Mass Boerboels
Black Iron Manuka Honey, our Boerboel dam, standing in the woods

Temperament first

Our dogs

The dogs behind the program — chosen and raised for steady, sound temperament and socialized in family life from day one.

Temperament is the whole program

A Boerboel can have perfect structure on paper and still be the wrong dog for a family. So we start where it matters most: temperament. Every dog in our yard was picked for a steady, confident, discerning disposition — devoted to their people, measured with strangers, and reliable around children.

And temperament isn't only bred, it's built. Our dogs live in the house and the yard with us — kids underfoot, guests on the porch, everyday household noise. The calm you see in these profiles is who they are at home, not how they pose for a photo.

Black Iron Manuka Honey, our Boerboel dam, standing in the woods

Female · Dam

Black Iron Manuka Honey

SABBS appraisal: 86.3% · Stud Register

Temperament

Honey is our dam and a great example of the breed — a beautiful dog with a perfect temperament. She's even-keeled in every situation we've put her in: devoted to her people, measured with strangers, and steady through whatever the day brings.

Socialization

Honey lives in the middle of family life with us, not in a kennel run — the house, the yard, the kids, the porch guests. The calm she passes to her pups is the calm she lives every day.

Black Iron Larry, our young Boerboel male, sitting on the grass

Male · Future stud

Black Iron Larry

Born June 12, 2026 · Future stud — SABBS appraisal and health testing pending

Sire: Black Iron Keeper — 90.6% SABBS Linear Stud Register. Dam: Golden State Arra — 88.9% SABBS Stud Register.

Temperament

Larry is a confident pup and a true family dog. Well socialized from the start, he takes new people and new situations in stride, and he's showing the level-headed foundation we look for in a future sire.

Socialization

Larry is growing up right in the middle of everything we do — family routines, visitors, household sounds, handling from everyone in the house. Socialization isn't a stage for him; it's daily life.

Titan, our nine-year-old Boerboel, standing on the grass

Family dog · 9 years old

Titan

Family companion — not part of the breeding program

Temperament

Titan is the reason we're here. He and his brother Tugga — who we sadly lost — were our first Boerboels, and the two of them are why we fell in love with the breed. At nine years old he's still the steady heart of the household.

Socialization

Nine years of living at the center of family life. Titan has seen every stage of our household grow up around him, and he greets it all with the same settled, easygoing presence.

Honey's health testing and appraisal

The paperwork behind the credential line — Honey's official health results and SABBS appraisal, verifiable with the registries that issued them.

OFA certificate showing Manuka Honey passed a cardiovascular exam with a normal, clear result

OFA heart — Normal/Clear

OFA number BO-BCA442/18F/P-NOPI — no evidence of congenital or acquired heart disease, evaluated at 18 months.

OFA preliminary hip dysplasia evaluation report for Manuka Honey showing a Good hip joint conformation result

OFA hips — Good (preliminary)

Preliminary evaluation found no radiographic evidence of hip dysplasia — the consensus rating is Good.

OFA preliminary elbow dysplasia evaluation report for Manuka Honey showing negative results for elbow dysplasia

OFA elbows — Negative (preliminary)

Preliminary evaluation negative for elbow dysplasia in both elbows, evaluated at 18 months.

SABBS registration certificate for Black Iron Manuka Honey showing pedigree, DNA details, and an 86.3 percent appraisal score

SABBS registration certificate

Registered with the South African Boerboel Breeders' Society — final appraisal 86.3% in the Stud Register, appraised April 4, 2025, with her five-generation pedigree on record at SA Stud Book.

How we socialize

Temperament is bred. Stability is raised. Here's how the second half happens at our place.

1

House from day one

Puppies are born and raised inside our home and yard, not in a kennel run — they grow up with the noise and rhythm of a busy family household.

2

Everyday exposure

Kids, guests, vehicles, machinery, weather, other animals — puppies meet everyday life in a controlled, positive way while they're young enough to absorb it.

3

Handling by everyone

Every member of the family handles the puppies — feet, ears, mouths, and all — so vet visits and grooming are old news by the time they leave.

4

Structured newness

New surfaces, new sounds, short car rides, and one-on-one time away from littermates — each pup learns that new things are safe things.

Meet the dogs yourself

We're in the South Shore region of Massachusetts, and families on our waiting list are welcome to visit and spend time with our dogs — that's the best way to see the temperament we're talking about. Can't make the trip? We can arrange a flight nanny or shipping.

Start the puppy application
Mass Boerboels

A family breeding kennel on open countryside acreage. Health-tested South African Boerboels, raised in the house and the yard — placed with families who'll keep them there.

Visiting the Kennel

Our homestead sits on open acreage in the South Shore region of Massachusetts. Visits are by appointment so we can give your family our full attention.

Can't make the trip? We can arrange a flight nanny or shipping for out-of-area families.

Thinking about a pup? Start with the application and we'll set up a time to talk.

Owner Keith: (617) 388-4823

Puppy Application

© 2026 Mass Boerboels. All rights reserved.

SABBS-registered breeder · South African heritage, family-raised.