Versatility in the Fila Brasileiro, July 1993

By CLELIA KRUEL.

Drawing: CAMBURI DO EMBREMA

Majestic and noble, destined for various functions, the Fila Brasileiro was born within Brazil. It was not made by man, but by necessity. And, paradoxically, there emerged the most aggressive of guardians and the most faithful of friends. In everything, the Fila Brasileiro is different. In its structure, with the hips standing out above the back; in the grace of its gait; in its strong temperament and hostility toward strangers. No other animal resembles it, having the attack of a lion and the tenderness of a lamb. War dog, guard dog, hunting dog, guide dog, companion dog.

It was given several names, all of which suit it well: “Big Head”, “Jaguar Dog”, “Black Mouth”, “Fila”, “Fila Brasileiro”.

To speak of the Fila is like returning to the birth of this nation in colonial times. The Fila accompanied the struggles of the invaders, in the conquest of the jungle and the epic of the pioneers. Guardian and sentinel of slaves, it lived in the sugar mills, in the coffee plantations, on the cattle farms, where one Fila was worth more than three farmhands together. It worked during the day and, in the silence of the night, went to seek its food in the forest.

Strong, rustic, courageous, it defended cattle, herds and men, preventing the attack of the terrible jaguar, which everyone feared facing. It wrote its name as a “jaguar-hunting dog” in blood and became a legend in the mouth of the people. “Faithful as a Fila” became a proverb. The young Fila grew, and the Fila Brasileiro followed its steps, entering industries and large cities. The Fila left the countryside and accompanied its owner on the asphalt. It went to live in apartments, missing the smell of pasture.

In 1946 it was promoted and received the “Breed Standard”, as if it, the king, had not already been pure before. It was taken to parade in shows; it did not have much success at first, being a working dog. How could it demonstrate what it knew how to do so well? No one seemed interested in seeing it face the sharp teeth of a jaguar or in seeing its strength bring down a zebu by the jaw.

Its higher hips, its camel-like pace and its movement seemed strange. There, in that ring, it could not demonstrate the incredible speed of its gallop, nor the agility of its flexible limbs closing like a hinge to seize its opponent. It gained a reputation as a fierce animal, and judges were afraid to touch it.

In 1954 it crossed the seas to make its name in Germany. In 1968 it entered the Fédération Cynologique Internationale and was admired in Holland, Austria, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Its reputation as a natural guardian, acting by instinct, gave it popularity, and 8,087 pure Filas were registered in 1982. The Fila began to win the group and achieved best in show, competing on equal terms with the Dobermann and the Boxers, which held first place in the rings. Its main characteristic is aversion to strangers, and this became its passport abroad. What attracts people to the Fila is not its structure, but its admirable character.

In 1981 we visited the CIGS, the Jungle Warfare Training Center, where veterinary doctor Captain Edinho Camoleze carried out tests for five long years, in a rational manner, with different breeds under the same conditions, in order to choose the dog most suitable to face the dangers of the “green hell”.

Walking six hours without eating, or doing a 12-hour journey with hot rations, or 24 hours only with commercial rations, crossing dangerous rivers, carrying its baggage in the worst possible conditions, the rusticity, endurance and nervous system of the dogs under experimentation were tested, demanding from them up to the point of exhaustion.

They faced simulated combat in wild areas where the branches of ancient trees intertwined, darkening the sky, where it rains every day, flooding the improvised trails. They injured themselves among walls of lianas. They passed through snakes and swamps with alligators, were wounded by thorns and punished by the incessant attack of mosquitoes, enduring the humid and suffocating heat of the jungle. The Fila survived. Its performance was considered excellent. As stated in Captain Camoleze’s reports: “There was no loss of quality or characteristics.”

The investigation and its results. Investigating the characteristics of each breed, the performance of each one in relation to jungle work was analyzed over five years. Intelligence: among the three breeds, the German Shepherd obtained the best index. Aggressiveness: the Dobermann achieved the best index. Temperament: after several incursions into the jungle with natural obstacles such as thorns, swamps, lianas, etc., the Fila showed better temperament and behavior. Energy: the Fila Brasileiro obtained the best index in this type of work, highlighting the importance of the Amazon climate in this aspect: high temperature, excessive humidity and a saturated atmosphere. Endurance: among the three breeds mentioned, the Fila showed the best aptitude, mainly during long stays in the jungle. Its exhaustion index is very low in relation to the Dobermann and the German Shepherd. Rusticity: in the jungle, due to its robustness, bone development and thicker skin, the Fila proved to be more rustic. Strength: mainly when crossing watercourses, the Fila dog revealed excellent qualities in the tests carried out. This animal, because of its physical capacity, can even be used to transport packages and small loads when crossing watercourses, either alone or assisting the combatant in the jungle.

Silent combatant

The Fila proved to be an excellent tracker inside the closed jungle, going out in search of survivors. Calm and tranquil, naturally vigilant, it does not bark or become easily frightened. The jungle seems familiar to it, and the sensation of danger searching through the darkness does not scare it. An excellent patrol dog, it detects and alerts to an ambush at about thirty meters’ distance, aided by its extraordinary sense of smell. In the jungle, the maximum vision reached by a human being, that is, by a specialized combatant, is barely ten meters. The Fila, with its developed sense of smell, helps to discover hidden tunnels, snipers, ambushes, etc., before the patrol is discovered.

Thus it increases the operational strength of the combatant, saving fuel, ammunition and, above all, lives. The jungle guerrilla dog is of incalculable value for guarding strategic points on distant borders. An ammunition depot, or other various types of supplies, in the middle of the jungle, in the total darkness of night, could be an easy target if it were not for the constant and silent vigilance of a Fila. It knows how to distinguish the fall of a leaf from the light steps of a wild animal or the trail of an invader. It growls to give the alarm and goes directly toward the target, neutralizing the aggression. Its strength and courage give moral support to the sentry, who trusts the discernment of his surveillance companion. The life of the regiment and the guarding of the ammunition depend on them. Especially at night, the dog completes human deficiency in hearing, smell and vision, which lose not only in quality but also in intensity when compared with the developed senses of the dog.

Sahy do parque de castelo

Golden female