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Lgd!

tojvan

Well-Known Member
My question is can Filas be considered a Livestock Guardian Dog. They did guard cattle from predators in brazil. Id like to hear everyones thoughts on this. Some of the traditional LGD'S are kangal akbash, great pyrenees, spanish mastiff etc.
 

mountainfila

Well-Known Member
They were used more for helping the rancher move the cattle, like herding. Knowing the loyalty of the fila to its human, they would go where ever the rancher was and i dont think they would stick with the cattle like an lgd would.I myself would not consider them an LGD but i would consider them a herder like a border collie.
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
My Fila knowledge is limited, but they appear to bond much more closely to humans than stock. And frankly, the idea of a Fila fully bonded to stock (like a LGD really needs to) is a little scary....
 

fila4me

Well-Known Member
Deer Graze Kennel uses them with their cattle and they work very well. She has one that lives with her bull, 2 with the calves and 4-6 with the rest of the herd. they are also very bonded with Sue and her husband.
 

Winterspring

Well-Known Member
From what I've learned, I think they can be lgd's, but it's not like, first on their list of Things to Do. They're shockingly versatile, amazingly intelligent, and I imagine if they're taught, they would. It probably would not be their first inclination, though. I would think that if the land weren't too large, and the livestock stayed in a relatively contained area, they would be excellent for it, especially if one puts one's dog out at night. (I don't.) I think it might have a lot to do with the individual dog, too. Yours might like it, while fila4me's wouldn't take to it at all, or the other way 'round. But as she said, That kennel uses theirs for livestock guarding with a great deal of success. So I would say sure. I don't believe there's anything these dogs can't do. (Aww...how cute. I'm ridiculously biased in their favor already.)
 

fila4me

Well-Known Member
my Maddies mom is with the bull and will kill anything that comes over the fence.

these guys are amazing!!she also has a group that runs her property to protect from predators, both 2 and 4 legged. none of the dogs have been taught all have just done it.

winterspring, my Maddie will stay in the house until around 2 am and then she wants to stay out. Flower would never stay out!LOL!!!she might miss something going on in the house!
 

Winterspring

Well-Known Member
Oh, I know! Taurus can't stand being outside alone! (Since I only have the one dog, I don't know if any others would want out. The cat seems pretty keen on the idea.) When it's dinnertime, and we put him outside (he's intensely annoying because even though he NEVER EVER gets table scraps, he just doesn't get the hint. Stubborn, indeed. It's alright if we're eating at the table, but MAN. We try to watch a movie and he's all up in our dishes. But Daddy and Food Lady do not understand that you can just open up the back door and lead him outside, so they keep trying to "lure" him. Which doesn't work. In the house? He doesn't like being more than fifteen feet away from me. Cliiiiiingyyyyyy. So, I guess that it depends on the personality of the dog. Does Pup-pup need to be glued to your thigh? Not a good LGD. If Mastadon likes being outside, then sure.

Is there anything these guys WON'T do? (Besides stop begging, of course...)
 

mountainfila

Well-Known Member
my Maddies mom is with the bull and will kill anything that comes over the fence.

these guys are amazing!!she also has a group that runs her property to protect from predators, both 2 and 4 legged. none of the dogs have been taught all have just done it.

winterspring, my Maddie will stay in the house until around 2 am and then she wants to stay out. Flower would never stay out!LOL!!!she might miss something going on in the house!


See thats what im talking about, they are in an enclosure, if there were no fences they would be on the back porch lol. I dont think they had to many fences back in the home land back in the day and i have seen a few old school vids and the ranchers fila is right by his side. Im not saying they cant do it but you would have to have NO BOND to its human.

