Buddyz is pet business management software that helps grooming salons, dog daycares, boarding businesses, and multi-location pet service operators manage scheduling, check-in, pet profiles, customer communication, payments, and daily operations in one platform.

Who is Buddyz built for?

Buddyz is built for pet business owners and teams running grooming salons, dog daycares, boarding facilities, and multi-location pet service businesses. It adapts to grooming-only shops, daycare-only operations, combined services, and multi-location businesses.

Is Buddyz free to start?

Yes. Buddyz starts with a free Core Platform that includes smart scheduling, pet intelligence, and smart check-in. Add-on capabilities for grooming, daycare, boarding, operations, customer communication, payments, and reporting are available as modular add-ons.

Does Buddyz replace scheduling software like Vagaro or MindBody for pet businesses?

Buddyz goes beyond scheduling. While it includes smart scheduling and booking, it also provides live operations workflow, pet intelligence (profiles, grooming notes, vaccine tracking), customer communication, deposit and payment processing, and business reporting — all in one platform built specifically for pet service businesses.

Can Buddyz track pet vaccine records?

Yes. Buddyz tracks vaccine records, expiration dates, and compliance requirements as part of each pet's profile. This is particularly useful for daycare and boarding businesses that require up-to-date vaccination documentation before accepting pets.

How does Buddyz reduce no-shows for pet appointments?

Buddyz reduces no-shows by enabling businesses to collect deposits at booking, save cards on file, and send automated appointment reminders to customers. This combination of financial commitment and timely communication significantly reduces last-minute cancellations and no-shows.

Does Buddyz work for multi-location pet businesses?

Yes. Buddyz supports multi-location operations with shared customer and pet profiles across locations, location-level access controls, role management, team visibility, and consolidated business reporting.

What makes Buddyz different from traditional pet salon software?

Traditional pet salon software focuses on calendar booking. Buddyz is a full operating system that adds live workflow visibility, operations intelligence, pet profile management, grooming history tracking, automated customer communication, and payment processing alongside scheduling — giving pet businesses a complete platform instead of disconnected tools.

Are Boerboels good family dogs?

Boerboels are famously loyal and gentle with their own family, and they are typically very good with the household's children, whom they often see as theirs to protect. But this is a large, powerful, territorial guardian that needs an experienced owner, secure fencing, early and ongoing socialisation, and consistent training. With the right handling they make devoted family dogs; without it, their size and guarding drive become a serious liability.

Are Boerboels aggressive?

Boerboels were bred to guard, so they are naturally watchful and wary of strangers and can be same-sex aggressive with other dogs. A well-bred, well-socialised, well-trained Boerboel is stable and controlled rather than aggressive. The keys are early socialisation, firm and fair leadership, and secure management. The breed is restricted or regulated in some regions, so always check your local laws before getting one.

How much exercise does a Boerboel need?

Boerboels are calm indoors but athletic, and need around 45 to 75 minutes of daily exercise combining walks with mental challenges like training and games. As a fast-growing giant breed, their joints and growth plates are vulnerable while young, so keep exercise moderate and low-impact and avoid repetitive jumping, stairs, and long runs until they finish growing at around 18 months.

Do Boerboels shed a lot?

The Boerboel's short, dense coat is low shedding compared with many large breeds, and a weekly brush with a rubber curry keeps loose hair under control. Grooming overall is easy: the coat needs little more than that weekly brush and the occasional bath. The bigger routine jobs are keeping the strong nails trimmed, the teeth brushed, and any loose jowls wiped clean after meals.

South Africa • Working

Boerboel

A confident South African farm guardian that is devoted to its family and needs a capable, experienced owner.

Weight110–200 lbs

Height22–27 in

Lifespan9–11 years

SizeGiant

Overview

Large, powerful mastiff-type guardian breed from South Africa with a muscular build, short dense coat, and confident temperament. Known as a family guardian, the name 'Boerboel' translates to 'farmer's dog' in Afrikaans.

Best for

•Experienced owners with secure homes and a good deal of space who want a loyal, protective family dog and can commit to consistent training and lifelong socialisation. It suits people who are home often and enjoy an affectionate, involved companion that takes its guarding role seriously.

