The following is a short summary of the salient points in the EBBASA breed standard. For the 
complete, official Breed Standard, please request a copy of such from ebbasa@gmail.com.

1. Characteristics
    · The Boerboel must have a good temperament
    · The Boerboel must be intelligent with a steadfast and balanced nature and be faithful to 
      his master
    · The Boerboel must possess the characteristics of a good watchdog and be loving towards 
      his owners with a special liking of children
    · The Boerboel must possess good self-confidence
    
2. General appearance
    · The Boerboel must be large, solid, strong and muscled
    · The Boerboel must be a well-balanced dog in all respects
    
3. Conformation
    
    · The Head
      - Must be large and strong
      - Must have a typical Boerboel appearance
      - Must be symmetrical and balanced in relation to the rest of the body
      - Must be flat between the ears
      - The bridge of the nose of the male dogs may be a maximum length of 8cm and that of the 
        bitch 10cm. The nose must be straight with no upturn.
    
    · The Eyes
      - Must be well-formed
      - Must be pigmented
      - Must not bulge
   
    · The Ears
      - Must be medium and v-shaped and in relation to the rest of the head
      - Must fall naturally against the head
    
    · The Mouth
      - The jaw must be strong, straight and broad
      - The jaws must shut well. The ideal is a scissor bite. The maximum difference allowed 
        between the jaws is 1cm
      - The lips must be pigmented and not too fleshy and must cover the teeth
    
    · The Neck
      - Must be strong, muscled and in relation to the rest of the dog
    
    · The Forequarters
      - The chest must be strong, muscled and broad in relation to the dog and its body
      - The front legs must be straight, sturdy and strong
      - The shoulders must be strong, muscled an supple
      - The elbows must not stand out or bend in so that the dog has comfortable movement of his
        front legs
    
    · The Body
      - The length must be in relation to the size of the dog 
      - The chest and the hindquarters must be in balance
      - The back must be strong and straight
    
    · The Hindquarters
      - Must be strong and muscled
      - The hindquarters must be well formed
      - The hind legs must be sturdy and strong
      - The hocks must not bend in or out
    
    · The Feet
      - Must be well cushioned and not sharp
      - Must be in relation to the rest of the dog
      - Must not turn in or out
    
    · The Tail 
      - It must form a unity with the dog – must not be too high or too low or too sloped or too
        curved
    
    · The Coat/Colour
      - The coat must be short and smooth
      - The colour of the dog must fulfil the colour requirements
    
    · Movement
      - The movement of the dog must be powerful
      - The movement of the dog must be in line front to rear, when seen from the front or the
        rear
    
    · General
      - The general impression of the dog must be that of a typical Boerboel
      - No sign of any other breed of dog must be displayed

    · Disqualifying Characteristics
      - General Appearance
         · Clumsy, unbalanced appearance and/or movement
         · Too large and/or too heavy
         · Too small and/or too light
         · Any sign of any other breed of dog
         · Males over 68cm to shoulder
         · Males under 60cm to shoulder
         · Females over 66cm to shoulder
         · Females under 57cm to shoulder
      - Aggressive Nature
         · Aggressive and uncontrollable when the owner handles the dog
      - Head
         · Too small, characterless head
         · Short upper jaw/long lower jaw
         · Liver coloured or pigment-less nose
         · Sharp mouth
         · Blue eyes
      - Conformation
         · Chest too small
         · Cow hocks
         · Bandy legs
         · Front legs fold in or stand out
         · Curly hair/long hair
         · Whiskers on mouth
         · Saddle-backed
         · Straight legs
      - Colour
         · Black
         · More than 2 colours
         · More than a third white
         · With one eye or both eyes white
   · Deviations
      - Deviations from the Breed Standard should be recognised and faults and the degree thereof
        will determine the degree of penalisation during the individual Appraisal of each dog.


THE ASSOCIATION

EBBASA membership and registration is available to all committed Boerboel breeders whose dogs and
breeding facilities comply with EBBASA's requirements. Various grades of membership namely:
         · Breeder,
         · Owner,
         · Affiliate and
         · Junior Member.
Applicants for Breeder and Owner grades of membership must be able to demonstrate that they own
dogs and facilities that conform to EBBASA standards, and are required to register such dogs and
their offspring with EBBASA.

For a Boerboel breeder to be accepted as a full EBBASA member, the following would apply, and
should the breeder qualify, he/she will be issued with dated certificates verifying the achievement
of such standards by EBBASA.
	 1. Kennel inspection: Structure and hygiene according to specifications
	 2. Proper bloodline selection to ensure qualities such as good temperament, no genetic
	    abnormalities, robustness, etc.
	 3. Tests to be performed for:
		a. hip dysplasia and
		b. elbow dysplasia accompanied by the relevant veterinary certificate
		c. vaginal prolapse (in the case of bitches) accompanied by the relevant veterinary
		   certificate, and 
		d. eye extropion and/or entropion supported by a relevant certificate.

EBBASA exists to promote and foster the betterment of the South African Boerboel breed of dog, for
the improvement fo its physical and genetic make-up and for the promotion of local and international
public awareness of the breed and its characteristics. EBBASA supports and encourages all persons
and organisations that share these goals.