Atomic Boerboels

I spent years doing research as many of you had. I eventually found Atomic Boerboels and after months of conversations of what I was looking for I finally put my deposit down and was in line 2nd choice for the next litter. 8 months later I picked a beautiful large brindle male. Once it was finally time for the pup to come home my wife and I decided to drive to Texas and pick up the pup. We weren’t actually Allowed to see the kennel or property where breeding was done and were given an address to meet at a friends house of Rogers where we met us and brought the pup. Surprisingly the pup seemed very lethargic and was not acting like a normal puppy running around jumping and playing. We finally hit the road. We stopped about 3 hours down the road at a local KOA and rented a cabin for the evening/night and spent some time with our pup. After the next morning waking up and hitting the road again we were entering New Mexico, we eventually stopped for gas and to use the restroom when my wife came into the gas station in tears saying she thought Tower was dead. I rushed outside to find our pup lifeless. Performed CPR but to no avail he had passed. We had not had our pup 24 hours and he passed away on us. I immediately called Roger and asked him what was going on why the pup had died in less then 24 hours. He said he thought it might of been bloat but to me the dog seemed sick from the get go. He never played like a puppy. So Roger at first did the stand up thing and said he would replace the pup for me which I thought was amazing and truly amazing customer service but he quickly took advantage of me and the situation. With Roger being so quick to offer a replacement pup for no charge, I felt like that was such good customer service and I did not want put him out that I offered to actually split the cost of a new pup. So he wouldn’t be out. He agreed and told me he would be in touch. I sent him a check for $1,000 since I paid $2,000 for the previous pup to split the cost of a new pup. He then reached back out 6 to 8 months later saying he had a traditional red available if I wanted him, he said he was 6 months old and had been sick that’s why he wasn’t sold with the rest of the litter but that he was good to go and healthy. I said I would take him after looking at the pictures he sent. Now this is strictly my opinion but I believe or feel like the dog he sent me was probably the runt and he was unable to sell him so he offered him to me. Quickly after I accepted to take the pup Roger told me I needed to pay another $500 for additional costs, I sent him another $500 and then shortly after he said I needed to send another $250 plus cost of the flight to ship the pup to me. All in all Roger did not split the cost of the pup with me and I ended up basically paying for the pup in full again yet without a pick of the litter and ultimately in my opinion the runt that he was unable to sell. Which is why I received a pup nearly half a year old. Regardless I received my new pup who was flown in and we very quickly fell in love with this dog. He ended up being the absolute best dog I have ever had. He was amazing, loving, protective, funny, good with our kids, it was amazing! Sadly this last week we had to put Koah down. He fell I’ll suddenly this week and we took him into the ER. X-Rays revealed his heart was twice the size it should have been from heart disease and he was in critical heart arrhythmia. We ended up having to put our beloved Koah down. It was one of the hardest things I have had to do. May 10 (next week) would have been his 6th birthday. We only got to spend a short 5.5 years with him. Koah from very early on had sever hip issues, he was never in his life able to jump into the backseat of a car, he never once got to see the upstairs portion of his home because his hips were so bad from early on. Koah was so loved and we miss him so much. I thank Roger for the best dog I could have ever hoped for but I question his breeding practices, genetics of Koah and upset that he did not honor his share of splitting the cost of the pup which ultimately I paid full price for when I was trying to do the right thing to begin with considering I received a pup that died within 15 hours of receiving him. I understand this is not other people’s experience with Atomic but this is my experience. Take it for what it’s worth.

My name is Steve and I am 54 years old . My wife and I are experienced large breed owner with multiple Boerboels and litters of our own since I invested in my first dog in 2001.. Once I decided to research this particular breed, I spent 2.5 years of personal painstaking and relentless pursuit of Boerboel breed knowledge, bloodlines research, SABBS registry & Judge correspondence, and kennel owner & Breeder conversations. I finally purchased and shipped my first dog from a very kind and wise Pretoria breeder and a 7 year SABBS judge. I shipped her to Los Ángeles international and drove the 13 hours to pick her up at the age of 16 weeks. Safe to say 22 years later I know a little more than the average pet owner about this topic because I have invested thousands of hours over 20+ years in my dog and the breed.

