Fila Brasileiro

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Fila Brasileiro is a large working breed of dog that originated from Brazil. The dog is banned in some countries for it's protective instincts yet it has a history of good behavior and well-rounded discipline. Originally, they are known traditionally to manipulate livestock. The dog is also known to return slaves to their masters in Brazil without harming them in the process.

These dogs always possessed a threatening demeanor but they are never violent unless they were provoked. The dog should always be on a leash especially when they are in the public guarantee not only the safety of people around you but also to prevent the dog from getting lost. The dog, at one time, became popular for dog nappers as they can be sold in to pit fights for great profit.

The Filas are loyal and brave dogs by nature. They will put themselves in harm's way to protect their master and the whole family. Although they are often mistaken to be aggressive dogs, they can be extremely affectionate dogs.

Color

Coat

The dog's coat possesses a smooth and dense hair. The coat is rough to the touch as you would expect from a dog's muscular frame and there is not a lot of hair around the muzzle or the ears. They will shed an average amount of hair during the warm season although this varies from dog to dog.

Personality

The Fila Brasileiro is either bred as a guard dog or the tamer Fila. Guard dogs are bred for the purpose of being a protector and ultimately mean. While the other type is the tamer Fila are welcoming to strangers and less aggressive by nature. The dog is a protector or a guard dog by nature. It is ingrained in the Fila's way. They are very protective of their family and their home as well. The dog can appear to be intimidating for their size especially when you encounter it from the other side of the fence. They can read people when they don't feel confident enough or have any doubts, the dog can surely pick up on that. Thus, it should always be emphasized to the dog who is the pack leader of the house. The dog should be properly socialized at an early age if you would like to achieve the tamer type of the Fila Brasileiro. This would mean introducing them to strangers and having them get used to situations where there is contact to people. As the nature of the dog is to protect, they are not a breed to hold back when provoked.

Care

This dog needs a moderate amount of grooming as the dog's coat is fairly easy to maintain. Their natural smooth coat hair can be brushed down easily with a rough bristled brush. The brushing will produce the best effect especially when combined with a soft towel to wipe the hair down and living it looking at its best. For this dog, bathing should be done regularly with shampoo. Filas will enjoy their owner's attention and at the same time keeping the dog's skin and coat looking good and healthy. The dog is an average shedder. Their ears should also be cleaned regularly to minimize it from contacting infection. These dogs can be playful and will not be shy when it comes to throwing their weight around so keep your first aid ready for treatment of minor injuries. The breed is a fairly healthy breed besides a few health issues. This includes hip dysplasia, bloat, CHD, gastric torsion, elbow dysplasia and PRA.

Training

The dog should be trained from puppy hood to become obedient and well socialized. If not, the dog can possibly become aggressive and violent. The trainer should be firm, sensible and consistent while enforcing that his pack leader is the humans. This dog can sense whether their humans trust a person that is going in and out of their family's house. If they feel that their master is not comfortable with the visitor's presence, the dog will switch to its protective instinct and will mean a hasty exit for the visitor. On the other hand, if they feel that their master trusts the stranger, the dog will appreciate the display and the stranger will have earned the dog's trust as well. The dog is very brave and would never be afraid to protect their owners. The dog is a natural when it comes to guarding that they rarely need training for it excluding the basics of obedience. Socialization training should also be included exposing the puppy to strangers and other house pets. If the training is properly done for the dog as a puppy, it will be easier for the owners to take control in similar situations when the dog reaches adulthood. Even if the dog is very well-behaved, they should never be allowed to go off leash whenever in public.

Activity

These dogs require a lot of vigorous exercise as they are large dogs. They might look very lazy or like couch potatoes but like all dogs, they need to be taken on their regular daily walks. The breed is not suitable for city living but if they are properly socialized and is sufficiently exercised, they should be just fine. Filas require plenty of exercise as without it these dogs can become frustrated and can develop a destructive behavior.