Unique Traits of Cao Fila de Sao Miguel Dogs

The origin of the cao fila de Sao Miguel dog breed is in the Azores, specifically on the island of Sao Miguel from which it takes its name. It descends from the fila da terceira, now extinct. This breed has also risked extinction several times and nowadays is still at risk as there are not many specimens.

Thanks to the studies of dog lover Antonio Jose Amaral, the breed is likely to be officially recognised by the Clube Portugues de Canicultura. He has in fact shown that this dog existed even in the 16th century and from the 18th century onwards there are references to it, both in Portuguese works and in those written by foreign travellers who visited the island.

Row-like dogs that attacked defenceless passers-by have been described by various people. The breed standard was set at the beginning of the last century. The cao fila de Sao Miguel is a bovine dog, used for herding livestock, especially cattle. It is almost unknown in the rest of the world.

Character of the cao fila de Sao Miguel dog breed

It must be said at once that this dog is a working animal, certainly not a flat or companion animal. It has a rustic, strong and decisive character and needs to be employed in some activity, otherwise it suffers greatly character-wise, to the point of being destructive.

He is an excellent guardian, both of the herds and of the house, and has a strong temperament towards strangers, while with his master and his family he is affectionate, even if he does not show it much, but he is faithful and able to defend them.

It is an aggressive dog, has much quicker reflexes than other recognised Portuguese dogs and is more agile as it has a lighter build than the others. It is able to stay outdoors throughout the year to do its job as a livestock guardian. He is an excellent worker and can drive herds of cows with great determination, even going so far as to bite to be obeyed. Unfortunately, he is a fairly easy-biting dog.

That is why its training is by no means simple, it has a very strong character, so the owner must establish a good relationship with this dog, which is able to listen and learn very quickly thanks to its intelligence, but it must be trained right from puppyhood to try to mitigate its innate aggressiveness.

It is one of the most challenging dogs in existence at the moment. Its aggressiveness requires it to be tamed in all its parts but to do this requires a great deal of experience in training techniques and above all a very firm pulse combined with consistency, constancy and patience.

It does not get along well with other pets as it is very territorial.

Appearance of the cao fila de Sao Miguel dog breed

The cao fila de Sai Miguel is a medium-sized dog, the height at withers for a male is 50 to 60 centimetres and weighs 25 to 35 kilograms. Females usually a little less. Its body is strong and robust with a very broad chest and a short but also very robust neck.

It belongs to the molossoid and mountain dog group. The limbs are strong and straight, the feet are oval with strong toes and nails. The tail is attached high, thick, of medium length and slightly curved. It is usually cut at the height of the second or third vertebrae or is short by nature.

The head is square, strong and well developed, with a broad, square skull. The jaws are powerful and strong. The eyes are oval, very expressive and generally dark brown in colour. The ears are attached high and of medium size, triangular in shape and drooping. They are usually cut round, however, and thus resemble the spotted hyena, and this is the breed's distinguishing characteristic. The truffle is broad and dark.

The coat is short, smooth, dense and rough to the touch. The undercoat is very thick and dense. The colour may be fawn, sandy carbonate and grey with lighter or darker shades. It is always striped; sometimes there may be white spots on the forehead and from the chin to the chest, as well as on the feet.

Health and care of the cao fila de Sao Miguel dog breed

The cao fila de Sao Miguel is a very hardy and rustic dog and no genetic diseases or hereditary types have been documented. They therefore enjoy excellent health and are able to cope with any condition presented to them with great strength and determination. It has a life expectancy of about 15 to 16 years. It needs daily exercise, long walks and runs.

It can live outdoors as it has little fear of both heat and cold, but it is good in both cases to give it a place to shelter. For coat care, it is sufficient to brush it once a week to keep its coat healthy. A bath only when it is really needed. Hair loss is moderate.

As far as nutrition is concerned, this breed does not tend to put on weight as long as it gets adequate exercise.