, and distemper. Your boerboel must be innoculated for at least the first 4 months of his life.
- If your boerboel has not been immunized and is older than four months, he will need to be given 2 immunizations asap, 2 to 3 weeks apart. After that you must innoculate annualy.
- Your boerboel pup’s socialization should coincide with the vaccination program. Many doctors recommend that new owners bring their boerboel pups to socialization courses, beginning at eight to nine weeks old. At this point, they should have received at least their first innoculations.
Laws vary so much between different areas, the best thing is to call your community doctor for rabies immunization info. For instance, NYC regulations declare that pets older than three months must be innoculated for rabies. The initial rabies vaccine must be followed up by another innoculation the next year, and then every 3 years after that. There are many immunizations, many of which are appropriate for your boerboel. Others, however, are not. Ask your boerboel’s vet for his recommendation. Please note, if your boerboel gets ill because she is not innoculated, the shot needs to be administered after your pet fully recovers.
Hookworms in boerboels
boerboels are commonly exposed to worms—especially in rural areas. Microscopic eggs produced by roundworms and hookworms are passed in an infected dog’s feces. Most puppies, even from healthy mothers in good homes, carry roundworms or hookworms. An accurate, early diagnosis is the key to treatment. This will make certain that the medication is highly effective against the worms your boerboel has. A dewormer that eradicates roundworms, for example, cannot kill tapeworms. Your vet can best identify the culprit—and assign the right treatment.
boerboel: Miscellaneous Care Tips
Checklist of boerboel Supplies
- Excellent-quality dog food and snacks designed for boerboels and similarly-sized dogs
- Food dish
- Water dish
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Brush and comb for grooming, including a flea comb
- Collar with license and ID tag
- Quality leash
- Carrier (for pups)
- Training crate
- Box or dog bed with blanket or towel
- Doggie or child’s toothbrush
The no-no list
The following items should never be fed to boerboels:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Caffeinated foods, like coffee, tea or chocolate
- Grapes and raisins
- Spoiled or moldy food
- Onions, garlic & chives
- Poultry bones
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, unripe fruit or stems
- Yeast dough
The “Bottom” Line
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in place, keep your boerboel on a leash at all times. And please, when your boerboel defecates on your neighbor’s lawn, remove it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about boerboels
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