Boerboel Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

Should you adopt or buy a Boerboel?

Start with what the breed was made for. The American Kennel Club standard says the Boerboel developed as “a general farm dog” for settlers in South Africa, often “the first line of defense against predators”, and describes it as “a dominant and intelligent dog with strong protective instincts and a willingness to please.” It also says, plainly, that “An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs should not be faulted.”

Then add the Australian catch: there is no Dogs Australia route. The breed is not on the Dogs Australia breed listing, so the usual advice for a purebred puppy (buy from a Dogs Australia registered breeder with certified pedigree papers) cannot apply. For most homes, especially those with another dog, children or lots of visitors, an adult from rescue whose behaviour is already known is the safer choice.

Reference only, not quotes. The RSPCA NSW fee was read on 12 November 2026. Rescues set their own fees and change them, so check with them.

Does Dogs Australia recognise the Boerboel?

No. We read the Dogs Australia breed listing on 12 November 2026 (its working and utility group page is dated 1 August 2026). The utility group runs from Akita to Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog and includes the Bullmastiff, Cane Corso, Dogue de Bordeaux, Mastiff and Neapolitan Mastiff, but no Boerboel, and we found no Dogs Australia breed standard for it.

On our reading of Dogs Australia's registration regulations, while the breed is off the listing its members cannot register Boerboel litters, so no Boerboel in Australia carries Dogs Australia pedigree papers. Dogs Australia's registration regulations (reg 10.1.2) do allow it to recognise a new imported breed that a recognised overseas controlling body recognises, on set conditions, so check the current listing rather than assume this never changes. Dogs Australia says “All other registries such as the MDBA, ABR, Australian Canine registry, ICBS etc are NOT affiliated with Dogs Australia and CANNOT issue Certified Pedigrees.” Papers from another registry may be genuine, but they are not Dogs Australia papers and you will need to check that registry yourself.

Overseas the picture differs. The American Kennel Club places the Boerboel in its Working Group and publishes the standard quoted on this page, approved on 13 July 2020.

What is a Boerboel like?

A large, strong, confident mastiff. The AKC standard calls it “a South African developed mastiff” and says that when approached it is “calm, stable and confident, at times displaying a self-assured aloofness. He should recognize a threat or lack thereof. He is loving with children and family.”

Source: AKC Official Standard of the Boerboel (approved 13 July 2020, effective 30 September 2020), read 12 November 2026. Centimetre figures are our conversions.

The other-dogs point deserves weight. That line sits in the standard's temperament section, which is what judges assess the breed against: a Boerboel is not penalised for an aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs, so do not assume a well-bred one will accept them. If you have a dog already, or walk in busy off-lead areas, that matters more than coat colour or size.

Is the Boerboel legal in Australia?

No Commonwealth, state or territory list we read on 12 November 2026 names the Boerboel. The Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 (compilation of 13 July 2026) prohibit absolutely the import of five breeds: “(a) dogo Argentino; (b) fila Brasileiro; (c) Japanese tosa; (d) American pit bull terrier or pit bull terrier; (e) Perro de Presa Canario or Presa Canario”. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry lists the same five and notes that “The import of mixed breed dogs, including mixes involving the breeds above, is not restricted.”

NSW, Western Australian and Tasmanian law also cover any other breed whose import is prohibited under Commonwealth customs law (NSW and Tasmania word it as prohibited “by or under the Customs Act 1901”; Western Australia as “prohibited absolutely by the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956”). The Boerboel is not on the Commonwealth list we read. Here is what each list says:

Each page or Act read 12 November 2026. This is a summary of what the official pages say, not legal advice.

Not being on a list is not the same as no rules. A council officer can still assess an individual dog, and behaviour-based rules apply too: Queensland's regulated dogs page, for example, says an authorised person can declare a dog dangerous or menacing according to how it has behaved. Ask your council about its rules before you bring a large guardian dog home. Our Staffy vs pit bull guide sets out the state-by-state restricted breed law in more detail, and our guides to the Dogo Argentino and Presa Canario explain what the law means for two of the listed breeds.

Which health checks should a Boerboel breeder show you?

There is no Australian rulebook to lean on. With no Dogs Australia standard and no Dogs Australia breed club, nobody here sets a required test list for Boerboel litters. In the US, the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals says the Boerboel is “not yet part of the CHIC program”, its scheme for breed-specific health testing, and adds that this “should not be interpreted that no health screening tests are appropriate or available.”

So ask for what any big, heavy dog should have. A 2026 UK study of giant breeds seen by vets (O'Neill and colleagues) notes that the research literature reports a predisposition in giant breeds to hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and osteoarthritis. The Boerboel was not one of the 29 breeds in that study, so its findings are context, not breed data.

