Fila Brasileiro vs Bloodhound - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

Hailing from Brazil, and known also as the Brazilian Mastiff, nobody seems to be too sure of the exact origins of the large Fila Brasileiro but it is believed to be a cross between the English Mastiff, the Bulldog and the Bloodhound.

Other theories are that the dog comes from a mix of Portuguese and Spanish dogs and that they were bred to guard livestock from predators. Breeds that have no doubt contributed to the modern Fila are the Bullenbeisser, the Bloodhound, Mastiff and Rafeiro do Alentejo. All these dogs have characteristics such as excellent working dog skills, herding instincts as well as courage and tenacity.

The official Brazilian breed standard of the Fila was developed in the 1960s and the Fila Brasileiro Club of America was formed in 1984.

The history of the Bloodhound breed is a fascinating one. Known as a Sleuthhound for its ability to smell out the culprit and bag the prey. Even more so the Bloodhound is known for tracking and finding lost people. He is famous for finding human scents and being able to follow them even days or weeks after the person is lost. They are also able to track people over a great amount of land and have been known to successfully track escaped prisoners or wanted criminals. They are descended from the Saint-Hubert Hounds that were bred at the Abbey/Monastery at Saint-Hubert, Belgium. According to the legends the St. Hubert hounds were bred by the Monks in 1000AD. This hound was thought to be a mixed breed rather than a purebred. That’s because the ancestry of this hound is not really known but it is known that the monks bred them and sent several to the King of France annually. Only black hounds were gifted.

Some kings preferred not to hunt with these hounds thinking them not good enough while others thought the only use for them was as a leash hound. All described the St. Hubert as long in body with short legs. These gifts continued until the French Revolution when hunting in France was greatly reduced until the 19th century. The original St. Hubert strain became extinct in the 19th century and that the current European St. Hubert hound has its origins in the Bloodhound. The Bloodhound as a separate breed was already established in Europe by the middle of the 14th century. They were used as leach hounds to sniff out the prey so that the pack hounds could chase and keep it “at bay”. They were also used from the beginnings of the breed to track humans. At this time they were often known as sleuth hounds. As recorded by John Caius – the authority on Bloodhounds from their origins – writes about the breeds ability to find and track the scent of blood – thus becoming the Bloodhound and its use to track poachers and thieves. He also reported that the Bloodhound and the Sleuth Hound were the same basic breed. The number of Bloodhounds in Britain gradually declined until few remained after World War II. Britain has gradually built their breed back up by importing dogs from America. It was during the 19th century that the Bloodhound was imported into France by breeders who wished to reestablish the St. Hubert Hound. Thus the St. Hubert is both the ancestor and descendent of the Bloodhound. The Britain’s continue to believe that the Bloodhound is a native British breed.

The Bloodhounds in America have had great success as companion animals, with police departments and forest rangers and showing in the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club in New York. There are more Bloodhounds in the United States than anywhere else in the world.

In the end the Anglo-Saxton Bloodhound cannot be specified with any real certainty. Many believe it was not the St. Hubert that the Bloodhound descended from but rather the Norman hound or the sleuth-hound. Many believe it could have included other breeds such as the southern hound, the dun-hound and the Talbot. It cannot be proven today it the Bloodhound’s origins come from Belgian or England.

With his huge head covered in loose skin much like that of a Blooohound, and a body resembling that of a Mastiff, the large heavily built Fila Brasileiro is a mastiff breed from Brazil. He stands at 60 to 75cm in height and he weighs roughly 55 to 80kg.

The ears of the Fila are large and droop down or are folded back, depending on his mood. The tail is long and slim. The coat of the dog is short and dense with the texture being quite smooth and soft. Colours of the coat can vary from solid fawn or black to red to brindle.

Temperament:

Perhaps the huge Fila wouldn’t be a good choice as a pet for the first-time inexperienced dog owner as he is a powerful, intelligent, self-assured, headstrong animal that will certainly need to have training and socialization if you want him as an obedient pet in your home.

He is a dog known for his courage and bravery. The Fila is loving and affectionate with his human family, being protective of them and not being too friendly with strangers. He isn't a particularly good pet choice with children in the home.

Some people, after buying a cute Fila puppy, put him out in the yard when he becomes large, and then they pretty much neglect him. This is cruel and irresponsible as he is a social, playful dog who wants to be part of his human family.

These dogs have some aggression in them and this makes them good watchdogs. They generally don’t show aggression towards their family but may snap at a stranger who tries to touch as he feels threatened.

