The Brazilian Mastiff
A Brazilian Mastiff - or the Fila Brasileiro, to give him his other name - is a cross between a Mastiff and a Bloodhound.
Originally bred to protect the plantations of Brazil, the ancestors of this dog included Bloodhounds, Mastiffs and bulldogs of European origin, which were brought to South America by the Conquistadors.
He is a large dog, standing between 27 to nearly 30 inches tall at the shoulder, and weighing no less than 100 pounds. Females are slightly smaller, with the female Brazilian Mastiff weighing approximately 90 pounds, with a height around 24 to 28 inches.
The coat of the Brazilian Mastiff is short and smooth. Colors include solid yellow, reddish tan, as well as black and brindled colors. There are plenty of mastiff pictures on the internet if you want to check out their appearance.
The product of this breeding process is a dog who combines the incredible scenting ability of the Bloodhound with the amazing fearless power of a mastiff, which combination makes the Brazilian Mastiff well suited to defend the cattle ranches of the Minas Gerais region. He offered protection against cattle rustlers and wild jaguars, which would prey on the cattle.
The Brazilian Mastiff were also to prove very popular on hunting trips. They could track, attack and then hold the intended prey until his owner arrived. In fact, the name Fila(in Fila Brasileiro), comes from Portuguese for "to hold." Less glamorously, at one point in the history of the breed and the country, these dogs were used to track and capture runaway slaves.
If you examine closely the leg and spine joints of the Brazilian Mastiff, you can see what made this dog such a great tracking dog. The joints are loose. This allows the dog to change course extremely quickly, even at full-gallop.
The dog is probably the only breed that was purposely selected for its actual dislike of strangers. In fact, temperament tests are run during championships. The tests include the ability to attack without being instructed, to remain self-confident during a shooting test, and to demonstrate their dislike and suspicion of people they don't know.
The standard for this breed during a dog show specifically states that the Brazilian Mastiff should not "allow the judge (representing a stranger) to touch it." The standard explains that should the dog attack the judge, this action must be considered a fault, but only a confirmation of its temperament.
But even though the dogs are bred to be aggresive towards strangers, the Brazilian Mastiffs are surprisingly gentle with their own families. As with other types of Mastiffs they are tender and affectionate with the family they are charged to protect.
The Brazilian Mastiff is by nature a ferocious guard dog, bred to actually distrust and dislike stranger. This means he needs more supervision and understanding than your average dog. So you will have to think very seriously before introducing one to a purely domestic environment.
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