The Brazilian Mastiff

The Fila Brasileiro is sometimes called the Brazilian Mastiff or Fila Mastiff.  No doubt this gives CAFIB and other fila aficionados the willies, and I suppose you can't really blame them. (There is already a different breed called the Brazilian Mastiff, which is NOT a fila) In Brazil the Fila is also known as the cão boiadeiro (Brazilian Cattle Dog) and the Cabeçudo Boiadeiro das Minas Gerais (Big Headed Cattle Dog of the Minas Gerais)

For the purposes of this article we'll use the term Brazilian Mastiff to refer to the Fila Brasileiro. The Brazilian Mastiff is said to have descended from the English Mastiff, a Portuguese herding dog known as a rafiero, a type of bulldog which is now extinct and of course the St Hubert bloodhound.

Undoubtedly over the last 400 years there have been other breeds and non-breeds making their mark on the Fila, but the four mentioned above are commonly believed to be the most influential in creating the dog we know and love today.

In the United States there has been a movement towards breeding for a milder temperament and a conformation that favors the English Mastiff part of the ancestory of the Fila Mastiff. Dogs of this type have proven easier to sell and of course that translates into dollars. These dogs tend to be larger, sometimes as heavy as 200 pounds. They can also have a squarer head, rounder eyes, higher set ears and a more pronounced stop.

Black as a coat color is permitted in dogs of this type. There are also the diehards who greatly prefer the older type farm filas favored by CAFIB which tends to show a stronger bloodhound influence with a pear shaped head, longer ears set lower on the head, almond shaped eyes and no stop. Dogs of this type also tend to be smaller than the English Mastiff with a higher energy level and agility and a distinctive pacing gait.

To CAFIB a black coat is seen as evidence of cross breeding and is not allowed. In latter years there were many outcrosses to the Neopolitan Mastiff, the Great Dane and the English Mastiff in an attempt to increase size and get exotic coat colors. The influence of these breeds can often be seen in their descendents today.

The Fila Mastiff has one particular trait that is highly prized and sets it apart from many other breeds and makes it a superb personal, family and estate guardian: ojeriza, which loosely translates as the sharp aversion to strangers. This means that the fila is a breed that needs careful management.

It is not a breed for first time dog owners who have no intentions of working with an experienced trainer, in fact it's recommended that prospective fila owners have owned or worked with at least one guardian type breed. Just as with any guardian breed, the Brazilian Mastiff should not be left unattended in the company of strangers.

Secure fencing is also required, preferably at least 6ft high (remember the athleticism) and electrified to discourage digging and jumping.