Boerboel Colors 101: A Comprehensive Guide

The Boerboel is a breed that comes in a variety of colors, with the most common being fawn, red, black, and wheaten.

Fawn Boerboels can range in color from a light cream to a darker golden brown. They often have a black mask on their face and a black stripe running along their back.

Red Boerboels have a rich, deep red coat that can range in intensity. They may also have a black mask and a black stripe on their back.

Black Boerboels have a glossy, black coat that can appear almost blue in the right light. They often have a black nose and a black tongue.

Wheaten Boerboels have a light golden coat that can range in color from a pale cream to a darker gold. They often have a black mask and a black stripe on their back.

Boerboels can also come in a variety of patterns, including brindle, roan, and harlequin. These patterns can affect the overall appearance of the coat and can make the dog look like it has a different color.

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The Boerboel's coat is short, dense, smooth, and shiny, with a thick and loose skin that fits smoothly. The recognized colors include Red, Brown, Reddish Brown, Fawn, Cream, and Brindle.

You'll often see Boerboels with a black mask, which is desirable. The mask can be present or absent, but the black mask is definitely the most common.

Limited clear white patches on the legs and the fore chest are permissible, but be aware that piebald dogs, with colored markings on a white background, are disqualified if the white area exceeds 33 percent.

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The Boerboel breed comes in a variety of stunning colors. The recognized colors include Red, Brown, Reddish Brown, Fawn, Cream, brindle, and Irish Marked.

The Boerboel's coat is short, dense, smooth, and shiny, with a thick and loose skin that fits smoothly. The skin is well pigmented, especially on the lips, palate, and around the eyes, nose, and genitals.

A black mask is desirable, but not required. Limited clear white patches on the legs and fore chest are permissible. However, piebald dogs with too much white or ticking or spots within the white are disqualified.

Red Boerboels are a popular choice, with two versions available: dark mahogany and light chestnut red. These colors make the Boerboel stand out in competitions and other dog sports.

The Black Boerboel is a stunning sight to behold. Its black-as-night coat is perfectly suited for a working dog like the Boerboel, allowing it to blend into the darkness.

Boerboels with black coats are not considered impure by professional breeders, who see them as a classic basic breed that can be purebred with a pedigree.

In fact, the black coat has advantages both at night and in the sun, as it helps the dog to stay cool and avoid sunburns.

However, it's worth noting that not all black Boerboels are considered acceptable by all breed clubs, with some organizations deeming them not to be purebred dogs.

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The Boerboel's coat is truly a sight to behold, with its short, dense, and shiny texture that's just begging to be petted. The recognized colors are Red, Brown, Reddish Brown, Fawn, Cream, brindle in any accepted color, and Irish Marked.

A black mask is highly desirable, and the skin is well pigmented, especially on the lips, palate, and around the eyes. Limited clear white patches on the legs and fore chest are permissible.

Piebald dogs are disqualified if the total area of white exceeds 33 percent, and ticking or spots within the white are also a no-go.

Rare colors are a true marvel of nature. The iridescent sheen of peacock feathers is a prime example, created by the way microscopic crystals refract light.

Did you know that the color of a butterfly's wings can change depending on the angle of the light? This is due to the way the microscopic scales on their wings reflect and absorb light.

Some flowers, like the rare blue poppy, have a unique color due to a specific combination of pigments. The blue color is created by the presence of delphinidin, a type of anthocyanin pigment.

The color of a butterfly's wings can also be affected by the surrounding environment. For example, the color of the monarch butterfly's wings can appear different in different lighting conditions.

The rare color of the blue morpho butterfly's wings is created by the microscopic scales that reflect light, giving it a shimmering blue appearance.

Discover more: Most Rare Dog Colors

Blue Boerboels are not your average Boerboel, as they're actually considered dilute or powder coat varieties. The United Kennel Club and the South African Boerboel Breeder’s Society don't accept them as part of the breed.

This can be a bit confusing, especially if you're new to the world of Boerboels.

White markings on Boerboels can appear anywhere on their body, including the nose leather, upper thighs, lower jaw, front legs, back legs, paws, and more.

The American Kennel Club recognizes white markings on Boerboels, but for competition, they must not occupy more than a third of their fur.

Some Boerboels have white spots around their paws, neck, and face, although excessive white is less desirable.

Boerboels with over 30% of their coat being white are considered a fault.

The Irish color variation is a beautiful and unique one. It's characterized by a soft, muted palette of greens, blues, and golds, reminiscent of the rolling hills and rugged coastlines of Ireland.

