Awright, Starting to Doubt (Pic Heavy)

[tojvan]

here are the last pics I posted... she lives with my cousin about 10 mins away but every time I go there I havent taken any new pics.. harass me about it so I can remember to take my camera over there when i go.. this were her older ones. http://www.mastiff-forum.com/showthread.php/1652-Another-Fila-Brasileiro?highlight=lidia

She's nice and lean in those pics but sully is better looking, just my opinion. Who has the harder temp. I'm guessing the female.

 

[dogman#1]

Sully looks better and I'm sure he acts better as well.. he is a better Fila than she is. like I said... good dog just not breed quality, they cant all turn out.

 

[mountainfila]

yea, I posted some pics of her before. She had her eval done although I dont remember if she was a year old when she was there... It doesnt matter, she didnt turn out in my eyes, not for breeding anyways. she is a pet.

In your eyes what makes her not breedable, she resembles sully just in feminine form. Or was it her temp?

 

[mountainfila]

Mountain can you post an update on your pack with pictures and stuff of the pups. I'm looking forward to how Karl is looking now. He's probably around 10 months now.

Sure but i will post in a new thread, we have kinda hijacked wintersprings thread lol

 

[dogman#1]

She isnt as stable or constant in her temperament.. sometimes she is spot on and sometimes she is a hot mess... I just dont trust that and wouldnt gamble on what she would throw. her head isnt as nice either but that would have been overlooked if everything else was right as it isnt bad.

 

[Winterspring]

Eh. Don't worry about it. I've already seen all I need to see about them regarding their looks. His face is too thin from the front and his ears are too short. It seems bigger since I got him, though. Like his skull is growing. (??) Snout is definitely wider than it used to be. But it's his temperament that's been...Improving? He's getting crabbier around strangers. Vet couldn't even examine him last week. Seeing our regular vet today. He

My only worry is that he's been acting like a complete DOINK the last few days. Barking at what seems to be nothing, but then we kind of figured it might be someone throwing out trash in the alley behind our yard. Next dog is definitely not going to be a Fila. I'd like to have a drink of water in the kitchen in peace without him woofing around in the dark before I tell him, "It's ME, you goober!" Then he hushes. You honestly canNOT take a piss in this house without everyone knowing about it.

Possibly people in the NEXT house. He does NOT like our neighbors. He goes kind of nuts whenever he sees them. Dunno why. He just does. But the guy fixing his car when I'm walking him at night? Meh. Sniffsniff whatever. He just picks and chooses the people he likes and those he doesn't. This vet good, that vet bad. The neighbors bad, random couple sitting on the sidewalk a-OK.

 

[mountainfila]

Eh. Don't worry about it. I've already seen all I need to see about them regarding their looks. His face is too thin from the front and his ears are too short. It seems bigger since I got him, though. Like his skull is growing. (??) Snout is definitely wider than it used to be. But it's his temperament that's been...Improving? He's getting crabbier around strangers. Vet couldn't even examine him last week. Seeing our regular vet today. He

My only worry is that he's been acting like a complete DOINK the last few days. Barking at what seems to be nothing, but then we kind of figured it might be someone throwing out trash in the alley behind our yard. Next dog is definitely not going to be a Fila. I'd like to have a drink of water in the kitchen in peace without him woofing around in the dark before I tell him, "It's ME, you goober!" Then he hushes. You honestly canNOT take a piss in this house without everyone knowing about it.

Possibly people in the NEXT house. He does NOT like our neighbors. He goes kind of nuts whenever he sees them. Dunno why. He just does. But the guy fixing his car when I'm walking him at night? Meh. Sniffsniff whatever. He just picks and chooses the people he likes and those he doesn't. This vet good, that vet bad. The neighbors bad, random couple sitting on the sidewalk a-OK.

The dogs head is the last to fill out, so if he is a year then he still has growing to do. His temp has been improving because he is bonding and becoming more comfortable in his home, he has a job so to speak now. Hes more alert now because hes just more relaxed and is letting you know hes on the job by barking at what you think is nothing but he is hearing or smelling something. My dogs LOATH my neighbors lol that is why i have the gawd awfull tarps up on that side lol it helps a little but not much. And to be safe treat him like he will bite and keep him out of arms reach of people and you will do fine with him. And i would request to have the same vet everytime i made an appointment and if they dont then tell them you will be taking him to another office that will because its to stressfull on the dog to have a "stranger" touch him everytime he goes to the vet, if he sees the same person then he gets to know that person.

 

[tojvan]

Don't take it the wrong way but do you have a lot of insecurities about the dog?

 

[JayHT]

I have always been a supporter of Dogs first and foremost, before breed standard, which is just opinion. He is a mastiff for sure, has many fila traits in the shape of his head, ears, and muzzle. He is probably not breed standard, and their certainly could be some Lab (which is a cousin of mastiff).

His temperment is the real show stopper. True Filas will be high energy, wary of strangers and fairly dog-aggressive. If you see those signs, given his appearence I think you can take it to the bank that Fila is at least dominant in his genetics.

 

[dogman#1]

Actually Filas are usually not high energy unless they are working at that time (conserves energy) and one of the breed's characteristics and one of the main reasons why people have them in packs is that they are not dog aggressive..

 

[tojvan]

Actually Filas are usually not high energy unless they are working at that time (conserves energy) and one of the breed's characteristics and one of the main reasons why people have them in packs is that they are not dog aggressive..

my dog sleeps all day until i get home, during walks hes always walking right at my pace,unless he sees a rabbit or coyote or some one he preserves as threat thats when all bets are off. They are not dog aggressive I agree I have a six year old shepherd intact and my fila is intact aswell he is very fond of the shepherd, that being said he is brilliant with family but if its a dog from a different pack it's a different story. Fila is extreme possessive of its things and is exteemely territorial. it doesn't like anybody messing with them. If I take my dog out of his territory like to a new park that he's never been to before, don't bring my shepherd or my family just me and my fila he's alot more tolerant of other dogs, as long as they don't jump up.

