We are Topguard Kennels, the Best Boerboel breeder in the UK, renowned international breeders of the magnificent South African Boerboel local to Horsham, West Sussex. Nestled in beautiful West Sussex countryside our purpose-built facilities sit within ten acres of farmland, open meadows, woodland and a 1-acre lake, which is why it’s the perfect location to call home for our family of Boerboel dogs.
We are a family run business, and our love affair with the Boerboel breed is now in its 20th year, we remember our first litter of Boerboel puppies as if it were yesterday. We pride ourselves on breeding the best quality Boerboels with our focus, being health, conformation and temperament. Our passion is producing the best dog for our client’s needs, whether that’s a family guardian and protector for your home, a show dog or working dog.
Our ten-acre property in Horsham provides plenty of space for our Boerboels to enjoy free running, group exercising and most importantly, play time. We also make good use of our direct access to the local bridlepaths and Downs Link, a 37 mile disused railway line that links the Surrey Hills and South Downs, and now a route for walkers, horse riders and cyclists.
People are always asking about how I became a breeder and what other dogs I’ve owned over the years.
My passion for dogs stems back as far as I can remember and from the age of 10, I could always be found kicking about the farm with my best pal, Jay. Jay was my trusted German Shepherd, and we went everywhere together, he never left my side.
It was a short while after we’d lost Jay when I started to show an interest in the American Bulldog. Having grown up with big dogs, I was intrigued by this muscular, proud standing canine, so at the age of 17 I got my first two American Bully’s, Blaze and Venom. It was from here Topguard Kennels was born.
I used to read books about working, showing, and breeding dogs, the more I learnt about dogs the more I wanted to know. So, I decided to buy a couple of female American Bulldogs and start Topguard’s first ever breeding program. I researched what the breeding guidelines were for a healthy dog and worked at putting my own stamp on the breed producing many champions such as Topguards Boris, Topguards Jed, Topguards Governor to name just a few. Over the next few years, I started to compete and did extremely well on both the working and dog show circuit. It was from these achievements the Topguard name started to trickle through the global dog community and at a time when there was no social media, this was quite a feat.
My love for big dogs was growing and so was my hunger to learn more. If you didn’t see me with a dog, you’d probably see me reading a book about them, and it wasn’t long until I came across a book called Gladiator Dogs. In this book I came across the South African Boerboel Mastiff and a new spark was ignited. I was amazed by their power, size and how their nature was described so I set out to try and find a reputable breeder. I was so excited about what the future held for Topguard Kennels, but it was a bumpy ride at first. Unfortunately, the first dogs I bought from European breeders fell very short of the bar that had been set by my American Bulldogs, and from what I had read about the breed. I was not deterred, I loved my first Boerboels, without them I wouldn’t be where I am today.
In 2003 I stumbled across a litter from two South African imports, when I went to meet them, I knew I had found the perfect start to my next breeding program. I picked an amazing puppy who I named Vandal and later his sister Mooi came to join us. I had gained two great Boerboel examples and also made a lifelong friend in the breeder, who kindly gave me the connections I needed in South Africa. The overseas relationships I forged gave me the opportunity to expand my family of Boerboels, so we introduced our import, the striking Amandla Baden Tia from Atti Baden. This is when the Topguard journey really began…
As with all businesses we’ve had our high and our lows, but we have achieved some amazing things over the years. You can see Topguards Charlie featured in a music video called ‘Animal’ by English Frank. Our dogs have also found forever homes among footballers, music industry moguls, fashion house owners and we’ve even had the odd mention and shared our expertise, published in some books over the years. You’ll find ‘The Complete Guide to Boerbeols’ by Desirée Botha with some quotes by me available on Amazon.
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