• Hip and elbow results for both parents, from a recognised scoring scheme, on paper.
• Eyelids. The AKC standard disqualifies entropion and ectropion, so ask whether either has appeared in the line.
• Heart and eyes. Ask what vet checks the parents have had.
• Temperament of both parents. Meet them. A guardian mastiff's manner with strangers is inherited and raised, and you need to see both.

Sources read 12 November 2026. This is a buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

On lifespan, we found no study for the Boerboel. The same UK study found a median age at death of 8.94 years across its giant breeds and 8.42 years for the breeds it classed as Molossoid, a heavy-boned group that includes the mastiffs. Bloat is the emergency to know in any big, deep-chested dog: Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine says gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) is life-threatening, occurs suddenly, and that large, deep-chested dogs are most at risk. If your dog retches with nothing coming up, has a swollen belly or is restless and drooling, call or go to your nearest vet now. Our dog bloat (GDV) guide covers the signs.

How much is a Boerboel puppy from a registered breeder?

There is no figure we can quote. Our breed price surveys use only the prices that Dogs Australia member breeders publish on their own websites, and since Dogs Australia does not register the Boerboel, there are no member breeders of it to survey and no breed club guide price. Prices on classified and listing sites are left out, because we cannot check who is selling or when the price was set.

If you still decide to buy, get the price in writing and compare what it includes: both parents' hip and elbow results, a vet check, vaccination and microchip, desexing terms, and whether the seller will take the dog back if it does not work out. The dog cost calculator gives a first-year budget beyond the purchase.

What about a Boerboel from rescue?

Our Boerboel breed page shows the Boerboels and Boerboel crosses listed by the rescues, shelters and council pounds we aggregate, and you can also look among the large dogs. Numbers change daily, so check the live listings: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

With this breed, the rescue's notes are the most useful thing you will read. Ask how the dog is with other dogs, visitors, children and cats, how it handles fences and gates, and how it has behaved in foster care. A rescue has seen the adult dog; a puppy buyer is guessing.

What does a rescue dog cost?

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees RSPCA NSW published on the date shown; fees change and other rescues set their own, so check with the rescue. RSPCA NSW says its fees help ensure pets are desexed, microchipped, vaccinated and health-checked. Read our guide to adopting a dog in Australia.

How do Boerboel puppy scams work?

The Queensland Government's puppy farm page lists low prices for popular or pedigree breeds, being asked for payment before you have met the puppy, a breeder who cannot give a valid breeder identification number (BIN), and a seller who only communicates by email or text. Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites for popular breeds, that a very cheap pet is likely a scam, and warns against paying in unusual ways. Watch for these in Boerboel ads:

• “Dogs Australia registered Boerboel”. That cannot be true while the breed is not on the Dogs Australia listing. Check any claim with Dogs Australia yourself.
• No hip or elbow answer. A seller of a large mastiff should know both parents' results.
• No breeder number. Where your state requires one in ads, check it on the official register, not through a link the seller sends.
• “Great with every dog”. The breed's own standard does not promise that, so a seller who does is guessing.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the state-by-state table of breeder numbers, how to check each one, and what to do if you have already paid.

Is there a registered alternative?

Yes, if what you want is a big, calm guardian mastiff with Dogs Australia papers. The Mastiff, Bullmastiff, Cane Corso and Dogue de Bordeaux are all on the Dogs Australia breed listing, so their breeders can be checked with a state body and their litters registered. Each guide covers the breed's health tests and where to find one in rescue.

If you do buy a Boerboel, check these before you pay:

1. Which registry, if any. Ask, then check that registry yourself. It will not be Dogs Australia.
2. Both parents met in person, with their manner towards you and other dogs seen.
3. Hip and elbow results for both parents, on paper.
4. The state breeder number your state requires, checked on the official register.
5. Questions about you. A careful seller asks about your fencing, other pets and visitors.
6. A written contract covering health, desexing and whether the seller will take the dog back.

Is a Boerboel the right dog for you?

Only for an experienced, settled home. The breed standard describes a loving family dog that is also dominant, protective and not necessarily tolerant of other dogs. That combination needs secure fencing, careful visitor management and an owner who has handled a strong guardian before.

Not sure? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz and the adoption readiness check, and read best guard dogs in Australia and big dog breeds.

Find a big dog near you

Boerboels listed by rescues, by city:

• Boerboels for adoption in Sydney
• Boerboels for adoption in Melbourne
• Boerboels for adoption in Brisbane
• Boerboels for adoption in Perth
• Boerboels for adoption in Adelaide

Large dogs and mastiff crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Large dogs for adoption in Sydney
• Large dogs for adoption in Melbourne
• Large dogs for adoption in Brisbane
• Large dogs for adoption in Perth
• Large dogs for adoption in Adelaide

In Sydney, our giant breed ownership guide covers living with a big mastiff day to day.