Danish Broholmer

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Danish Broholmer (also known as Broholmer or Danish Mastiff) is an old dog breed originating in Denmark in 1500's. The dog has history that goes back to middle ages when the ancestors of this breed, the English Mastiff type dogs were brought back to the country by vikings and also as gift exchanges between Danish and Scottish kings. These dogs were then bred with local drover dogs called slaughtrehunden or butcher's dogs. The resultant dogs are called Old Danish Dog. These ODDs were used for hunting stag and to guard castles and estates as well as fierce herding dogs. With changing hunting methods and high upkeep cost for these dogs, the interest in this breed declined and by mid 1800's, the breed was almost extinct. It was revived by a game-keeper named Niels Frederik Sehested who initiated a revival program for this dog. He presented puppies to people within Denmark, but only if they promise to follow his breeding program. This resulted in the breed flourishing again and breeds' features standardized as well as dog becoming popular in all socail classes. In admiration of Niels efforts in the revival of this breed, the dog was named after his residence, the Castle Broholm, and called Broholmer.

The dog again faced a potential extinction threat after second World War but a group of fanciers came together to save this breed and it is no more an endangered breed.

This is a large Mastiff dog with an imposing built, loud voice and dominant walk. The big but athletic dog stands between 27 to 29.5 inches and weighs between 90-150 pounds. The head is fairly big and broad, giving impression of heaviness. Skull is broad and flat while muzzle is massive. Lips are pendulous. Nose is large and black. Round eyes are moderate size and come in light to dark amber color. Expression shows self confidence. Medium size ears are set high and hang close to cheek. Neck is very strong and powerful. Body is rectangular with straight topline, strong well-defined withers, fairly long back and medium length croup which crops slightly. Chest is deep and powerful. The tail is set fairly low, broad at birth, carried hanging without flag or feathering. The coat is short and closely-fitted with thick undercoat. The coat colors can be yellow with black mask, golden red or black.

This dog is NOT recognized by AKC, however it is recognized by FCI, UKC and DRA.

Color

Acceptable colors are yellow with a black mask; golden red; black. White markings on the chest, feet and tip of tail are optional. Black color is still rare.

Coat

The coat is short and close-fitted with a thick undercoat.

Personality

The Broholmer is highly intelligent, naturally obedient, and generally easy to train. It is best known for its loyal and protective nature. The dog is calm, friendly and very even tempered with a watchful eye. It is one of the strongest dogs in the world and is a born guardian of the property and its family. It portrays great self-confidence, which comes from the strength it possesses. The dog is easy to train and the aim of the training is usually to achieve a pack leader status as this dog is a born leader. The owner must present himself as the dog's true master other wise, this dominant dog will try to acquire the role of the pack leader. The Broholmer is very calm, gentle and friendly with its family but is fearful and distrustful towards strangers. It has built-in protective instincts as the dog has been used for guarding, pulling weight, dogfights, watchdog. With proper training and socialization, the Broholmer makes an excellent family pet besides being an outstanding watch and guard dog.

Care

The short coat of this dog does not require much grooming. Weekly brushing should keep the coat clean.

Training

Main aim of training this dog is to achieve pack leader status as the dog has born instinct to be the leader of its pack. It needs a firm and confident owner who can show the dog true pack leader qualities. The Broholmer is generally an easy dog to train and should not pose any problems. Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Broholmer. This breed requires a confident, patient, and strong handler with a stern yet gentle approach to repetitive exercises and tasks.

Activity

Not a dog for lazy owners, apartment dwellers or for indoor living, the Broholmer needs large open spaces to run and play freely. It is a high energy dog that needs lots of physical and mental activities. Ideally, the dog would be happy in a house with large open space and lots of activity to take part in. Daily walks are must as well as ample playing time.