Fila Brasileiro: temperament, price, health, and breeders

The origin of the Fila Brasileiro remains debated, but the breed clearly descends from different molossers, with contributions from Mastiff, mastiffs and Bloodhound which notably gave it a very highly developed sense of smell. Arriving in Brazil in the 16th century with the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and African conquistadors, it was first used as a guard dog to protect herds against wild animals. It then served as a guardian on plantations, then as a war dog and tracker. In the 19th century, after the end of slavery, crossbreeding was undertaken to give it more agility, and its standard was established in 1946 before the recognition of the breed by the FCI in 1960.

The Fila Brasileiro is a mastiff-type dog, powerful, compact and very muscular, while retaining harmonious proportions. Its head is massive and square, with a muzzle shorter than the skull and a stop that is not very pronounced when seen from the front. Its ears are pendant, wide at the base and thick, its almond-shaped eyes range from amber to dark brown, and its tail is wide at the base then tapers. Its coat is short, fairly thick, lying close and soft to the touch.

The Fila Brasileiro is a guard and protection dog par excellence. He is extremely attached to his owner and his family, towards whom he shows himself gentle, faithful, sensitive and very demonstrative. On the other hand, he is naturally very wary of strangers and can react strongly to what he perceives as a threat. This exceptional loyalty and this instinctive vigilance explain that he is reserved for owners capable of channeling his temperament.

Despite its mass, the Fila Brasileiro remains agile and its gaits are supple, long and surprisingly feline. It needs closeness with its family and does not tolerate prolonged solitude well. This is not a dog made for an apartment nor for a life that is too confined: it thrives more in a house with a garden or a large space, with a suitable daily expenditure. With the children of its household, it is generally protective and attentive.

Training the Fila Brasileiro requires experience, patience, rigor and great consistency. Its sensitivity calls for a calm and firm method, without aggressiveness, so as not to reinforce its defensive instinct. Early socialization is essential to reduce its distrust of strangers, and recall must be worked on very early. For many households, support from a professional is recommended.

The Fila Brasileiro remains a relatively confidential breed whose purchase price varies depending on the lineage, the quality of breeding and compliance with the standard. Its large size also implies a substantial maintenance budget, notably for food and health monitoring.

The Fila Brasileiro is a large dog with slow growth that requires special attention during its youth, especially in terms of joints. Once adult and well built, it is described as robust, but its development must be supported seriously to limit the strain on the locomotor system.

The diet of the Fila Brasileiro must be of high quality, rich in protein and adapted to its size as well as to its activity level. In this large dog, consistency between energy intake, growth and physical expenditure is decisive to preserve its overall condition.

The Fila Brasileiro is also known as the Brazilian Mastiff. Its past as a guard dog, protection dog and tracker has shaped a dog that is both deterrent and remarkably devoted. Despite its impressive size, it can move with surprising suppleness, which contributes to the image of a molosser that is both massive and agile.