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PRICES, SHIPPING, TAIL-DOCKING ETC.., Question: "How much does a Boerboel from Alpine Lion Boerboels cost?" Answer: The prices vary slightly and are as follows: Pick of the Litter: $1500 ~This is your choice and/or we can assist you. Show/Breeding Quality:$1200-$1400 Pet Quality: $800- $1000 Question: "Why do Boerboels cost so much?" Answer: They don't. Boerboels cost as much (or less considering the shipping costs for Importing World Class South African Breeding Stock!!) as any sought after rare breed (or Mastiff breed) like the Cane Corso, Presa Canario, Neopolitan Mastiff,Dogue de Bourdoux (Turner and Hooch), Bullmastiff, or even the Old English Bulldog or certain reputable Rottweiler breeders. In the dog world you get what you pay for and the Boerboel is the Mack-daddy of the molloser world. Question: "What are my guarantees?" Answer: Lets put it this way, At Alpine Lion Boerboels we are a family. We want nothing less than our customers to have the spectacular, athletic, healthy, chisled, loyal, confident, head-turning, family member boerboel of their dreams for the next 9-12 years. Anything short of that we will work with you like you adopted a son or daughter that had a serious complication. Basically any serious unavoidable accident, disease, or issue (like placement problems) will be handled with grace, integrity, and tact. So, don't worry about silly guarantees like "If he walks like a snake ~ I'll give you another dog that walks like a snake for free". At Alpine Lion Boerboels we stand behind what we produce, our family members, and our integrity with how any disappointments are handled. We can provide years of references and illustrations of how we do business and the quality of our dogs. Example: we sold a beautiful little girl and her family a beautiful little girl boerboel to compliment her, be her playmate and protector, and grow up together. While taking the little puppy to get her final round of shots at 3 months old a tragic accident took place killing the puppy (and subsequently breaking the little girl and her families hearts). I found this out while doing my 4 month check-up on the puppies (the family being too devastated to speak with us). Let's just say that this was not our problem, responsibility, or in anyway connected to Alpine Lion. Let us also just say that we would like to report that, that little girl and her family had a new little girl puppy within 2 months free of charge to hopefully replace (and help heal her heart) the one she lost so tragically. This was done simply because when we sell you a dog we have a vision for you and your animal as do you ~ it is shared, honored, and respected here at Alpine Lion Boerboels --That is our guarantee and it is the best in this business!! It is what we aim to produce and we're good at what we do. We are a small family business and we like to sell to families. We are not a puppy mill (whatever that is). All our puppies are vet checked prior to being placed into their new homes, and up to date on all vaccinations and deworming (micro-chip if requested). All of our puppies undergo a working dog evaluation at 6 weeks old to aid the new owner in obtaining the correct puppy regarding confidence, stability, people(pack) oriented, prey drive, aggressiveness, and dominance. Alpine Lion's Philosophy on Hip "Guarantees": *We Will Work With You With Any And All Concerns You May Have Regarding Health Issues For The Lifetime Of Your Alpine Lion Boerboel * Many breeders will offer a "hip guarantee" on a puppy which specifies that the pup’s hips will be "good" until the pup is 24 or 25 months old (some breeders guarantee it beyond that time). What this means is that a buyer can wait until the puppy is 24 months old, send a radiograph of the puppy’s hips to OFA and if they clear as "normal", then they have met the guarantee. If the puppy’s hips do not clear as Excellent, Good or Fair by the OFA (which are the three "normal hip conformation ratings"), then they do something to "make good" on the puppy.
In the event of a puppy not passing an OFA evaluation for hip conformation, some breeders will refund some or all of the purchase price. Some will exchange the puppy with another puppy from a future litter, the timing of which is sometimes specified, and other times not specified. I have seen timelines of "within two years" and "next available" as descriptions of when the new puppy will be given to the buyer. Not all breeders allow the "bum" puppy to remain with the buyer, instead demanding a return of the puppy prior to either money or a new puppy in exchange. However, many breeders do allow the buyer to retain their first puppy so long as it is spayed or neutered.
Some breeders have conditions under which the "guarantee" will not be met. I have seen breeders specify that the puppy must be fed a "BARF or raw food" diet or define a specific brand of dog food or the hip guarantee won’t be honored. Some breeders state that the dog must be provided specific vitamin or mineral supplements or the guarantee is voided. Some require that the puppy’s exercise be limited (including no jumping or excessive running) until it is 12 to 18 months old or the guarantee won’t be honored. They are all fairly difficult/impossible to document.
