Broholmer History
"The Old Danish Dog's history can be traced back to Frederik II and Christian IV. The King fell in love with King Jacob I's English Mastiff during his visit, and the breed was immediately imported to Denmark in the middle of the 16th century.
The breed was crossed with other large breeds during this period. However, in the 19th century, the Old Danish Dog was about to die out. Master of the Royal Hunt Niels Frederik Berhard Sehested of The Broholm Estate on Fyn managed to re-establish and re-breed the Broholmer. He gave the Broholmer away to people who wished to own this breed - but with the clause that the dog would participate in the future breed.
During this period, the Broholmer became an ordinary dog. During the 20th century, the Broholmer became a rare sight due to this period's diseases and poverty. Many of the Broholmers died because of distemper, epidemics and inbreeding problems. Thus, the Broholmer almost became extinct, and the last Broholmer disappeared in 1956. In 1974, a breeding committee was founded in cooperation with Dansk Kennel Klub, and its only purpose was to reestablish and breed the Broholmer as we know it today.
The source is taken from The Broholmer
Broholmer Standards
Height:
Males 29.5" (75 cm)
Females 27.6" (70 cm)
Weight:
Males 110-150 lbs (50-68 kg)
Females 90-130 lbs (41-59 kg)
Colours:
Yellow with a black mask, red gold or black, preferably with white on the chest, paws and tail tip.
Country of Origen:
Denmark
United Kennel Club Group:
Guardian
Download the Broholmer's whole breed standard here. Downloaded from the UKC website March 2020.
Modern Broholmer
The work and the history of the reconstruction of the Broholmer have their own story. On a late night back in 1973, a group of dog lovers from DKK was gathering to talk about dog breeds and the almost forgotten ones. One person remembered the Broholmer from childhood, but what had happened to this breed? Did it still exist?
None had seen the dog for years, but some had heard that there were very few samples left in Denmark despite the rumours that the breed had died out. These thoughts and memories of the dog from their childhood became the foundation for “the Reconstruction of the Broholmer.” DKK supervised the breeding.
First, the group had to find a specimen of the breed, and a vast search was initiated in all Denmark newspapers. Many people reported that they knew of owners or owned a Broholmer-look-alike dog, but the problem was that DKK had stopped the pedigree registration of the Broholmer back in 1910. This made finding a “real” living Broholmer almost impossible because no registered Broholmers existed.
The group knew many Broholmer-look-alike-dogs, but now they had to find suitable breeding material. The many contacts with dog owners resulted in two possible candidates: an old yellow male, Bjørn, and the old black Manne, also a male. Both males had, of course, managed to pass on their genes naturally; thus, the black Manne had a beautiful yellow grandson called C. Bastian, who had the correct Broholmer look.
Unfortunately, not all dog owners were willing to keep their promise. There were still more yellow dogs than black dogs; therefore, a considerable loss was suffered when they lost Manne in 1980 when he died of old age. The work of the reconstruction continued, and a milestone was reached when, in 1982, the Broholmer was acknowledged by the FCI (The International Association of Kennel Clubs ) under the reconstruction by DKK. In 1988, the Broholmer was internationally recognized as an “old Danish breed.” The Broholmer Society could now lead the breeding itself, and future Broholmer litters could be pedigreed in a usual way.
The source is taken from The Broholmer
Breeding Broholmers in Canada
Pheonix Bird Hariette is maturing into adulthood; consequently, Gaby Dufresne-Cyr is preparing Hariette for her upcoming physical and psychological evaluations. To successfully introduce the first litter of Canadian Broholmers, our team is diligently documenting the constitution of our future breeding program, which will uphold all puppies and their prospective families to the highest standards.
Canadian Broholmer Breeding Program
If you have read the Broholmer Journey below, you know how long it took to make this historical event occur; consequently, the Broholmer program differs significantly from conventional North American breeding standards. The primary distinction is that all litters will be bred for work. Therefore, companion dogs will not be sold or placed into families.