When i had my farm, my filas were where i was, if i was in the pens , they were to, if i was fixing fences in the fields they were laying in the grass watching me. If i needed to move pigs or cows or goats and sheep, they helped me. If a cow was out in the field and i wanted it brought in all i had to say was GET EM UP and they would bring that cow back to me. I did very little training for that and my filas were city raised dogs before we moved to the farm. So the instinct to work livestock is there in the DNA
 

tojvan

Well-Known Member
lola fila bonded 100% to livestock would be extremely dangerous and very counter productive as the owner will run across trouble with the dogs everytime he or she would try to do something to or with the livestock. I do agree that if there was no enclosure the fila woud most likely wouldnt follow the herd and stay with them. if something is amiss in or around my house my filas forst instinct is to growl followed by a loud bark and quickly sit right infront of me while giving me a kiss where as the shepherd goes and checks the parametre. on walks if he us onlesh or offleash it doesnt really matter he doesnt leave my side and just follows me.
 

mountainfila

Well-Known Member
They are not wired mentally the same as a CO or kangal etc to stay with the herd, filas are more for predator control while moving the heard, in the homeland the herds were hunted by big cats while being moved, pickin off the straglers. Im sure the fila was not the only type of dogs the ranchers used but i bet you they were the faithfullest dog to the rancher, i have owned a few different breeds and nothing keeps 6 on its owner like a fila !
 

fila4me

Well-Known Member
so true!

if hers were not in the enclosures they would be on the back deck watching the cattle from there at night. the ones that guard the property, do so from the back deck and it's like they take turns at walking the perimeter. she does also have 4 EM's that assist that group. she said the Em's will go farther out on the property than the Filas and if they alert the FIlas come running!!LOL!!! it is amazing to witness.

Sue said back during hunting season,she heard a ruckus one early morning around 5 and heard the FIlas leave. her husband was out of town so she did not go out to see what it was,as the dogs sounded far off. in the daylight,she went out to check on the dogs and only the 4 EM's and 4 Filas were on the deck. so, she took off down the path about a mile into her journey she found 2 of the FIlas. one sitting and one laing at the base of a big tree, said she called and called them to come to her as she was afraid it was a bear or cat. the dogs would not move ,but both stood and alerted to the tree. when she got a little closer she noticed and rifle was laying next to where the dogs were and when she casually looked up she found a man about 10 ft up! he was cold, tired and more than a bit on edge,hahaha. she told him to stay where he was and she would be back. she picked up his rifle, called the dogs to her and went and got her mule (atv) and came back with only one Fila. she let the man climb down and he told her he had been out hunting,had gotten disoriented and encountered these monster dogs!!! he said first it was 2 then next thing he knew there were 8 and all were barking.claims he barely made it up the tree alive and dropped his rifle in his scramble!LOLOLOLOL
 

Winterspring

Well-Known Member
Am I a horrible person for finding it hilarious that they treed a guy? Thank God you had the presence of mind to get the poor schmoe out of the tree. I might not have been able to stop laughing.

I get bad panic attacks, and at first, Taurus would systematically check all the windows and doors in the house and give a couple of good barks. Then he would circle me, try to lick me, then do it again. He's getting the idea that the "intruder" is IN Mommy, so he leans and licks, but still gives a couple of good barks before he does at whatever door or window is closest to me, almost as if he's covering his bases. (I've never heard him howl, though. Do they howl or bay?)
 

tojvan

Well-Known Member
That's hilarious fila4me but luckily nobody got hurt. Mountain they are extremely loyal and courageous to a fault and I'm Lovin it.

Interesting story yesterday morning right after midnight around 1AM I was walking the dogs, suddenly I hear this guy running out of the woods wearing jean shorts and a Canucks jersey so I'm like wtf maube he's working out lol 30 seconds later I hear this another guy screaming and shouting. He stops like 15 away from me apparently the guy runnin away tried to rob him of his phone. His friend arrived few seconds later and now they were both screaming and shouting on top of their lungs. The whole time trigger stood his ground and tried to charge them multiple times. My shepherd was watching carefully from a distance. I was pretty impressed since he just turns 9 months on the 7.