In essence, most of these arrangements are not a true guarantee, in my opinion, that the puppy one purchases has "good" hips. To me, it is more like a warantee that recognizes a defective puppy could be produced but a replacement of some sort will be offered. That, of course, assumes the buyer wants another puppy from the same breeder!
Using the word "guarantee" suggests that there is significant assurance of an outcome or condition regarding the quality or durability of a product or service.The problem I have with a "hip guarantee" in Boerboels is that I cannot guarantee the condition of any one puppy’s hip conformation because I do not have sufficient data to do so. Unlike many breeders, however, I do not place responsibility for the final hip outcome on the puppy buyer (and demand they feed a special food to maintain the guarantee). I agree with the OFA that canine hip dysplasia is a heritable condition. So, nutritional intervention probably won’t change the puppy’s hip conformation status.
I feel that exercise should be limited in puppies for complete skeletal growth concerns, not to alter the outcome of a hip radiograph. Excessive exercise can have a negative impact on any joint if it is overused when the pup’s growth plates have not yet fused. But,it won’t cause canine HD in a dog that inherited the condition. The genes do that. However,there are a few experts that suggest trauma at or around birth which causes the puppy's hips to be shifted in the socket, may, in fact, be partially to blame for the development of HD - and genetics does not play a role in those cases. This is true in human infants, as well.
Fortunately, South African Boerboel lines come with generations of hip clearance data. Boerboel breeders both in the USA and abroad have placed a huge emphasis on examining hip conformation and selecting against the condition by eliminating individuals with canine HD from the breeding pool. One can identify hip clearance data back several decades in the South African Boerboel bloodlines.
In fact, the concept of "guaranteeing" a living animal is somewhat confusing, since each animal is so unique and the nurturing, maintenance and training that a buyer provides the puppy can and does affect the overall health and condition of the animal. Many diseases are described to have a predisposition to stress, for example. A puppy that is provided a low stress lifestyle may actually escape its genetic potential to develop a variety of diseases that its sibling, raised in a stressful realm, may not be able to avoid. This is true in humans, as well as dogs. However, diseases with genetic markers or those that can be 100% ruled out by a specialist are easy to guarantee against.
At first glance it may appear that I am not providing the same level of support to a puppy buyer that many other breeders do. But, in the long run, a guarantee that doesn’t truly guarantee anything, doesn’t provide any assurance, often leads the buyer to a greater heartbreak if or when the puppy presents with a disease. I feel that a buyer that has made an educated and informed purchase decision will be happier in the end. If a puppy doesn’t pass an OFA screen at 24 months, getting money back isn’t going to fix anything, getting a new puppy may be a poor option for families that have limited space or who simply always wanted just one dog, and perhaps the buyer would not want a puppy from the same breeder at that time. And, for some, the thought of giving back their devoted companion and best friend to gain access to the "reimbursement" isn’t an option, nor should it be.
So, with conditions that one cannot truly guarantee, I feel it is best to provide all of the data I can offer with regards to the parents of the puppies (including the fact that a sire or dam of a litter also has a sibling with OFA cleared hip, for example). Then, the buyer can decide for herself whether she wants to take the risk and purchase a puppy from me.
It’s important to remember that a puppy is not just its hip clearances. A puppy is a combination of its parents’ pedigrees that includes temperament, working ability and overall structure. It is also a result of early upbringing and socialization. Nature and nurture play a role in the dog that you will call your own. Quality breeders do what they can to control for natural (genetic) contributions to the dog’s overall health and well being. Quality breeders also spend dozens of hours with every litter making certain that they are highly socialized and prepared for their lives with their new families. And, quality breeders know each puppy well enough to help place each puppy with the right individual or family. There after, the nurturing that is offered by the puppy buyers will continue to influence the puppy’s personality and comfort in its new home and in society.
