Overview
The Original Fila Brasileiro, or Old Brazilian Fila, is a rare working farm dog from Brazil. It is being reassembled from the remaining old-type Fila dogs kept on farms in the interior, and it is recognised by SOBRACI as a breed apart from the modern Fila Brasileiro.
Its supporters aim to preserve the physique and temperament of the old farm dogs, which worked cattle and guarded property, and they are rescuing and registering suitable animals.
History
Researcher and breeder Antônio Carlos Linhares Borges studied the Fila for about forty years and concluded that the original dog was close to vanishing because of crossbreeding that began in the 1980s. He argues that it descends not from English mastiffs and bulldogs, as commonly claimed, but from the extinct Portuguese Alaunt, brought to Minas Gerais by Portuguese settlers during the gold and diamond rush.
Since then, dogs matching farm-dog types from the 1960s and 1970s are evaluated, registered by SOBRACI and bred under a preservation nucleus using the 1946 ideal standard.
Appearance
A large, powerful molosser-type working dog of the old farm Fila type, with a more rustic, less exaggerated build than many modern show dogs. Detailed measurements are not firmly documented in the sources, as the breed is still being consolidated.
Temperament
The preservation project aims to keep the old dog's temperament: brave, intelligent and self-confident, with the characteristic wariness toward strangers known as ojeriza. This is a serious guardian that needs experienced handling, early socialisation and professional training, which breeders are introducing to the breed.
Care and exercise
This is a working farm dog that needs space, a secure property, plenty of activity and an experienced, confident owner. Early socialisation and consistent training matter greatly because of its guarding instinct and size. Its coat is short and easy to maintain with regular brushing.
