The way dogs walk? Rene?

I remember you saying something about how Fila's run like a cat?


I was watching my pup run the other day and remembered. How did your fila's run?

My pup when using slow pace run he was moving side legs at same time in synch. When running a bit faster he went to a trot where his rear paw would hit the same spot his front paw left at the same moment. So his paws were synched just not paralel but diagonally.

when he switched to full run, he put his front and rear legs together and made huge leaps. Funny thing he can catch grey hounds with ease, believe it or not.

I'd believe he can catch Greyhounds. No one who hasn't seen these big herder/guardians move would understand just how fast and agile they really are. And I also wouldn't doubt that Orion is better cared for and has better nutrition than most Greyhounds - or other dogs.

Shiva and Kharma still can't catch Bimmer, but he is the wind. His gait is as you describe Orion's. I don't know exactly how fast he is in a straight line - he rarely runs in a straight line

The Fila is camel gaited, like a feline, moving the legs on the same side of the body in the same motion. I think it must play a part in their quick cutting ability, and it's interesting when you figure in that one of their important historical tasks was to hunt down marauding jaguar in the jungles.

I would expect the Ovcharka, being bred with the wolf as its chief nemesis, would be gaited like the wolf and most canines. The ancestors who developed these breeds over so many centuries, so many ages ago, had a much purer grasp of form following function than we do. They weren't intentionally breeding for 'cute' although I'd be willing to bet that the more attractive and appealing dogs who had the right work ethic and the physical capabilities needed for survival did get preferential breeding and treatment.

Well, in straight line. I can run 100m in low 11s. I used to be a decent sprinter.

Well in a 100m dash he runs about 2-3 times faster then I do. Its pretty interesting to see him run full-speed.

Do you ever wonder if you've really seen him run full speed? I'll bet he's even faster than you've yet seen if he ever senses something dangerous to be caught.

Probably.

They are famous for short burts of pure power/speed, then they conserve their energy all day to release it in few seconds/minutes.

I thought as much. Don't they traditionally stay with the flock, lying low and watching unless something alerts them?

The Fila - well-bred working Fila - need a great deal of stamina to be able to sustain fast movements over long periods of time as they are drovers as well as guardians. I'm always astonished that Kharma can round up over 70 head of scattered cattle - even in the woods and the marshy parts of the farm - all by herself. She just keeps going and going, on and on, never stopping, until they are all in one place. Shiva is learning to do it as well, but I don't think she'll ever be quite the expert Kharma is.

I think you'd enjoy seeing the Fila out in the field. With the fawn colored dogs, if you didn't look at the head, you'd think you were watching a lion or cougar . . .

Bimmer is great help bringing them in as well. He tends to bring them in much more calmly. Now his stamina is amazing! He's got that wolf-lope that just eats up the distances without ever seeming to wear him down. I've really never seen a dog quite like him . . . definitely a one-of-a-kind and a beautiful accident. And seeing him soar through the air is unbelievably beautiful - effortless and perfectly balanced.

Well they have good amount of stamina, its that they prefer to conserve energy whenever they can. They travel with the herd and protect it. Mingle around the sheep, watch, listen. They have great hearing especially with ears cropped. They rest whenever they get a chance.

Caucasians never were a herding dog, and they dont herd. They have practically non-existant prey drive. They are very territorial and have extreme defense drive though .

I thought they were historically more flock guardians. Droving is something relatively unique to the Filas among the molossoid guardians, but it was a sorely needed ability on the old South American fazendas among the mostly wild cattle being raised there.

Although their hearing is excellent, in the Fila it is the ability to scent that is hyper-developed. Cattle are noisy creatures and the ability to discern and differentiate a threat by scent is more valuable where they are from, especially since the climate is warmer and scents will carry farther and more strongly than in a colder environment.

Fascinating, isn't it, how well the different breeds have developed to fit unique niches?

Yea.

I think that our breeds are more different then i thought.

My Eli (puppy picture below used to pace. He'd move the same side legs in the same direction at a trot until he picked up enough speed then he'd do a hippy hop and start moving them in the more normal fashion. He was such a cute baby boy!

They have some similarities, I think, in their guardian roles, but the Fila's environment is so different from the European environment and there were so many tasks that were required of the Fila running the fazendas that they developed rather uniquely.

They also are accomplished tracking dogs - something that was extremely valuable when hunting jaguar, and during the time of slave labor the Fila was also used to track down runaways. Their instinct is to catch and hold without killing or permanently maiming, although they will do anything necessary to protect members of their family.

They do have a high prey drive, as they often had to fend for themselves, especially when working on their own without human supervision for many days, but they can differentiate between appropriate prey and creatures under their care. They would not kill calves, for instance. They can survive - and even thrive - for extended periods without a high percentage of animal protein in their diet.

They are at home in the water, as you can see by the huge webbed feet. And their toes extend much like a cat's, giving them toes that are far longer in relation to their feet than most dogs'.

One historic similarity is their use for hunting wild boar.

Oooops, used to be the pic below! Now it's of my Yogi