44-66 lbs
18-23"
Azores
The Cao Fila de Sao Miguel dog is an ancient breed that originated on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores, most likely as a way to round up and tame the feral livestock that lived on the island. This breed is a fairly large, solidly built canine with a powerful jaw and a naturally aggressive and territorial attitude. While they are believed to be descended from ancient molosser type dogs, they are somewhat smaller than other molosser breeds and have longer muzzles than most. They tend to be extremely loyal to their owners and families, protecting them at all costs, but are standoffish towards strangers and violent towards other animals.
The Cao Fila de Sao Miguel is a medium-large cattle dog, suitable for both herding and guarding duties, that was developed at some point in the distant past, prior to any form of record keeping regarding dogs. While their ancestry is unknown, most experts suspect that their first ancestors to the islands were a mix of large molosser dogs of undetermined varieties. Molosser type dogs were often used throughout Western Europe in the 14th century, to handle cattle, particularly stubborn or aggressive cattle. The molosser dogs in the area of Portugal are slightly smaller than most molossor type dogs as well as being less brachycephalic. The mixture of these dogs eventually led to new types of cattle dog that eventually bred true. Dogs were not often referred to in art or literature in the early culture of Portugal so the first mention of this breed as a written record occurred in the early 19th century, although they soon became quite well-known throughout the islands for their superior skill with herding, driving, and guarding cattle. As ancient as this breed’s history is, the breed standard for the Cao Fila de Sao Miguel was developed fairly recently in 1984, which helped this canine to earn its recognition through the Portuguese Kennel Club. While the Cao Fila de Sao Miguel breed was formally recognized by the Federation Cynologique International in 1995, the majority of these dogs are still used for their original purpose on the islands and are not frequently seen in other locations, and they have not yet been recognized by the American Kennel Club.
These are medium-large dogs that are slightly longer than they are tall with well-defined musculature and a heavy build, and the males tend to be slightly taller and heavier than the females. The musculature on some dogs is so intense that it causes the canine to waddle slightly as they walk. Their head is heavy and square-shaped with an extremely well-muscled and powerful jaw. Their oval eyes are generally a dark brown in color and extremely expressive and they have medium-sized triangular ears that hang nearly to their cheeks. The ears on working dogs are often cropped to help protect them in the field. Their high-set, medium-length tails are slightly curved, and are also cropped on a frequent basis. They have a short, smooth coat that is dense and lightly fringed on their tail and the back of their thighs and come in several shades of fawn with black or grey brindle markings overlaying it.
These dogs are exceptionally easy to keep clean and healthy, typically only needing bathing on an occasional basis. Brushing with either a slicker brush or rubber curry comb is recommended two or three times a week to remove dead hairs and to keep the coat shiny and healthy, but it should otherwise remain easy to care for. This breed tends to spend more time outdoors on their own than other breeds and a little extra time should be taken to check for cuts, scrapes, insect bites, and thorns when you are grooming them. This breed also has ears that fold over when they are not cropped, making them slightly more prone to ear infections so their ears should also be checked for damage or infection at each grooming session. Ideally, the teeth should be brushed a few times per week and the nails trimmed monthly.
This breed of dog typically was bred as an outdoor dog that was tasked with staying with the cattle and keeping them safe and in line. This is not a typically affectionate canine, although they tend to bond deeply with one specific person or family and can be extremely difficult to re-home. They can be socialized to be fairly gentle with children, but these are exceptionally muscular dogs which may not know their own strength, so supervision is always required. They are extremely alert and territorial making them an exceptional candidate as a watchdog, but a poor one for apartment living. It is important to remember that this is a breed designed to be highly aggressive towards other animals, and it is not uncommon for them to attack and even kill smaller animals, including other dogs. While training and socialization will help to curb violent reactions, some Cao Fila de Sao Miguel dogs may never be trustworthy around other canines.
This is an athletic and powerful animal and it will need a great deal of exercise to maintain that athleticism. These dogs should get at least an hour to an hour and a half worth of vigorous exercise in each day and if they are not actively working strength training activities may be recommended to maintain muscle tone, particularly as they age. There are several alternative activities which can help you to keep your dog in good condition including herding exercises and agility training. This dog is not generally suited to apartment living as they are typically too territorial for close living.
Written by a Irish Setter lover Penny Sebring
Published: 04/06/2018, edited: 02/24/2021
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