May not suit

•First-time owners, apartment dwellers, or households wanting an easy-going, dog-park-friendly pet. Its size, strength, and territorial nature mean it needs firm handling and secure boundaries, and it is restricted or regulated in some areas — always check local laws first.

History & Origins

Developed by Dutch and other European settlers in South Africa starting in the 1600s from European mastiff breeds and native dogs. Bred as all-purpose farm dogs for protecting homesteads from predators.

Characteristics & Traits

Apartment Living1 / 5

Families with Children4 / 5

First-Time Owners1 / 5

Other Dogs2 / 5

Alone Time Tolerance2 / 5

Shedding Level2 / 5

Grooming Needs1 / 5

Trainability3 / 5

Barking2 / 5

Prey Drive3 / 5

Energy Level3 / 5

Lifestyle

Apartment Living

1/5

Families with Children

4/5

First-Time Owners

1/5

Other Dogs

2/5

Alone Time Tolerance

2/5

Shedding Level

2/5

Grooming Needs

1/5

Behavior

Trainability

3/5

Barking

2/5

Prey Drive

3/5

Exercise

Energy Level

3/5

Exercise & Training

Aim for around 45–75 minutes of total activity per day. Moderate daily exercise with a mix of walking and mental work suits this working guardian. Keep it low-impact while the dog is still growing to protect developing joints.

Daily Walks by Living Situation

Apartment or Home Without a Backyard

2 walks / day

~35 min each

Apartment life is not recommended for this territorial giant, but where space is tight it needs at least two structured daily walks plus training to stay balanced.

Home With a Backyard

2 walks / day

~35 min each

A large, securely fenced garden gives this dog room to patrol and unwind, but it thrives on being part of the family and should not be left outside as a yard dog.

Daycare or Park Time?

Group daycare rarely suits this territorial, dog-selective breed. It usually does better with individual care or a trusted handler at home than in a busy playgroup.

Training

Intelligent and eager to please its owner, but strong-willed and quick to test an inconsistent handler.

Keep training positive, clear, and consistent — this breed responds well to fair leadership.

For Pet Parents

The Boerboel wears a short, dense, close-lying coat that is about as easy to care for as any giant breed gets. A weekly brush keeps shedding modest, and the main ongoing jobs are the strong nails, the ears, the teeth, and wiping the loose jowls clean after meals.

Difficulty: Low

Grooming Commitment

The Boerboel is one of the lowest-maintenance giant breeds to groom. Its short, dense coat needs only a weekly brush and the occasional bath. The bigger day-to-day jobs are keeping the strong nails trimmed, the ears clean, and the teeth brushed, plus wiping any loose lip and jowl folds after meals.

At-Home Basics

Difficulty: Low

Caring for Your Boerboel at Home

Brush weekly

Run a rubber curry brush over the coat once a week to lift loose hair and dead skin and keep it healthy and shiny — it only takes a few minutes.

Wipe the jowls and folds

Check and wipe the loose lips and any folds around the mouth after meals and drinks so they stay clean and dry, which helps prevent skin irritation.

Trim those strong nails

This is a heavy dog, so long nails cause real discomfort. Trim about every four weeks, or whenever you hear them clicking on hard floors.

Keep up ears and teeth

Check the ears weekly and clean the outer area if needed, and brush the teeth several times a week with dog toothpaste to protect the gums.

Mistakes to Avoid

Assuming a short coat means no grooming — skipping the weekly brush lets loose hair and dead skin build up.
Leaving the strong nails to grow too long, which strains the toes and joints of a heavy dog.
Forgetting to wipe the jowls after eating and drinking, leading to damp, irritated skin.
Neglecting dental care until tartar and gum problems set in.

When to Call in a Professional

Most owners can look after the Boerboel's coat entirely at home. A professional visit is mainly worth it for a proper nail trim if the thick nails are hard to manage, or a vet check if you notice persistent redness, odour, or irritation in the lips or skin folds.

Coat & Colors

Type: Short single coat
Family: Short / smooth coat
Undercoat: No
Shedding: Low to moderate
Seasonal Change: Minimal
Matting Risk: Very low

Common Problem Areas

JowlsLip foldsNeck

Frequently Asked Questions

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