IMPERIAL PUPPY PROGRAMME
A huge amount goes into preparing our puppies for their forever homes. Here's an insight into how every Imperial puppy starts their lives...
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Socialisation is Everything
​The most important part of our programme is socialisation, and we do it on a very large scale. It starts just days after birth with Early Neurological Stimulation. From there, we keep building on it with age-appropriate experiences as the puppies grow.
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Real Life Sounds from Day One
Our puppies don’t just hear sounds through a speaker like fireworks, we make sure they experience real-life noises. That means the vacuum is used inside the whelping box, not just nearby. We clang bowls during feeding time, have dogs barking and babies crying in the background. This helps them grow into confident, well-adjusted pups that aren’t phased by the world around them.
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Confident Around Water
​We always introduce water early on. Whether it’s splashing around or just being near it, we make sure every puppy is confident in and around water before they leave us.
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Handling from Nose to Tail
​From about four weeks old, we start nail clipping and using the dremel. Puppies are handled daily for hours, not just by us, but also by our children. We make sure their ears, eyes, noses, bellies, and paws are touched and checked so they’re used to all kinds of handling. This makes a huge difference later on when they go to the vet or groomer.
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Stable Dogs Are Safe Dogs
From years working in the dog training and Boerboel world, we’ve seen that fear is the biggest risk factor in any dog, especially in a breed like the Boerboel. A scared dog is far more dangerous than a confident one. That’s why we put so much into raising stable, confident puppies.
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Genetics Matter Just as Much
it’s not just how you raise a pup that matters. Their temperament also comes from their parents. We only use dogs in our programme that have solid, sound temperaments. Both nature and nurture are equally important, so we don’t cut corners on either.
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Raised in Our Home, Not a Kennel
​Every Boerboel in our programme lives in our home, with our family and our kids. We get to know them inside and out through everyday life, not by observing them for five minutes in a kennel. This gives us a much clearer picture of their true temperament, which is key when we’re deciding who to pair and what traits they’ll pass on.
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The Whole Journey, Start to Finish
We share the full journey of raising our puppies through videos and updates, from birth, through socialisation and training, right up until the day they go to their new homes. The video can be seen here. We also show how we care for our adult dogs, because they’re just as important to us as the puppies. Our adults live enriched lives, and that’s a big part of what makes our programme different.
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Early Toilet Training
Around four weeks old, we introduce astro turf into the whelping box to encourage clean habits and kick off toilet training early. Raising puppies is all about routine—if a pup gets used to peeing and pooing where they sleep, they'll keep doing it. But if they grow up in a clean environment and are encouraged to go on grass from the start, toilet training later becomes much easier. It’s already part of their habit.
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Whistle Recall from the Start
We use feeding time as a chance to start recall training. Right from the beginning, we pair meals with a whistle so they associate that sound with something positive. By the time they go home, recall isn’t new, it’s something they’ve known their whole life, giving their new owners a great head start.
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Early Obedience Work
We start basic obedience with all our puppies. This includes gentle leash walking, learning to sit, and introducing general manners. It’s nothing intense, just enough to build the right foundation without overwhelming them.
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Positive Food Manners
We always stay present during mealtimes, not only so we’re ready if there’s ever a choking risk, but also to help prevent food guarding. Puppies learn that people being near their food isn’t a threat, which lowers the chance of guarding behaviour later on. To them, food becomes a normal, low-value part of life, not something they need to protect.
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Crate Confidence
We introduce crate training before the puppies leave us. They spend short periods, around 15 to 30 minutes, in a crate to help them see it as a calm, safe space. That way, by the time they go to their new homes, they already have a positive association with being crated.​
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Impulse Control = Better Behaviour
We build impulse control into everyday life. Puppies learn to wait calmly for meals, to sit and wait before coming out of their crates in the morning, and to pause before coming back inside from the garden. These little habits shape their overall self-control and behaviour in a big way.
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House Manners Matter
We also teach the puppies how not to behave. That includes stopping things like counter surfing, raiding the bin, or begging at the table. They learn door boundaries too, meaning they don’t bolt out if someone opens the door. Before every walk, they sit and wait calmly. These small lessons go a long way when they move into their new homes.
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