# Saint Miguel Cattle Dog

Also known as: Azores Cattle Dog, Cão Fila de São Miguel, Fila de São Miguel
- **Group:** Mastiff & Mountain (FCI group 2)
- **Size:** Large
- **Origin:** Portugal
- **Height:** 50–60 cm
- **Weight:** 20–35 kg
- **Life expectancy:** 10–14 years
- **Temperament:** Intelligent, Gentle, Bonded, Docile, Alert
- **FCI standard:** No. 340

A mastiff-type cattle dog from São Miguel Island in the Azores, with a brindle coat and a strong bond to its keepers. Large but not oversized, it is gentle when well trained.

## Overview

The Saint Miguel Cattle Dog is a muscular, deep-chested mastiff type from the Azores, traditionally used to work cattle. It has a broad head, long legs and a short brindle coat.

Intelligent and bonded to its keepers, it can be gentle and even docile with good training.

## History

The breed comes from São Miguel Island and is linked to the extinct Terceira Mastiff of a neighbouring island. It has been documented since the early 19th century.

A breed standard was first published in 1984, and the FCI published it in 1995. Though called a cattle dog, it is classed as a molossoid breed.

## Appearance

A large but not oversized dog up to about 60 cm and 35 kg, with females slightly smaller. It has a deep chest, broad head, straight back and a curved tail carried up. The short, harsh brindle coat is brown, fawn or grey with black. Ears were traditionally cropped, which is now illegal in many places.

## Temperament

Intelligent and strongly bonded to its keepers, generally gentle when well trained. Temperament varies between individuals, and early training matters for how it works and behaves.

## Care and exercise

It needs regular exercise and a job such as herding, agility or tracking. The short coat needs only occasional brushing. Do not let it become oversized, and feed in small meals to lower bloat risk.

## Health

Dogs from Portugal have no documented health problems. Oversized dogs bred elsewhere may suffer from problems of deep-chested large dogs, such as bloat.

## Ratings (1 to 5)

- Energy: 3
- Exercise needs: 3
- Grooming: 1
- Shedding: 3
- Trainability: 3
- Barking: 3
- Good with children: 4
- Good with other dogs: 3

Page: https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/saint-miguel-cattle-dog
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Miguel_Cattle_Dog · https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37730
Photo: Canarian (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Azores_Cattle_Dog.jpg
Profile written by an AI model from the sources above.