Broholmers were imported to Canada to work with at-risk teens in the Dogue Shop's high school animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program. They are perfect for the job because they are large, funny, sturdy, multi-versatile, athletic, energetic, creative, goofy, and hyper-social. Broholmers love contact.
Once Hariette has passed her physical and mental health tests, we will choose a suitable male for our breeding program. We are emphasizing calm, adaptability, social, and curious traits. Male Broholmers will be selected based on their physical and mental test results. We are planning for a litter for winter 2020 or 2021. Most likely for 2024, with SARS-CoV-2 still around.
Living With a Broholmer
Broholmers are Danish mastiffs; they are the true Great Danes. The latter breed originates from Germany; thus, it is called the German mastiff. In French, people refer to it as Dogue Allemand. Broholmers are tall, heavy, robust, and clumsy; therefore, they tend to break things because of their size. A massive Broholmer tail causes havoc on coffee tables and displayed artifacts. Here are a few pros and cons of owning a Broholmer.
Cons:
- Broholmers are heavy shedders. Their undercoat sheds yearlong with peaks at the beginning of each Solstice and Equinoxe period.
- The Broholmer drools. They are not the biggest droolers, but you should still expect to clean your walls and furniture regularly.
- Broholmers are heavy. They can easily knock down an adult; thus, young children are at risk of being toppled.
- Broholmers eat a lot. Hariette tips the scale at 119lb and eats raw food. That represents 2.4 lbs per day. Males are even heavier, tipping the scale at 150 lbs (68kg) and eating 3.3 lbs daily. Broholmers need to be added to the family budget.
- The Broholmer is the most athletic breed among mastiffs. In other words, they need to move.
- Broholmers are guard dogs with a powerful hound-like bark. Their bark is loud and travels far.
- Broholmers are costly to purchase, and so too are veterinarian and accessory costs. Everything Broholmer is XXL.
Pros:
- Broholmers love to swim, run, jump, flip, catch, retrieve, pull, track, play, and learn.
- Broholmers are hyper-social. They need to touch and be socially bonded with a person, ideally another dog.
- Broholmers are adaptable and love challenges. Learning is their strong point.
- Broholmers are perfectly adapted to Canadian winters. They love the cold and snow, so they're usually outside from November to March.
- The Broholmer will undoubtedly make you laugh because they are convinced they ARE Scooby-Doo.
- Broholmers love everything and everyone if they are correctly socialized.
Future Broholmer Owners
Broholmer caregivers can expect to sign a contract requiring them to partake in the above animal-assisted therapy program. Consequently, people must live close to downtown and neighbouring Montreal boroughs. Puppies will have to take part in our puppy and teen classes and have to adhere to our training requirements, which include the following:
- Bring the dog to our facility Monday-Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, for training
- Adhere to our training requirements outside facility hours
- Your Broholmer will have to see a vet twice a year for a general exam
- Follow our nutritional guidelines
- If your dog fulfils the AAT program requirements:
- To drop off the dog at our facility or a specific school
- To conduct AAT sessions with the teens
- To be available for media events
- To be available for photoshoots - You will need to purchase the necessary work gear
- If applicable, to breed your Broholmer
- Keep their UKC registration up to date
- Enroll their Broholmer in working trials
Owner Selection Criteria
Future Broholmer caregivers are serious about including a Broholmer in their lives. Broholmer fanciers will be selected based on the criteria discussed within this breeding program. Applications will be made available by e-mail only.
- Owners have done their research.
- Committed to upholding high breeding standards.
- Are not looking for a companion or furbaby.
- Can financially afford initial and reoccurring costs.
- Are committed to mental and physical healthcare.
- Accept co-ownership of their Broholmer.
- Cover training, working gear purchases, veterinary bills, and travel fees.
Broholmer AAT Certification
We commit to maintaining working information for all Broholmers via a file demonstrating their hours, location, and field of work. Dogue Shop will certify their Broholmers as AAT work partners and keep a registry. These criteria will be developed as we move forward in our breeding program.