What Really Happens to a Boerboel After Age 3?
A Boerboel can look like a fully grown adult at two years old.
That does not mean he is finished.
One of the most common mistakes I see is assuming that the dog you have at 18 months or two years old is the dog you will have for the rest of his life.
With Boerboels, that can be very far from the truth.
Some dogs make their biggest change between two and three years old. Others change much more between three and four.
And I am not only talking about size.
The body changes.
Activity changes.
Confidence changes.
The way the dog sees strangers can change.
Territorial behavior can change.
The relationship with other dogs can change.
In some dogs, the difference is significant enough that the owner can almost feel like they are living with a different dog.
When Is a Boerboel Fully Mature?
There is no exact birthday when every Boerboel suddenly becomes an adult.
Dogs develop at different speeds.
Females often appear mature earlier, while some males can continue changing significantly into their third or even fourth year.
This is also one reason I prefer looking at the individual dog rather than making decisions from a breed label alone. That same principle runs through my wider training philosophy.
A two-year-old Boerboel may already be a very large dog.
Physically, however, he may still have a lot of development ahead of him.
The Physical Change Can Be Huge
Floki is a good example from my own dogs.
At around three years old, he weighed approximately 70 kilograms, around 154 pounds.
One year later, he was close to 80 kilograms, around 176 pounds.
He had not simply become fat.
His body had changed.
He became wider.
His chest developed.
His neck became much more powerful.
His head continued developing.
His overall frame looked much more mature.
If you saw the same dog at three and four years old, the difference was immediately obvious.
This is something owners of young Boerboels should remember.
A large dog is not necessarily a mature dog.
Boerboel Temperament Can Change With Maturity
The physical transformation is easy to see.
The temperament change is often more important.
This is where some owners become surprised.
A young Boerboel may be extremely playful, active and open with people.
He may want to interact with everybody.
He may play constantly with other dogs.
He may behave like an oversized puppy.
As maturity develops, that can change.
A Mature Boerboel Often Becomes More Serious
Many Boerboels become calmer as they mature.
They may stop wasting energy on everything happening around them.
They can become less playful and more deliberate.
That does not necessarily mean they become aggressive.
Often, the opposite happens visually.
The dog becomes quieter.
A young dog may bark, move around and react because he is excited or unsure.
A mature, confident Boerboel may simply stand and watch.
But there can be much more seriousness behind that behavior.
Confidence increases.
Territorial behavior can become stronger.
Tolerance of unfamiliar people can decrease.
The way the dog responds to another dog can also become different.
This is part of why understanding the breed properly matters. I have written more about the practical side of living and working with these dogs in my article on how to train a Boerboel.
The Friendly Young Dog May Not Stay Exactly the Same
An owner may tell me:
“My dog loves everybody.”
My next question is often:
How old is he?
If the answer is 14, 16 or 18 months, I am looking at a very young Boerboel.
That behavior gives me useful information about the dog today.
It does not guarantee exactly how he will behave when fully mature.
This is particularly important with a guardian breed.
Owners should not panic about maturity, but they should understand that development continues.
You need to watch the dog you actually have.
Small Behaviors in Young Dogs Can Become More Important Later
One thing that experience teaches you is to pay attention to small behaviors before they become large behaviors.
For example, young dogs can be very physical when playing.
They may use their shoulders.
Push with their chest.
Run into another dog.
Constantly search for body contact.
Sometimes it is simply play.
Sometimes that behavior is giving me information about the adult dog that may develop later.
I have seen puppies where I could already tell that their relationship with other dogs was likely to become more challenging as they matured.
The point is not to label a puppy as “bad.”
The point is to observe.
Behavior develops.
Confidence develops.
Drive develops.
And maturity can make tendencies that were already present much easier to see.
Maturity Does Not Mean Removing the Dog’s Natural Character
This is an important distinction.
If I have a strong dog who naturally wants to control space or has little interest in socializing with strange dogs, my objective is not necessarily to transform him into a dog that loves everybody.
I want control.
I want communication.
I want the dog to understand what I am asking even when his instincts are telling him to do something else.
This principle is central to my Drive Control Protocol.
Drive stays.
Character stays.
But the dog needs to learn how to respond to the handler inside that drive.
Why Training Becomes More Important as the Boerboel Matures
Some owners get away with poor communication when the dog is young.
Then the dog matures.
He becomes stronger.
More confident.
More independent.
More territorial.
Suddenly, the small training gaps become much more obvious.
A command that worked when nothing interesting was happening may disappear when the dog sees another dog.
The dog who happily accepted every visitor as a puppy may now watch unfamiliar people much more carefully.
The young dog who was easy to redirect may now have much stronger opinions about what he wants to do.
This is why I do not see obedience as a collection of tricks.
The real question is whether communication remains useful when the dog has another idea.
That distinction between simply knowing a command and having usable real-world control is also a major part of my Drive Control Protocol.
Male and Female Boerboels Can Mature Differently
In my experience, females often mature earlier.
Some females already feel very settled shortly after two years old.
With males, I see significant later changes more often.
A male may change considerably between two and three years old, but some make another large jump between three and four.
The exact timing is individual.
If you have another guardian breed, such as a Cane Corso or a Mastiff, I explain the same process and how to tell normal maturity from a real control problem in your Mastiff is becoming more serious.
That is why I would never look at one Boerboel and say every Boerboel must develop on exactly the same schedule.
Look at Mature Dogs, Not Only Puppies
If you are choosing a Boerboel puppy, one of the most useful things you can do is look beyond the puppy.
Look at the parents.
Look at mature dogs produced by the breeder.
Look at temperament.
Look at physical development.
Look at how the adult dogs behave around people and in normal life.
A beautiful eight-week-old puppy cannot show you everything about the dog he will become.
Selection matters.
Genetics matter.
Training matters.
Environment matters.
And then the individual dog still matters.
That way of looking at the complete dog is also part of the background behind my work as a trainer and breeder, which you can read more about on my About Rui Navarro page.
A Mature Boerboel Should Be Taken Seriously
A Boerboel is a large, powerful guardian breed.
Maturity should bring more understanding from the owner, not more fear of the dog.
Watch the changes.
Understand what is normal for the individual dog.
Do not assume puppy behavior will remain unchanged forever.
And build your communication before you desperately need it.
If your Boerboel is becoming harder to control as he matures, or if changes in confidence, territorial behavior or reactions around other dogs are creating problems, the correct starting point is understanding what has changed and why.
For owners who need help building communication and real-world control with serious working and guardian dogs, you can also explore my Drive Control Protocol.
Watch the Video: What Really Happens to a Boerboel After Age 3?
In the video below, I show how Boerboels can change physically and mentally as they move from young dogs into full maturity.
I also use real examples from my own dogs, including Floki and Tarzan, to explain why the Boerboel you have at two years old may not be the finished dog.
This is exactly why we follow every Elite Boerboel puppy into adulthood and stay in contact with the families. If you are looking for a Boerboel bred and raised with this long-term view, see our South African Boerboel puppies or read more on the Boerboel blog.