I discovered RD at my first appraisal at an AZ tour stop when I saw Bootszilla 1 moving like a damn deer, a physical specimen of a dog you cannot even appreciate unless you meet him in person. I was absolutely elated my own dog ROXI scored an “89” at 22 mos. I also couldn’t get Bootszilla 1 out of my head and it was much less about his “paws the size of lion” and his sheer size… and much more the top line, his angles & confirmation, his unbelievably agile movement, and his fluid and effortless gait.He was a giant and had a really great temperament amongst all the 75 other dogs there for appraisal.

I pretty much told myself, IF, there were more like him at that RD guys kennel… I would go see them for myself in person… even if that meant flying to South Africa.

Now…before I continue, please let me help some if you “less committed to your research and time invested” folks out with a little insider information about big Dogs, Breeders and Boerboel Breeders.

A few little recognized facts about the subject…

#1 People who breed and raise quality dogs over 10-20-30 years are NOTin it for the money. To pay vet fees, do 40 ultrasounds a year, buy premium food by the pallet AND feed raw food diets which cost more than “steak dinners for people” with 5-10 adult dogs, pay for semen collection, pay to freeze the semen,, pay for regular artificial inseminations, give thousands of shots, treat ear & eye infections in very clean environments, lose great puppies to parvo because some dummy tracks it in on his shoes, treat more infections, treat painful mastitis 5X a day after painful deliveries, bottle feed entire litters of puppies 3X a day for 1-2 hours each feeding when they lose a favorite female, pay for stillborn puppy deliveries even when they drive home empty handed when only 1 out of 6 pups survive for unknown reasons…Quality people who also breed to a high-quality standard, and who are really trying to contribute to the overall betterment of the breed they love BREEDERS DO IT FOR THE LOVE OF THEIR DOGS and at the same time TRY TO NOT “LOSE MONEY.”

#2 Quality Dog Breeders are easy to spot IF you know what you want because
A-They will always invite serious clients to their home to meet their dogs.. but not invite a potential buyer who isn’t a fit
B-They will straight up tell you their thoughts/ educated opinion if they sense that their dogs are NOT for you and if they feel that to be the case they will usually suggest a better alternative.
C- There are 100 reasons they don’t really care what you think about “their process, their way of doing things, whether or not “someone in South Africa doesn’t like Black dogs or Whitecream dogs”, and/or what you might think of their overall approach.
D- When a breeder and his/her family are investing thousand of hours and $$$ plus blood, sweat, and tears to raise multiple litters of puppies a year, in a controlled effort to improve the breed with every breeding because that would make zero sense to just turn loose their best females with any old dog you should simply pay the respect they deserve… even if you don’t hear exactly what you want to hear.
E- MOST quality Breeders are polite, nice, willing to talk and listen…even email back and forth…but they are human too with feelings and real emotions and should really not be required to “waste” hours of precious time with 25%-50% of the “Looky Lou’s” and “Uneducated Tire-kickers” who haven’t done a lick of homework, read a single article, or ever even owned a large bree….AND they feel entitled (who knows why maybe they have 200k followers on TickTok and drive a BMW at 22 cause they still live w their parents )
F- And lastly, IF this potential dog owner offers the breeder of a $5k-$10k dog (that took 12 years of breedings and 10 litters to produce) a solid $1000-$1500 and also asks to pay in 4 equal installments (like the breeder is a bank) just because they have a “1gig internet connections” and saw “some famous musician or professional athlete who has one” and who really has “no idea what they even want in a dog” besides the obvious…. “something big, badass, and intimidating” that I can show to my friends. He/she isn’t a fit and shouldn’t feel bad if the breeder encourages them to “do some additional research and check back in a year or so”

RD founder of Atomic, specifically, has not only invested 30 years plus in his craft, all while working a full time job and career in InsurTech, he has also written the only sizeasble hardcover book on the finer points of the Boerboel breed.

He has not only answered every one of my questions, invited me to his home (Been there twice). He has also “corrected my questions” to improve my understanding. He has patiently shared information about breeding this working dog, even shared some of his failures, and explained in clear terms “why and how some people should simply walk away rather than buy one
of his dogs for the wrong reasons”
Not what you typically hear from a puppy mill sort of guy.