We will work with you on price to ensure that our dogs are placed in a loving appropriate home. *We will also consider trades of equal value*
Question: "How much is shipping?" Answer: This all depends, however it is your cost (crate and freight!). If you have access to a better deal than us then by all means we will go with your people, as long as the dogs will be safe and well cared for.  BOERBOELS AND THE FAMILY
Question: "Are Boerboels safe around Children?" Answer: My family and I have raised bullmastiffs for 15 years. The bullmastiff is excellent around children, and my Boerboels surpass them in every regard. The Boerboel has been historically bred to protect it's children (even offering up their own life if necessary). Remember these dogs are an African Frontiersman's dog and we all know what is on Africa's frontier!! My Boerboels never let my children wander unguarded--ever!! (it is Awesome!!). I have children ages 3, 5, and 10 (see pictures) and I have never once felt nervous in regards to my boerboels, in fact quite the contrary I feel that they are in good hands. *Note* Any large dog (especially a 120 pound puppy!) can abruptly turn and send a toddler or kid to the ground so I do watch them and give them some coaching as to "child etiquette". WHY A BOERBOEL? Question: "Why choose a Boerboel over a Rottweiler or a Bullmastiff?" Answers: (2) Unfortunately the Rottweiler has been over (and unskillfully) bred particularly in the United States.This has led to all sorts of heartbreaking illness and degenerative hip disorders for pets and owners. (3) The boerboel is (and historically has been) bred selectively. They are rated by certain groups (SABT) and only those dogs that excel in body conformation and temperment are allowed to breed (and be considered worthy of breeding). Always do your homework in this regard!!! Question: Is "In-Breeding" dangerous, illegal, or immoral? Answer: Yes it can be, No, and No. Dogs are not humans and they do not see this as a moral issue. Dogs descend from wolves and all wolf pack members are closely related. True this is ridiculously simplifying the deal, but the stigma associated with dog imbreeding is overblown and having a pure bred dog that is not inbred somewhere down the line (and often) is a scientific impossibility. Please read below for some clarfication (and easy reading) on this matter. Then research pedigrees and take a look for yourself. ~ Blessings! In-Breeding and other Breeding Methods
One of the most hotly talked about topics with regard to pure-bred dogs is the use of in-breeding. This is a term that is often misused and is extremely misunderstood.
Part of the misunderstandings come from differences in the way the terms are used within the scientific/medical field, and how it is commonly used by breeders. These are the most commonly accepted definitions used by serious dog breeders and will be the definitions used within this article.
In-breeding - This is the breeding of closely related animals. Brother-Sister, Parent-Offspring, ½ brother - ½ Sister.
Line-breeding - This is the breeding of animals that share common ancestors but are not closely related. For example the dogs may share a common great-grandparent.
Out-cross - This is generally considered the breeding of animals with no common ancestors within the first 4 or 5 generations.
Common Misconceptions
In-breeding causes genetic diseases - Breeding closely related animals increases the possibility that any bad genes in a line will show up. It does not 'cause' genetic disease.
Out-crossed dogs are healthier - This is only partly true. There is a known phenomenon called Hybrid Vigor. Two animals of unrelated strains breed and the offspring is often bigger and grows faster than it's purebred cousins. This method is often used by farmers in order to get their animals to market sooner. But one of the biggest misconceptions of hybrid vigor is that it applies to all animals of mixed heritage. Hybrid Vigor only applies to the animals that are the direct offspring of the crossing of the unrelated strains. In other words if you continue to breed animals of different strains there generally will not be any additional increase in hybrid vigor. If the unrelated strains share common genes for genetic disorders, hybrid vigor will not over ride the risk of the disorder showing up. Out-crossing can also cause problems if widely divergent physical types are mixed due to differences in growth rates and bone and muscle sizes.
Benefits Of Each Type Of Breeding
By definition, purebred dogs have a smaller gene pool to draw on than mixed breed dogs. That smaller gene pool gives the breed its individual characteristics, such as physical appearance and temperament. It is what makes a Boerboel a Boerboel and a Golden Retriever a Golden Retriever. But there is considerable controversy with regard to whether the gene pools of the modern pure-bred have become too small.
Inbreeding -
In-breeding is more likely to help "set" or "fix" a particular trait within a breed or a line by narrowing the gene pool to favor those traits. So if a breeder is looking to set a particular desirable feature of their line then in-breeding and choosing the offspring most strongly possessing that trait can be beneficial.
In-breeding can also help identify those bad genes that exist within a line. Dogs possessing the bad genes can be eliminated from a breeding program and carriers also identified.
Intermittent in-breeding within a line or breed is not damaging to the long term health of the animals (the breeding of Dragon and Cuba is a well planned one-time deal to isolate certain favorable traits and then introduce that progeny to a outcross/separate [but compatible physically] bloodline) . However, in-breeding over successive generations can lead to reduced fitness and fertility problems among the offspring, resulting in a phenomena known as In-breeding Depression. It can take many generations to show up depending on the traits involved.
To use this method responsibly a breeder would not want to in-breed on animals with known genetic disorders, temperaments not in keeping with it's given breed, or known serious structural faults, or to in-breed frequently even on healthy-superior specimens.
Thank you for your time to look this over ~ any decision or opinion regarding the purchase of a puppy that is the result of an in-breeding is completely understandable and accepted. Alpine Lion Boerboels holds no position on this matter expect our own, for our own purposes, for our own vision.
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