Basic questions on FILA

[krishna75kumar]

Hi,

My wife and I are considering a Fila. We live in a 2 storey house with 2000sq ft of extra land. We dont really need a a guard dog per say as our residential area is guarded. However, my wife is a home maker and very often, she's alone at home. So we thought a nice big dog which is naturally protective will be nice.

I have some basic questions. Hope you can help

1. We live alone with generally very very little visitors. However, family members come to visit about twice a year and stay for about 3 to 4 days each time. I understand that Filas hate strangers but will they recognise my family each time they come? I would hate to put my Fila on leash throughout their stay. Or will a cage be better?
2. Do they bark unnecessarily? At people walking by outside my home or at even dogs/cats outside the house?
3. We are thinking of a female as they are known to be 'softer' in nature. If the dog is spayed, will they develop saggy breasts when they mature?
4. I am getting conflicting answers on exercise. Some say Fila dont need exercise and walking them (when as a puppy) could soften the bones. Some say we need to socialise them as much as possible when young and that they require exercise. Which is which?
5. My walls are about 5ft high. Do Filas have tendency to jump over?

Please advise.

 

[angelbears]

Others here have had Filas much longer than I did. They may have a different experience.

1. I would not expect a Fila to welcome the occasional visit from family unless they spent a lot of time with it as a puppy. Personally, I would crate the dog. It can be very stressful having it on leash and having to watch its every move.

2. Both my male and female would bark if they saw someone outside.

3. IMHO, females are deadly bitches. They strike much quicker than a male. My male would put on a big show but less likely to bite. Females have been known to bite without warning.

4. I'm in the camp that you don't over exercise these giant breeds. Do a search here for ACL or CCL and you will see a ton of dogs that have had problems.

4a. You MUST socialize a Fila. A Fila's temp comes in anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. You need to get them around people, things, noises, experiences while you can or you will have a dog that is a bag of nerves and you do not want that.

5. An athletic Fila would have no problem clearing a 5 ft. wall. Fila's like to stay near family and are not as prone to leave. However, if they see something that they feel they need to take care of they could clear it.

Owning a Fila is a lifestyle commitment. At about a year old(sometimes even months earlier) their true temp becomes more obvious. If you have a hard temp dog there is no leaving it at a kennel if you need to travel. You didn't mention kids. If you are thinking of having kids, a Fila will not accept the friends of the kids.

Fila's are wonderful dogs, the best dogs I have ever had but you do have to be willing to accept the limitations that come with owning one. You will never get a better nights sleep than you get when you have a Fila sleeping at the end of your bed.

 

[spearchucker]

My experience differs from that of angelbears, but not by much. I live in a very rural part of the state. I suspect that my filas alert on things differently that if they were housed in a city.

1. Agreed. There are nine people who, when they visit our home, are free to move about. There are times when I use a portable kennel in the living room. And there are times when I put them in the bedroom. Either way, the dogs do their initial barking, then lie down and pretend to sleep.

2. My dogs bark at a lot of things. Oddly enough, then they travel with me in the truck or the expedition, they will light up if someone has the audacity to walk/drive within a few feet. My dogs have a very distinctive bark for rabbits (kind of a whiney sound almost as if they want to play), wild horses (a bit louder) and humans (there is absolutely no mistaking this bark; if they see someone walking the road 1/2 mile away it is as if they are letting me know of a potential intruder. If someone is stupid enough to pass by the 'no trespassing' signs and make it to my front door, the slobbering/snot slinging bark shows up).

3. I suspect your dog's temperament is more in line with its ancestry rather than male v. female.

4. I have raised dogs for almost 40 years; filas for 10. I always exercise my dogs by taking them for runs 2 -3 times a week. Start off with a simple warm up trot, then sprint, then back to the trot. Never an issue with any orthopedic abnormalities. I don't like the idea of socializing my dogs, maybe it is semantics. I do expose them to different sights, sounds, weather, etc. if only to better judge how they react.

5. Agreed. Any athletic fila can clear a 5' fence. 6' is my minimum.

 

[DDSK]

Just curious but why is the Fila the dog you have picked out?
I don't have a Fila nor have I ever met a Fila but from what I have read about them it seems that
They are special dogs for special people and may not be a good match for most people.
Maybe a Cane Corso, DDB, Dogo or Borborel would be a better match for your family.

 

[flyhawkfly1]

Show me a fila

 

[flyhawkfly1]

Get a boerboel they are cool

 

[DennasMom]

I think there's a difference between "naturally protective" and "fila-protective".

You came to the right place for information - lots of experienced fila people are here on the forum.
(I'm not one of them)

The inability to leave your dog with strangers when you travel or go on vacation without them would be a kicker for us. We also enjoy taking our dog with us when we camp with friends... which I'm not sure how a fila would react to that - being in a strange place with strange people around... not something I'm willing to risk.

Denna, our EM, loves all our friends and family - but she will alert us with hefty barks until she gets a good sniff of them and we invite them into the house. Her size alone keeps many undesirables away from our spaces.

 

[karennj]

Yea the whole, never go on vacation because you can't bring the dog, setup a sitter or kennel your dog just does not appeal to me. I understand what an amazing breed the Fila is but it is most definitely not a breed for us. You came to the right place to find out info before taking the plunge.

 

[fila4me]

I don't ever recommend them to majority of people. I always suggest do whatever you can to see one or more in person, doing what they do. Find some type of Fila event and go as a spectator, find a breeder that would be willing to let you come observe for a good while.

 

[krishna75kumar]

Just curious but why is the Fila the dog you have picked out?
I don't have a Fila nor have I ever met a Fila but from what I have read about them it seems that
They are special dogs for special people and may not be a good match for most people.
Maybe a Cane Corso, DDB, Dogo or Borborel would be a better match for your family.

Hi, a couple of reasons. By nature, I am a person who likes to go for what others normally dont My neighbours have rottweilers, GSD, Doberman already...so I was researching and driving around what else is available. I met a breeder/pet shop owner who introduced me to Fila. I am also aware that other breeds, despite all the positive points, will require training to make them serve their purpose, otherwise, they'll be just any other big dog. Fila require almost no training except for the basic socialisation and homing rules. I have done a fair bit, am still doing research...and the more i read, the more I am falling in love with the FILA! I do acknowledge the uniqueness though (something we'll have to manage if we were to take this plunge).

I live in Malaysia. Most of the breeds you have mentioned are not available here...or very rare or very expensive. A tibetan mastiff pup could go for USD8K!

 

[krishna75kumar]

Thank you for the honest responses...I have truly come to the right place for opinion! Among the feedback that has caught my attention is the ability to clear a 5ft wall....well, the dilemma is, most big breeds can do this. If I am right, either I should train the dog not to do this (but how?) or I get a small breed. However most smaller and athletic guard dog breeds can clear a 5ft wall too! If true, then i could be restricted to toy dogs like poodles!

Thanks again but please continue to share your thoughts!

 

[Ivan]

I doubt if 6 feet is high enough when a fila goes for the job?

 

[fila4me]

The difference between a fila going over the wall and another breed is what happens on the other side. Very scary when the fila does it and someone will end up very hurt or dead.

 

[angelbears]

The difference between a fila going over the wall and another breed is what happens on the other side. Very scary when the fila does it and someone will end up very hurt or dead.

Not an exaggeration!

 

[karennj]

I think that is the scariest part. It is a huge responsibility to keep that dog under control and contained.

 

[zebraworks]

you could run a hot wire on the inside of your 5' wall which would keep the dogs from jumping over it (pretty cheap here in the states for solar fence unit and light wire).