RD can basically predict -to the person,- which people he speaks with will most likely end up “dissatisfied” and is very clear about discouraging them from giving him money for “a dog.”

Out of respect for RD and many other breeders from other types of dogs, let me share some tips from a “Boeeboel owner and buyer perspective with those of you who may be
A) Inexperienced dog owners
B) New to big molosser breeds like the Boerboel
C)Are struck by the beauty of the dogs posted on the Atomic site but wonder if RD and his bloodlines are legit
D) You have never spent good money ($3k-$5k) on a pup and companion that you will spend 13-16 years of your life with E) You may not know or understand how a 200 lb animal can move like a deer and easily jump a 6’ fence and outrun many of the K9’s you see in squad cars of your local PD used for a variety of police work. F) You might not truly appreciate even a 140-165 lb dog who can be left unattended with your 2, 4, 6, or 8 year old kids. A dog who can be ridden, laid on, poked and prodded, ears pulled, even led on a leash through your neighborhood by your kid, without so much as a mean look or a growl at your kid…A dog who is always the self-appointed guardian of (have to see it to believe it) and attached to… the smallest member of your family and patiently protective, but never aggressive towards children… ever.

Really and truly, it isn’t smart to consider buying a large breed dog of any variety, unless you do your homework’, research the breed and the breeders, and save your $$ to buy the best YOU can afford.

IF YOU CANNOT NOW UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE DO NOT DESERVE TO BE A DOG OWNER …(just visit and look in any city shelter and watch Ceasar Milan’s show on TV based on “how dumb dog owners have become in 2022” …. much less decide to buy a BOERBOEL…

….. and then to spend valuable time writing stupid reviews, harassing, belittling, or complaining about how RD (or any quality breeder for that matter) “hurt your feelings,” “Didn’t deliver”… or how “you got screwed on your $500 down-payment because “You really have no idea what you want”, “no patience to wait for the next litter,” and you clearly know “little to nothing about investing in a quality dog to begin with”…. Please just do RD a solid favor, (along with the rest of Us) and either buy a “cat” instead or rescue a maltipoo or a quality mini-labradoodle from a shelter and don’t spend any of his time or yours taking about “buying a puppy”, “needing to pay less”, or “buying his biggest Boerboel”.

Make the decision now that until you “personally spend the time and effort to figure out why, when, where, and what you want”and realize what a real privilege it is to spend even 10 minutes speaking with anyone who spends 10,000 hours honing any specific craft… like RD who has spent the.better part of his 50-year-life devoted to his dogs, their care, the improvement of their gene pools and complimentary DNA

Ask yourself this… what if “you might not be ready…. or even be “a good candidate” for buying an Atomic Boerboel.”

Maybe you are one of the few that would be better off providing “rescue services” and giving a couple of months to a dog who needs to be rehomed, some love, and a better home until they find another real home.

As for me, I have no reason to write this lengthy diatribe other than this. You will not find someone more knowledgable, more committed, easier to work with, and more passionate about his dogs, his craft, and his contribution to improving the breed than RD from Atomic Boerboels. And that Jack, is a fact, and if you care to do it the right way… you can find out for yourself. Even God has to back RD… just say a little prayer and you will feel it in your bones.

Steve- “A committed Boerboel owner and enthusiast”

First e-mail communication , the reply time was amazing. Phone conversation like never with any other breeder. RD took the time to educate me, get acquainted, when we concluded our initial conversation, I felt that he really cared about me as a potential customer. After reading the above reviews, and reviewing his knowledge on the SA Boerboel, I have no doubt there will be an amazing pup coming home from Atomic Boerboels. Thank You...

We purchased "Freya" our Atomic Boerbel back in September 2020, and words cannot describe how amazing and extremely well bred she is. Atomic and RD's bloodlines truly represent the best this breed has to offer. Everything about Freya is absolutely perfect! The quality of RD's breeding is unmatched in the United States, period. I have researched breeders and Boerbels for sometime and seen many examples, but nothing compares to an Atomic Boerbel.

Freya's build and temperament are superb, the quality of her breeding amazes me every single day. I literally think she was born potty trained (never any accidents ever). She is unusually intelligent, well mannered and learns new things very quickly. These dogs are worth every penny of their price tag, and more.

