Fila Brasileiro AKA Brazilian Mastiff

History and Origin of the Fila Brasileiro

The Fila Brasileiro, or Brazilian Mastiff, is a large and powerful breed of working dog developed in Brazil. It is believed that the breed was created by a mixture of the Bloodhound, Bulldog, Mastiff, and Rafeiro. The breed originated on cattle farms and large plantations where they were bred.

The breed was taught to chase cattle, jaguars, other animals, and even runaway slaves much like the Cuban Mastiff. In fact, the dogs were taught to grab the escapee by the neck and hold them down until the farmer arrived. This instinct is still visible today if you observe a bunch of Fila puppies playing with each other.

The first standards for the breed were written in 1946 and the Paulistas are credited with beginning a breeding program. Today, there are many laws regarding this breed. For example, places such as Malta, Israel, Denmark, Cyprus, Norway, and the United Kingdom have laws that make it illegal to own a Fila Brasileiro without a court-ordered exemption. Other places such as Australia have many restrictions on the breed and it is illegal to import the dogs into the country. Tobago, Trinidad, and New Zealand automatically label these dogs as dangerous; this means that importing the breed is illegal and all males must be neutered.

Appearance

The Fila Brasileiro is a very large, Molosser breed of dog that features loose skin and large bones. The males are between 25 and a half and 29 and a half inches tall at the withers while weighing at least 110 pounds. The females tend to be slightly smaller standing 23 and a half to 27 and a half inches tall while weighing at least 90 pounds.

These dogs are massive with very heavy bodies that are rectangular in shape. The breed has a large, heavy head and a deep muzzle. They feature ears that are thick and tapered which are held either drooped or folded back, depending on the dog’s mood. The rest of the body is well-muscled including the back and neck. In addition, these dogs have chests that are deep and broad. This dog stands apart from other breeds in terms of the croup which is actually higher at the withers unlike other breeds. Even their legs are heavily boned!

They feature coats that are short and smooth. Acceptable coat colors include brindles (brown, black, or fawn brindled), black, and fawns (apricot, red, and dark). Colors that are NOT permitted are black and tan, blue, mouse-grey, and solid white. Filas are permitted to have white markings, but the white must not cover more than one-fourth of the dog’s body on the feet, chest, or tip of the tail.

Fila Brasileiro Temperament and Personality

The Fila Brasileiro breed has great emphasis placed on the temperament. This breed makes and excellent guard dog because they do not hide their dislike toward strangers. The breed is known for its determination, faithfulness to family, gentleness with family children, self confidence, and courage. These dogs love the company of their owners and are known for being very docile in the master’s presence.

This breed will do best if owned by an experienced dog owner who is savvy and confident on the ways of a canine. This breed is renowned for remaining extremely loyal and very protective over its immediate family, with whom these dogs share very strong bonds with. These dogs truly live to protect the entire family including pets and children. They are known for accepting very few strangers, with some of these dogs never accepting strangers around their home.

If a Fila Brasileiro is properly socialized, it will provide a regal-like existence as it should be confident and quiet while commanding respect and observing all activities in the dog’s surroundings. These dogs REQUIRE proper socialization as they are very quick to bite.

Health of the Breed

The breed tends to be quite healthy. Although like many other large breed dogs, they are a high risk of developing hip dysplasia. In addition, beware of gastric torsion, bloat, elbow dysplasia, CHD, and PRA.

Exercise and other Care Requirements

Unlike the other mastiff breeds, the Fila Brasileiro requires a lot of exercise and can become quite destructive if not properly stimulated. In addition, they are not well suited for apartment life like other Mastiffs; they are large dogs who have a lot of energy that needs to be worked off. The ideal life for a Fila is guarding a large property or farm.

Something you may not know about the Fila Brasileiro..

The Brazilian Army conducted a five-year study where they compared the Fila Brasileiro to the Doberman Pinscher and the German Shepherd. The army compared the dogs in the following categories: sensibility, intelligence, aggressiveness, rusticity, energy, strength, resistance, and temperament. In the end, the German Shepherd was credited for having the highest intelligence and the Doberman was noted for having the highest level of aggressiveness. The Fila Brasileiro excelled in every other category!

Fila Brasileiro AKA Brazilian Mastiff