Boerboels settled in Africa in the 17th century, but it is quite possible to trace their history. It is believed that the ancestors of these severe dogs were European molossians who emigrated to the southern part of the African continent along with settlers from Scandinavia. As time went on, animals interbred with aboriginal breeds, as well as other dogs arriving on the mainland, which became a prerequisite for the birth of the Boerboel clan.