They are some very large muscular and strong dogs. If you want a top of the line Boerboel with superb genetic traits look no further. Our Freya at 14-weeks is 45lbs and solid muscle with excellent bone structure. When I say Atomic is the best Boerboel breeder in the USA I literally mean THE BEST...! Thanks RD

just picked up our boerboel puppy Milo, I must say Atomic Boerboels and R.D far surpassed our expectations. RD worked very hard to select the perfect Puppy for our family. puppy was super healthy very fit and very well socialized. Atomic boerboels are testament to Rd s,tireless efforts over many years to produce world class dogs. At an amazing price. thanks again to Atomic boerboels for truly exceptional buying experience.

I have been following [redacted] since 'I read this old review before I bought a dogI questioned him aboutHe had tried and tried to make that customer happy, but apparently some people are either jealous or heavily focused on trying to get a free puppyI decided to buy a Boerboel from ***He's prior U.SAir ForceMedical ServicesHis whole family is militaryI find him to be EXTREMELY honestHe's a stand up guy and he stands by his pupsThe dog I bought oh manwherever we go people continually stop and ask me, "What is it? Where'd you get it?" I am AMAZED at the quality of this animalI was a dog handler in the military, and I've never had a dog as good of a temperament as this oneSTRONG, healthyamazing animalWe communicate!! ((LOL)) Very smart animal(I feel guilty calling her an, "animal" at six months, she's my friendShe's a blessing [redacted] has made trips to South AfricaHis bloodlines are documented and impeccableHe is a man of his word and did everything possible to get me the dog I asked forWhat I got surpassed my expectationsHe's there for me after the saleHe is an adviser who walks you through raising a Boerboel which is not your average dogHe deserves an "A+" rating not a "D-"His dogs sell like hotcakes because apparently a lot of people know quality when they see itThere are breeders out there with "A+" ratings whose dogs don't come close to hisDarn shame

I called to inquire about an Atomic Boerboel. My call was returned timely and I was impressed by the time the owner spent on the phone with me answering my questions and informing me in the presumably and temperament of the breed. It wasn't until the END of our hour long call that the owner was aware of my background. I have 20+ years experience working with Animals of all breeds. 9 years with Animal Shelters, the Humane Society and Michigan Anti Cruelly Society, 8 years experience as a Vet Tech, and 40 years experience as a dog owner.

He knows his stuff and his dogs are of the highest quality. My husband and I are purchasing a pup from him after researching a dozen boerboel breeders. He offers payment plans so that even those without a large chunk of cash can get a quality dog. Once you're fully paid, you will get a pup from the next available litter. Not many breeders will do this. He wants everyone to be able to experience the joy of having one of these incredible dogs as a family member.

I read the negative review and have to say, ... the man feels he was ripped off 500.00? Come on! These dogs cost nearly 3 grand or more for breeding stock and rights. I was told, AND it's in the contract that the deposit (which is probably what the negative reviewer paid) is NON refundable but will go towards the purchase of the pup. So this fella didn't get his CREAM boerboel and pulled out instead of waiting for another litter or choosing another dog. It's a shame that someone who's unfamiliar with how reputable breeders work can write a poor review based on their ignorance and anger.

I can't wait to get our puppy when she's ready. I'd recommend this breeder and I'll definitely be back with a cookie up review next year when we get our pup.

I have been following [redacted] since '07. I read this old review before I bought a dog. I questioned him about. He had tried and tried to make that customer happy, but apparently some people are either jealous or heavily focused on trying to get a free puppy.
I decided to buy a Boerboel from [redacted].
He's prior U.S. Air Force. Medical Services. His whole family is military. I find him to be EXTREMELY honest. He's a stand up guy and he stands by his pups.
The dog I bought ... oh man... wherever we go people continually stop and ask me, "What is it? Where'd you get it?"
I am AMAZED at the quality of this animal.
I was a dog handler in the military, and I've never had a dog as good of a temperament as this one. STRONG, healthy... amazing animal. We communicate!! ((LOL))
Very smart animal. (I feel guilty calling her an, "animal" ... at six months, she's my friend. She's a blessing.
[redacted] has made trips to South Africa.
His bloodlines are documented and impeccable.
He is a man of his word and did everything possible to get me the dog I asked for. What I got surpassed my expectations.
He's there for me after the sale.
He is an adviser who walks you through raising a Boerboel .. which is not your average dog.
He deserves an "A+" rating ... not a "D-".
His dogs sell like hotcakes because apparently a lot of people know quality when they see it. There are breeders out there with "A+" ratings whose dogs don't come close to his. Darn shame.

