Broholmer
布羅霍爾默犬
Updated 2026-09-09
At a glance
The Broholmer is Denmark's mastiff — a large, rectangular, short-coated guard and estate dog once known around Copenhagen as 'the butcher's dog', rebuilt from near-extinction after 1975 with the Danish Kennel Club's support. The FCI standard asks for a calm, good-tempered, friendly yet watchful dog of great self-confidence; the AKC describes a heart of gold that wants to sit on you, is excellent with children and other dogs but underestimates its own size, and is surprisingly agile. Expect a quiet, moderately energetic giant that lives 8–10 years and, in Denmark, is bred only from hip- and elbow-screened, temperament-tested parents.
Facts
| Size | Giant |
|---|---|
| Height | 70–75cm |
| Weight | 41–68kg |
| Life expectancy | 8–10years |
| Breed group | AKC: fss FCI: 2 |
| Role | Guardian |
| Coat | Short coat |
| Shedding | 3/ 5 |
| Exercise | 30–60min/day |
| Can be left alone | up to 4 hours |
| Companionship need | 3/ 5 |
| Trainability | 3/ 5 |
| Barking | 1/ 5 |
| Good with children | 3/ 5 |
| Good with other dogs | 3/ 5 |
| Heat tolerance | 1/ 5 |
| Cold tolerance | 2/ 5 |
Health
This page is general information compiled from published sources. It is not veterinary, legal or purchase advice. Dogs vary within a breed — talk to a vet or a reputable breeder about the dog in front of you.
Health notes are not veterinary advice. Conditions listed are those reported for the breed, not a diagnosis of any dog. Always consult a veterinarian.
Hip dysplasia
Hip dysplasia screening is built into the Danish breeding programme: the Danish Kennel Club requires both parents to have an official hip status of A or B (C only with an A partner) before mating. Ask your breeder for the parents' hip results and your vet about keeping a giant puppy lean.
Elbow dysplasia
The Danish Kennel Club requires both parents to have an official elbow status of 0 or 1 before breeding. Ask your vet if you notice front-leg lameness in a growing dog.
Careful exercise while growing
The Danish Kennel Club advises that young Broholmers should be exercised carefully, without excessive stair-climbing, until fully grown; the AKC notes a life expectancy of only 8–10 years. Ask your vet about a growth-appropriate exercise and feeding plan for a giant-breed puppy.
Behaviour
Calm, friendly, watchful, self-confident
The FCI standard sums the Broholmer up as calm, good-tempered, friendly yet watchful, and says it must show great self-confidence; the Danish Kennel Club describes it as calm, good-natured and sociable, watchful but generally friendly even toward strangers, and says that because of its size early socialisation and proper training are needed.
A gentle giant that wants to sit on you
The AKC says that today the Broholmer's size is the only thing that keeps intruders at bay: it has a heart of gold, loves to snuggle and always wants to be near you — preferably on you. It is excellent with children and other dogs, though because it underestimates its size supervision is recommended, and it is remarkably agile, happy to do agility, fetch, camping and hiking. The AKC trait chart rates it 2/5 for energy and 1/5 for barking.
Training and barking
AKC trait chart: trainability 3/5, barking level 1/5. Individual dogs vary; early socialisation and reward-based training are recommended for every breed.
Official guidance
Summaries of official documents are ours; the source is linked. Breed standards, laws and licensing rules change — check the issuing body for the current version.
American Kennel Club — Broholmer
Breed overview, breed-trait chart, history, official standard summary and health notes from the AKC and the national parent club.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
FCI nomenclature — Broholmer (standard no. 315, group 2)
FCI breed nomenclature entry with the official breed standard PDF in English, French, German and Spanish.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
Danish Kennel Club (DKK) — Broholmer
Breed page of the national kennel club of the breed's country of origin: temperament, size and weight, exercise notes, and the breeding requirements (hip and elbow status, mentality test, show grading) that apply to Danish-bred Broholmers.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
Sources
- [1]Broholmer — Dog Breed Information — American Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [2]Broholmer — FCI standard no. 315 — Fédération Cynologique Internationale (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [3]How do I help my dog adjust to spending time alone? — The Royal Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [4]Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016 (Hall, Carter & O'Neill, Scientific Reports 10:9128) — Nature / Scientific Reports (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [5]FCI-Standard No. 315 — Broholmer — Fédération Cynologique Internationale (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [6]Broholmer — race (breed page) — Dansk Kennel Klub (Danish Kennel Club) (Accessed 2026-09-09)
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Breed data compiled by PocketPaw from the sources credited on each entry. Text and layout © 2026 NextPath Solutions Limited. Please link to a page rather than copying it.