Lares and his brother Kingsley are two priceless dogs that I will never forgive myself for not checking into their owners better.  Just when you think you have asked the correct questions, visiting with the owners, etc people still lie.  Lares out grew his puppy personality and into a more assertive male Boerboel a little early in life.  This is yet another reason why buyers/breeders need to make sure the new owners are prepared for this stage of a Boerboels life.  Males especially are big goof balls for the first 1-2 years of their life, then around 2-3 years of age they lose the puppy attitude and fill in the big boy shoes.  This is when the challenging starts to happen, the constant correction and discipline needs to come into play.  This breed is one of the smartest breed of dog I have yet to encounter so with that said, they understand what a pack member is suppose to do.  Always keep in mind your dog is the very last member in the family to ever have any say in what happens.  If you have children make them partake in the training, feeding and commands, while doing so this shows your dog who the boss really is and it's not him/her.  Also keep in mind that male Boerboels are not fully mature till the age of 4 years.  That gives you 4 years to either train one of the best dogs you'll ever have or it gives them time to push your buttons and you'll have your hands full.  The story ends with that Lares was put to sleep by his owners without any sort of communication with me regarding this decision they made.  He had a stronger personality than they were or ever will be capable of owning.  Please use this story as something to ask yourselves: Is our family ready, devoted and capable to have a strict lifestyle to train a Boerboel?  [Keep in mind, Dominance is not aggression. Dominance is a desire to run things.​ The dominant dog wants to have everything his/her way. Aggression is the desire or intent to cause harm.]  Just because you've owned a Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Pit Bull Terrier, Cane Corso or an Akita doesn't mean your ready to take on a Boerboel.  They take a lot of devotion and training, but with doing this your family will be blessed with one of the best companions you could ever ask for.