What more can I say about Rd ( roger mills ). Very knowledgeable, I purchased a cream brindle from him. With time and patients I got the right pup for me and my family. A few litters came before I got mine because we both agreed he wouldn’t sell me a pup that I wasn’t completely satisfied with and was exactly what I was looking for!He showed me some of his top dogs, excellent cared for and in the best shape.

As read in the previous reviews... Roger Mills of Atomic Boerboels really knows his stuff. I talked with him for 3yrs before making my purchase... I am 110% satisfied and my male is only 15mths with the best yet to come... Roger is like Walmart... I told him exactly what I was looking for in my dog and he was spot on thus far... he could have easily taken my money a awhile ago but his advice and patience w/ me was much appreciated and highly respected by me...Get an Atomic Boerboel you wont be disappointed

High quality dogs, from a breeder that knows his stuff! This is my second Borebel, first one from Atomic Borebels. I'm ex-military and ex-law enforcement, have owned and trained big powerful breeds all my life. I will only use this breeder in the future. The time, knowledge and passion that goes into these dogs is evident. This is absolutely the most well built dog I've ever owned. She is beautiful, has great temperment and can not be compared to Borebels from other Breeders.

I have been following [redacted] since '07. I read this old review before I bought a dog. I questioned him about. He had tried and tried to make that customer happy, but apparently some people are either jealous or heavily focused on trying to get a free puppy.
I decided to buy a Boerboel from [redacted].
He's prior U.S. Air Force. Medical Services. His whole family is military. I find him to be EXTREMELY honest. He's a stand up guy and he stands by his pups.
The dog I bought ... oh man... wherever we go people continually stop and ask me, "What is it? Where'd you get it?"
I am AMAZED at the quality of this animal.
I was a dog handler in the military, and I've never had a dog as good of a temperament as this one. STRONG, healthy... amazing animal. We communicate!! ((LOL))
Very smart animal. (I feel guilty calling her an, "animal" ... at six months, she's my friend. She's a blessing.
[redacted] has made trips to South Africa.
His bloodlines are documented and impeccable.
He is a man of his word and did everything possible to get me the dog I asked for. What I got surpassed my expectations.
He's there for me after the sale.
He is an adviser who walks you through raising a Boerboel .. which is not your average dog.
He deserves an "A+" rating ... not a "D-".
His dogs sell like hotcakes because apparently a lot of people know quality when they see it. There are breeders out there with "A+" ratings whose dogs don't come close to his. Darn shame.

I called to inquire about an Atomic Boerboel. My call was returned timely and I was impressed by the time the owner spent on the phone with me answering my questions and informing me in the presumably and temperament of the breed. It wasn't until the END of our hour long call that the owner was aware of my background. I have 20+ years experience working with Animals of all breeds. 9 years with Animal Shelters, the Humane Society and Michigan Anti Cruelly Society, 8 years experience as a Vet Tech, and 40 years experience as a dog owner.

He knows his stuff and his dogs are of the highest quality. My husband and I are purchasing a pup from him after researching a dozen boerboel breeders. He offers payment plans so that even those without a large chunk of cash can get a quality dog. Once you're fully paid, you will get a pup from the next available litter. Not many breeders will do this. He wants everyone to be able to experience the joy of having one of these incredible dogs as a family member.

I read the negative review and have to say, ... the man feels he was ripped off 500.00? Come on! These dogs cost nearly 3 grand or more for breeding stock and rights. I was told, AND it's in the contract that the deposit (which is probably what the negative reviewer paid) is NON refundable but will go towards the purchase of the pup. So this fella didn't get his CREAM boerboel and pulled out instead of waiting for another litter or choosing another dog. It's a shame that someone who's unfamiliar with how reputable breeders work can write a poor review based on their ignorance and anger.

I can't wait to get our puppy when she's ready. I'd recommend this breeder and I'll definitely be back with a cookie up review next year when we get our pup.