When being judged for confirmation in a show ring, the preference is for a larger dog, with an unusual skeleton in respect to its large size and heavy weight in the bones. They have a narrow head, flat at the sides, but long. They have deep set eyes buried in the deep, long face and wrinkles. The eyes might be yellow or run the gamut to deep hazel depending upon the color of the dog. The long velvety ears and thin and low set on the head. These long ears are as much a part of the Bloodhounds Olfactory system as his amazing nose. They curl backward and inward as the ends. There is a large amount of loose skin on the head and at the jowls. When the Bloodhound lowers his head the loose folds and ridges of skin are prominent on the face and forehead.

For many centuries all different colors of Bloodhounds could be found. Today however they are pretty much red, black and tan and black and liver. The Bloodhound is a powerful dog and is larger than most breeds of hounds.

The Fila Brasileiro or Brazilian Mastiff is a powerful dog and it is believed that a large dog like this can be a danger to people if he isn’t trained and socialized.

He is therefore not recommended for first time dog owners or homes with small children. He is a dog that is particularly wary of strangers too.

When he has been properly socialized he can be loving, loyal and obedient because it is essentially how a dog is brought up as to how he turns out.

If you bring one of these big, beautiful dogs into your home, have him socialized as a puppy, treat him firmly, but kindly and you could have yourself an extraordinary pet.

The Bloodhound is known as a gentle soul and he truly is. They are affectionate and gentle with people and children. However, their strong will to track can make them stubborn and hard to handle and train. They are easy going dogs and really like to be with people, children and other dogs. They are affectionate but tend to be set in their ways.

Filas are a dog breed who have a high rate of hip- and elbow dysplasia. This is a serious disease which can lead to lameness with your pet. Other orthopedic diseases with the breed include osteochondritis and luxating patella.

Also, as a deep-chested dog breed, your Fila also is at risk of getting the very serious gastrointestinal syndrome known as bloat. This is a common condition that can prove deadly for your pet. The Fila’s stomach will fill with gas, putting pressure on other organs and stopping blood flow to the heart and difficulty with breathing. Sometimes the stomach will twist. Get him to the vet immediately if you notice a swollen stomach, drooling or restless behaviour.

Obviously with ears like the Bloodhound there is always a chance for problems and serious infections. The ears need to be cleaned daily. Because their coat is so thick, they can overheat easily, and they are very prone to bloat, as are many large animals. However, with the Bloodhound, Bloat is the number one killer. Their lifespan is one of the shortest of all dogs at 6.75 years.

Exercise and Space:

The Filas size makes it important that he have a good amount of exercise if you want to maintain his health and happiness. He isn’t a dog suited to city life as he is too large and will irritate his owners when cooped up in a tiny space with them. He isn’t demanding when it comes to exercise and activities all the time, but he should still be exercised regularly as he is inclined to become lazy .

Grooming:

Moderate shedding. Regular brushing twice a week will be required. Check ears for infection and brush his teeth 2 or 3 times a week.

Diet:

Nothing is set in stone as to what to feed your Fila Brasileiro, but a large dog will require quality food with a good amount of protein and fat according to size, age and activity levels.

Because a large breed dog is prone to hip dysplasia, look out for ingredients such as chondroitin and gludosamine which are specifically good for joint health. Try and avoid commercially manufactured food with common allergens such as soy, corn and wheat, artifical flavors and fillers.

A source of cooked rice, chicken and vegetables as well as some raw meat will be excellent for your big pet. Make sure he is never deprived of fresh, cool drinking water.

The Bloodhound is not a high energy, fast moving dog but that does not mean he doesn’t have serious nutritional needs. An overweight Bloodhound is on a course to an early demise. They should be fed a high-quality food once a day or split into two daily servings. Do not feed them right before or right after strenuous exercise and remember that strenuous exercise for a Bloodhound is considerably less than it is for a terrier.

Health issues

As previously mentioned the number one cause of death in Bloodhounds is Bloat. They are also prone to cancer. They have minor issues with their eyes, but their ears and skin are also major concerns. Clean the ears daily and wipe out the skin folds and wrinkles to prevent infections. They should be test for hip and elbow dysplasia simply because they are large dogs, though these conditions are less common in Bloodhounds.

Exercise and games

Though the Bloodhound is known as a couch potato his stamina and activity levels are usually greatly underestimated. He can follow a scent for 7-10 hours over miles of terrain with out a problem. He needs daily exercise such as long walks on a leash. Do not take your Bloodhound out off leash because if he picks up a scent and wanders off you will not be able to get his attention to call him back.