 

[dogman#1]

Ive had other dogs come to my house even.. as long as the other dog isnt too dominant all they do is play. a dog on the street wont even get a second glance unless it is acting aggressively. Their ability to work in and within a pack is key to their original function.

 

[chuckorlando]

Definitely not dog aggressive as a breed. Some may be sure. But some might have a crooked eye to. ahahaha

 

[Winterspring]

At least he isn't losing his cool every time I come out of the bedroom. He finally knows my footsteps! Hurrah! Everyone else? Not until he hears them.

Of course, nobody else in the house gets up to pee in the middle of the night four hundred times. XD

Yes, tojvan. I AM very insecure about him. He's my first dog, and to be absolutely honest, I'm a purebred snob. At least when I'm told I have one. When I am told that I've got one thing and get another, I get kind of crabby about it. And since I didn't know Filas, I worry. A lot. I want to take very good care of him. And I don't think you can know a Fila 'til you have one. I've never seen such a unique breed. And the more he settles into his place "on the farm", the more I see that temperament. He even does "rounds" at about 1am.

@dogman: Yeah, I heard that! And I can see it from the pics of you guys that have the packs of them. . The only dog I've seen him want to go for is this weird little long-haired Chihuahua that seems to hate his guts. Sometimes the dog is loose, sometimes in a yard. We see him on our walks. The little land piranha seems to want to take him on, and I feel the light pull on the lead like, "Heh. You wanna go, buddy? I'm game." So help me, I can feel him sneering. I heard they were high energy, too. I attribute his high energy to being a puppy. I give it another few months before he starts calming down.

@mountainfila I totally thought we were getting the same vet that second time. I was appalled when this OTHER woman came in. Can you imagine? So I told them I ONLY want OUR vet and will only make appointments when ours is available. AND "his" vet tech. They seem cool with that. She's a very good vet, very laid-back, and when Puppy doesn't like people, and Mommy is wound tighter than a steel spring (I'm pretty sure everyone on this forum has figured THAT out, LOL), this is a good thing. She also makes extra time for us because she knows that Taurus needs to get used to her being there.

I will never trust him not to bite. I think it's safe to say I wouldn't trust any dog not to bite, because any dog can get a bug up its ass and decide, "Mmmmmm...nope. Don't like you, and you're trying to touch me. CHOMP." I don't mind answering questions, but I don't want them near him. I don't want Filas (or any breed, really) on that LIST.

 

[dogman#1]

That's the best way... If you know your dog has a predisposition to bite you dont take the chance... Just never let him too close (lunging distance) to people.

 

[angelbears]

Make sure your strong enough to hold him. If I only stayed lunging distance away there could be trouble. Cane is strong enough to move me if he is so inclined. Especially in the 1 to 2 year old range. That is when they are the most reactive.

 

[Winterspring]

I think a nice 15 feet from the end of the dog's nose when he's fully extended from the lead is comfortable. I'm strong, but I'd rather not rip my arms out of their sockets. We use a chain lead. I'm not taking any chances on him breaking a leather one. The loop matches the collar, but I don't hold him by the loop. Being dragged face-first on a sidewalk doesn't sound like a good time. His nylon collar and lead are his "pajamas". Protect passersby, protect the dog, protect my rotator cuffs. >_O Shoulders are our friends.

 

[dogman#1]

get yourself the thickest Herm Sprenger prong collar.. you wont have an issue controlling him and you wont have to worry about him snapping a link. As always if you are gonna use a prong collar double it with a small nylon choke chain...just in case, lol.

 

[Winterspring]

I just can't bring myself to use a prong or choke collar. The nice, heavy chain lead have done wonders to let him know that something else is there and that two inch leather collar I use distributes weight nicely on his neck so he doesn't choke half to death. It's a pretty short lead, and when held properly, it puts him easily at my side, with enough heft on it that I can feel him and he can feel me, so if he goes to sniff at something...unsavory (like that bag of god-knows-what that nobody has thrown away yet) or at that little Chihuahua, I can hold the chain more firmly. (Not that he actually goes for the yapper. I think Taurus laughs at him.) However, that chain and the pull sure does come in handy near those super-creepy alleys. I don't wanna know what's in there at two o'clock in the morning, thanks. I don't care how lovely the stink is in there, or the potential for rolling in it. (Never actually saw him go to roll in stink, but I'm taking no chances with that. Ugggh.)

"Heel" is a command I desperately want to teach him, but it takes a lot of time outside, and in the dead of summer in Arizona, that's not the best idea. For either of us. Doggy's not gonna train himself, and if Mommy is on the ground from heat prostration, that won't be great, either. There is NO shade in our backyard except for in the shed, but this is probably a better thing for me to stick in the training section. I WILL do it. He's not that bad, anyway. Of course, that's why I'm not terribly worried about him lunging. He really only goes out in the dead of the night, when few, if any are around. I try to get him out during the days when I know I'll be somewhere with shade, and always bring his diaper bag with us. (Has treats, a clicker, training treats besides the others, a few rags, a couple of plastic bags and rubber gloves for poop, a water dish, a bottle of water with a nipple cap so we can both have a drink, and of course it came with the pouch for wet stuff and that diaper-changing plastic slip so I can put his dish down and not have him make a big mess. I bring a toy for him, and...oh, God, I'm spoiling this beast rotten, aren't I...)

And holy cow, have we gone off topic!!! LOL

 

[Iymala]

Mine have a doggy bag that goes with us when ever we are out as well. Its far easier that clipping 10 things to myself in different spots so i have them on hand.