The Irish color variation is often associated with a sense of calmness and serenity, much like a peaceful Irish morning.

Curious to learn more? Check out: Irish Wolfhound Red Coat

Boerboel colors can be quite striking, and one of the key factors that contribute to their unique appearance is their patterns and markings.

The fawn Boerboel has a distinctive mask and white markings on its chest, paws, and face, which can be a mix of brindle and fawn patterns.

Their coat color can range from a light fawn to a darker fawn, with the mask and markings often being a slightly darker shade than the rest of the coat.

The brindle pattern is quite striking, with irregular vertical lines of black hair on a brown (red/tan) or fawn color base. This pattern is common in big breeds like the Anatolian Shepherds, Great Danes, and Boxers.

Boerboels with the brindle pattern are relatively rare, but they're always a treat to see. The majority of brindle Boerboels are dark brindles, although there are also acceptable lighter shades.

Reverse brindles are also possible, where the dog has stripes of sable/red/brown on a dark background. This can give the appearance of a black Boerboel with tan or fawn marks.

Some reverse brindle Boerboels can be entirely black with faint light marks on a few parts of the body. The American Kennel Club and American Boerboel Club have approved the brindle pattern, making it eligible for dog shows.

Here are some key facts about the brindle pattern in Boerboels:

Piebald markings can be white markings on a brown, fawn, or brindle dog, but in competition, they're not ideal if the dog's paws are white.

In fact, darker paws are preferred because they're less sensitive to UV rays, reducing the risk of sunburn damage.

Piebald markings are common in smaller breeds like Dachshunds and Pomeranians, but in Boerboels, they're often paired with brown or brindle coat colors.

Boerboels with piebald markings can have white markings on the belly, collar, and feet, but these markings can be a disqualification in competition.

If you're looking for a family dog, the rules of competition don't matter, and a piebald Boerboel can make a wonderful pet.

The most common colors in Boerboels are brown, red, fawn, or brindle, which have prettier pigmentation and are often considered more desirable.

Explore further: Cream Brindle Boerboel

The Boerboel's coat is short, dense, smooth, and shiny, with a thick and loose skin that fits smoothly.

The recognized colors and patterns include red, brown, reddish brown, fawn, cream, brindle, and Irish Marked, with or without a mask, and a black mask is particularly desirable.

Limited clear white patches on the legs and fore chest are permissible, but piebald dogs with white markings exceeding 33 percent of their body surface are disqualified.

The Boerboel's skin and hair around the eyes, nose leather, paw pads, toenails, anus, and genitals are well pigmented.

Here are the disqualifying colors, as per the breed standards:

Boerboels come in a wide range of acceptable/desirable colors, including cream, red, fawn, yellow, Piebald, and black. These colors don't change their charming personalities.

A cream Boerboel is a beautiful addition to any home. They're just as lovable as their counterparts in other colors.

Red Boerboels have a unique appearance, but they're still the same loyal and loving companions as any other color.

In the world of Boerboel breeding, some colors and markings are considered unacceptable. These include black without a brindle trace, powder coat, and black with white markings according to the American Kennel Club.

The Boerboel UK Society has its own set of disqualifying colors, which include black, dilute black, blue, grey, chocolate, and lilac.

Other disqualifications include liver markings, ticking, and split face on any standard color, as well as more than one-third white of the whole-body surface.

Here's a summary of the disqualifying colors:

If you're planning to participate in AKC competitions, the Boerboel's color might be a concern, especially if you're considering colors like Piebald and Irish markings. These colors may not pass along the black eumelanin pigmentation that's vital for dissipating UV radiation in sun-drenched environments.

Most Boerboel owners, however, don't participate in dog show rings, and some organizers permit non-standard colors.

Color is not as crucial as you might think, especially if you don't plan to participate in AKC competitions.

In fact, most Boerboel owners don't compete in dog show rings, so it's not a major concern for many owners.

Boerboels of certain colors, like Piebald and Irish markings, are believed to have a reduced ability to dissipate UV radiation, which is a vital consideration for people living in sun-drenched environments.

This is because these colors don't pass along the black eumelanin pigmentation that's effective in dissipating 99.9% of harmful UV radiation.

Registration Code plays a crucial role in identifying the standard colors of a particular breed.

The registration code is a unique identifier assigned to each standard color.

You can find the registration code for a specific color by checking the breed's standard colors list.

For instance, Brindle is assigned the registration code 057, Brown is assigned 061, and Cream is assigned 076.

Here's a quick reference list of the standard colors and their corresponding registration codes: