The Brazilian Mastiff

Another great mastiff is the Brazilian Mastiff. What makes this dog what it is, happens to be the fact that it is a crossbreed between a Mastiff and the Bloodhound.

There is also another name that it goes by and that name is Fila Brasileiro. Early in their ancestry, these dogs were made to watch out for the plantations in Brazil. They were later brought to America by the Conquistadors.

   Weighing it at over 100 pounds and about 27-30 inches tall from the ground to his shoulder. The females are huge as well, although they are smaller. She weighs about 90 pounds. She stands to be about 24-28 off the ground to her shoulder. The fur is short and soft in nature. His neck is extremely thick and he carries the same features of a bloodhound through his face. A variety of color also comes with this breed and those colors include yellow, black, brindle and reddish tan.

The bone structure on the Brazilian Mastiff helps it to run fast with the ability to attack if need be. They are known for their courage and also for the fact that they possess the ability to stand alerted at all times. Despite their aggressive nature towards strangers, they do carry a loving nature towards children.

There are several qualities of the Brazilian Mastiff. Well looking at both of the breeds, you see the hunting instinct from the Bloodhound. Add that with the guarding instinct of the Mastiff. There are well known for looking out for cattle. They seem to be a great well rounded dog. They didn't just sniff out an animal in hunting. They were also trained to attack and then waiting on their master, they would hold it down. Some were able to even keep wild jaguars away from cattle.

Another one of their unique tasks were to track down slaves that had run away. The  word 'fila' means 'to hold' in Portuguese. Along with their great hunting and holding skills, the Brazilian Mastiff can even run extremely fast and are able to gallop to the fullest.

The Brazilian Mastiff is not too keen to strangers. They do not like people that they don't know. That could be good in some ways, on the other hand it is not so good if they are around people on a regular basis. People that they don't know. They do undergo character testing to make sure that they remain self-confident and also to see if they would attack without being instructed to. That is one characteristic that may shun you from purchasing a Brazilian Mastiff. They are even cautious during dog shows and the judges are advised not to touch the dog, even though that is necessary for judging.

Despite the way they are with strangers, the Brazilian Mastiff is extremely gentle and loving towards his own family. He is also very protective of and extremely loyal to his master. Keep in mind that the Brazilian Mastiff will attack strangers. It is their natural instinct to attack when they feel threatened or cannot trust the one who is unfamiliar to them.

When searching for a puppy it is recommended to get as much information from the breeder as possible. Go to dog shows and visit the homes of private breeders to see the kennels. Do not limit your search to one kennel. Make sure that you ask as many questions as you want. If the breeder is confident about their dogs, they will want to answer any questions that you may have. Shop around a little. There are plenty of websites that sell Brazilian Mastiffs and I am sure that they will add pictures so that you can see the many variety of colors and features.

With it's rectangular shape, droopy hound dog ears and flabby lips, you can say that the Brazilian Mastiff is an adorable looking dog. If you don't know him well, you may want to stay clear of him, because his instincts tell him to attack. Despite the behavior towards any strangers, when it comes to children and his human family, this dog is sure to be as gentle as a kitten.

A beautiful dog that has the capability of hunting in which he inherited that trait from his Bloodhound ancestry. Then he has the capability to catch and hold whatever it may be that he is capturing. While hunting he catches the animal, holds it and then he will wait for his human companion to come.