Boerboel vs German Shepherd – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Boerboel vs German Shepherd" Compare Boerboel and German Shepherd. Which is better: Boerboel or German Shepherd?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Boerboel	German Shepherd
Origins	South Africa	Germany
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Working Dogs	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	124	2
Reviews	1	1
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Other Names	South African Boerboel, South African Mastiff	Alsatian, Berger Allemand, Alsatian wolf dog (UK), Deutscher Schäferhund, Schäferhund
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2015 as a Working breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1908 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Not recognized by FCI.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.
Breed Recognition	American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Dog Registry of America Inc. North American Purebred Registry, Inc.	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club German Shepherd Dog Club Of America
Price	$1500-$2000	$800-$2000

General Appearance - Boerboel vs German Shepherd

Size	Large Giant	Large
Weight	154-200 pounds (70-90 kg)	Male: 66-88 pounds (30-40 kg), Female: 49-71 pounds (22-32 kg)
Avg. Weight	177 pounds (80 kg)	Male: 77 pounds (35 kg), Female: 60 pounds (27 kg)
Height	Male: 25-28 inches (64-70 cm), Female: 23-25.5 inches (59-65 cm)	Male: 24-26 inches (60-65 cm), Female: 22-24 inches (55-60 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 26.5 inches (67 cm), Female: 23-25.5 inches (62 cm)	Male: 25 inches (62.5 cm), Female: 23 inches (57.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Boerboel vs German Shepherd

Coat	Dense Shiny Smooth	Fuzzy
Colors	Brindle Cream Reddish Brown Red Tawny	Silver Tan Red Black
Grooming	Effortless: The Boerboel requires minimal grooming.	Average: The German Shepherd requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Boerboels shed moderately.	German Shepherds are heavy shedders.

Characteristics - Boerboel vs German Shepherd

Temperament	Confident Intelligent Territorial Dominant Obedient	Alert Courageous Intelligent Obedient Confident Curious Loyal Watchful
Intelligent Rank	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.	Outstanding: German Shepherd is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Boerboels are quite easy to train.	German Shepherds are easy to train.
Playfulness	Boerboels, like any other dog breed, like playing.	German Shepherds, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	Boerboels have an average emotional level and are not the most sensitive dog breed.	German Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Boerboels are average dogs regarding their affection level.	German Shepherds are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Boerboels need for social interaction is average.	German Shepherds need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Low to Average: The Boerboel rarely barks.	Low to Average: The German Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Boerboels are one of the best watchdogs.	German Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Boerboels are extremely protective guard dogs.	German Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Boerboel has a low chance of biting somebody.	High The German Shepherd has a high chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Boerboels have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	German Shepherds have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Wanderlust potential of the Boerboel is strong enough to escape from home.	German Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Boerboels have an average prey drive, which means that they don't have a high impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals, but it might happen.	German Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Boerboels are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	German Shepherds are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Boerboels adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.	German Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.

Good With - Boerboel vs German Shepherd

Stranger Friendly	Boerboels are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Boerboels are kid-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Boerboels are not the most cat-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	Boerboels are not the most dog-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are not the most dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Boerboel is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No German Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Boerboels are usually recommended for elderly people.	German Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Boerboels usually don’t get on well with other pets.	German Shepherds are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	Yes Boerboels are good for novice owners, due to their easy-going personality.	No German Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Boerboel breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really German Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Yes A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Boerboel vs German Shepherd

Health Issues	Boerboels tend to have more and frequent health issues than other breeds.	German Shepherds are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	Allergies Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Joint Dysplasia Vaginal Hyperplasia	Allergies Blindness Bloat Cancer Cataracts Cherry Eye Chronic Diarrhea Cruciate Ligament Rupture Cushing's Syndrome Degenerative Myelopathy Demodectic Mange Diabetes Digestive Problems Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Heart Disease Hemophilia A Hemophilia B Hip Dysplasia Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy Lens Luxation Lupus Megaesophagus Myasthenia Gravis Nail Bed Disease Osteochondrosis Pannus Panosteitis Paralysis Perianal Fistula Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Retinal Dysplasia Seborrhea Vitiligo Von Willebrand's Disease Wobbler's Syndrome
Life Expectancy	10-12 years	10-13 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Boerboels have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.	German Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Boerboels need quite a lot of exercise.	German Shepherds need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Boerboels sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	German Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	8 to 10 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average.	Low to Average.
Weather & Climate	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Boerboel has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The German Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Boerboel drools quite a lot, so if you dislike being covered by slobber spots on your clothes, you may want to choose another dog breed.	The German Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Boerboel vs German Shepherd

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	7-10 puppies	6-10 puppies
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