Boerboel Size & Growth: Weight and Height Chart

Boerboels are a large-to-giant breed with clear sexual dimorphism: males are taller, heavier, and more heavily boned than females. The numbers below come directly from the breed standards.

Height is the figure the standards actually specify. The AKC standard lists a preferred height of 24 to 27 inches for dogs (males) and 22 to 25 inches for bitches (females), measured from the top of the shoulder blade to the ground. The SABBS (South African Boerboel Breeders' Society) standard gives an ideal of 66 cm (about 26 in) for males, not below 60 cm (23.6 in), and 61 cm (about 24 in) for females, not below 55 cm (21.7 in).

Weight is not fixed by the standards. SABBS instead ties mass to height, calling for a ratio of roughly 1 to 1.2 cm of height per kg of body weight in a mature dog. Applied to an ideal 66 cm male, that implies roughly 55-66 kg (121-145 lb) for a balanced, fit animal, with larger individuals heavier. In practice, US-bred males commonly fall in the 150-200 lb range and females in the 110-150 lb range, with the upper end reflecting heavier, bulkier breeding rather than the leaner standard ideal.

The AKC standard is explicit that "balance, proportion and sound movement are of utmost importance, more so than size," and that the body should be slightly longer than tall (a 10:9 length-to-height ratio). A heavier dog is not automatically a better one. Reversal of sex characteristics (a feminine male or masculine female) is a fault.

If a breeder is advertising puppies as "200+ lb XL" or "giant" Boerboels, treat that as a flag rather than a selling point. Extreme size is often achieved by breeding for bulk at the expense of structure and longevity. See how to choose a responsible breeder.

The figures below are approximate and triangulated from breed-specific growth references and breeder-reported data. Individual puppies vary by line, sex, and feeding, so use this as a trajectory check, not a target to hit. A puppy tracking 10-15% under these numbers but active, lean, and proportionate is usually healthier than one being pushed to the top of the range.

Key patterns to expect:

• Fast early growth. Boerboel puppies can gain 10-15 lb in a single month during the first six months. Most of the height is laid down in the first 12 months.
• Males grow longer. Males generally take more time to finish than females and carry more bone and muscle at every stage.
• Filling out comes last. After a dog reaches near-final height around 12-18 months, it continues to broaden through the chest, head, and frame until roughly 2-3 years. This is the "filling out" stage, and it adds weight without much added height.

Like most large mastiffs, Boerboels mature in two phases: a rapid skeletal-growth phase, then a slower muscular and structural maturation.

• 0-6 months (rapid growth): The fastest weight and bone development. Growth plates are wide open and vulnerable, so high-impact exercise (forced running, jumping, stairs) should be limited.
• 6-12 months (slowing, near full height): The puppy approaches adult height. Growth plates begin closing but are typically still open until roughly 18 months in large breeds.
• 12-24 months (filling out): Height largely stabilizes; the dog gains muscle, chest depth, and head width. Males especially keep broadening through this window.
• 24-36 months (full maturity): Most Boerboels reach their true adult build between 2 and 3 years. The blocky head and heavy bone that define a mature male often are not fully expressed until this point.

Because growth plates stay open well past the first year, what you do during months 0-18 has lasting consequences for the joints, which is where feeding and exercise management come in.

A Boerboel's size is exactly what makes its skeletal development fragile during growth. Veterinary and canine-arthritis guidance for large and giant breeds is consistent on the following points:

• Feed a large-breed puppy formula, not a generic or adult food. These diets are less energy-dense and have controlled calcium and phosphorus, which slows growth to a rate the bones can keep up with. Stay on a large/giant-breed growth formula until skeletal maturity (around 18 months), not just the first few months.
• Do not supplement calcium or vitamin D. Excess calcium is directly linked to developmental orthopedic disease. Puppies passively absorb a large fraction of dietary calcium, so a complete, balanced large-breed food already provides the right amount. Adding supplements raises the risk of conditions like osteochondrosis (OCD).
• Keep puppies lean. Overfeeding and free-choice feeding accelerate growth and are among the strongest modifiable risk factors for hip and elbow dysplasia. Use portioned meals and aim for a body condition where you can feel the ribs easily. A fat Boerboel puppy is not a healthy one.
• Manage exercise around open growth plates. Avoid repetitive forced exercise, jumping off heights, and slick floors during the first 12-18 months. Free play on good footing is preferable to structured high-impact work.

The payoff for slow, controlled growth is a sounder adult dog. Fast growth produces a size-strength mismatch in the bones that predisposes the joints to early degeneration, a real concern in a dog that may carry 150 lb or more for a decade.

Size and joint health are inseparable in this breed. A 150-200 lb dog places enormous load on its hips and elbows, so a responsible Boerboel breeder screens the parents before producing large puppies.

The core screens are hip and elbow evaluations (OFA or PennHIP for hips, OFA for elbows), which grade the joints radiographically. Because hip and elbow dysplasia are both heritable and aggravated by rapid growth, buying from parents with passing scores meaningfully lowers your puppy's risk. Cardiac and eye screening are also part of a complete panel given the breed's mass and known issues.

The health testing guide breaks down which tests matter, how to read OFA results, and what to ask a breeder for. A puppy bred for extreme size with no joint clearances on the parents is the single most expensive mistake a buyer can make, because the veterinary cost of a dysplastic giant-breed dog is steep. You can compare breeders on their testing and search the directory for kennels that publish their results.

Adult size by itself should not drive price, but it correlates with several things that do. Puppies from health-tested, correctly proportioned parents that hit the standard for height and substance generally command more than unregistered, untested stock, because the breeder has invested in the screening that protects those big joints.

Be cautious with pricing that is built around size claims. "XL" or "giant" labeling is a marketing angle, not a quality marker, and a premium charged purely for projected weight, with no health clearances behind it, is a poor trade. The Boerboel price guide breaks down what actually justifies a higher price (registry papers, hip and elbow scores, lineage, and the breeder's track record) versus what does not. For the breed's history, temperament, and what ownership at this size really involves, see the Boerboel breed overview.