A question on Fila's if I may. I was told that I was too 'easy going' to handle a Fila. With animals I am capable of asserting myself as leader but I do so in a way that is more soft spoken and gentle trying to guide the animal into the behaviors I want rather than trying to force/boss it. I guess what I am asking is what personality type seems to work best for the breed?
Filas
- Thread starter Bunny82
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I'm about as laid back as you can get.
Filas don't respond will to militaristic, order-barking, highly wound, control crazed individuals. Calm and quietly self assured is the ideal.
You sound to me like you are going to be a FINE Fila person, Bunny.
Filas don't respond will to militaristic, order-barking, highly wound, control crazed individuals. Calm and quietly self assured is the ideal.
You sound to me like you are going to be a FINE Fila person, Bunny.
I am glad to hear they respond better to calm, quiet, self assured individuals because the former is certainly not who I am or who I want to be. LOL quite honestly I am such a petite little thing that if I attempted to present myself in such a manner to a Fila (or any dog) I think all I might get is an eyeroll and a look that says, "Is she serious?"
People who say you have to be big, deep voiced and intimidating are people who use nasty training methods with tons of collar correcting, alpha rolls and those types of things that require you to "dominate" the dog. I think you'll be an awesome owner of any dog
Renee, would it be okay if I asked you who Kharma's breeder is? (I am not sure if its appropriate to ask for breeders by name publicly or if that is something that is to be discussed in private?)
Kharma came from Judy and Gary at Defender in Knoxville. Sadly, they had to give up their dogs after Gary was severely injured at work and Judy was diagnosed with 4th stage cancer. They lost their home and everything they had . . .
They had really begun to produce some outstanding dogs. That's something that takes time, and they ran out of it
They took some flack from some of the show breeders because they weren't breeding that direction, but their dogs were Filas, heart and soul, where it counted, and Kharma is by no means a fluke.
I wish I could have taken Dempsey for them, he was Buffy's littermate, but I cannot bring a grown male dog in with Bimmer. It would crush him to give up his place as The Dog, and he would fight, literally, to the death with any challenger. And any male dog who even looks sideways at Kharma is begging for trouble with him.
He doesn't care that he's half the size of a dog like that. He has no sense of perspective. He even went after a bear all by himself Got his noggin stitched for his troubles . . . and he was lucky that was all!
They had really begun to produce some outstanding dogs. That's something that takes time, and they ran out of it
They took some flack from some of the show breeders because they weren't breeding that direction, but their dogs were Filas, heart and soul, where it counted, and Kharma is by no means a fluke.
I wish I could have taken Dempsey for them, he was Buffy's littermate, but I cannot bring a grown male dog in with Bimmer. It would crush him to give up his place as The Dog, and he would fight, literally, to the death with any challenger. And any male dog who even looks sideways at Kharma is begging for trouble with him.
He doesn't care that he's half the size of a dog like that. He has no sense of perspective. He even went after a bear all by himself
Got his noggin stitched for his troubles . . . and he was lucky that was all!I am very sorry and saddened to hear how things turned out for them.
Just from the way you speak of them I can tell they were wonderful people that gave all of their heart and souls to their Filas. They sound like they were exactly the type of breeder that I am/will be looking for and if they were still breeding to me it would be an honor to even be considered for one of their pups.
Bimmer sounds like a brave and courageous boy (going after a bear!). He also sounds like he really loves Kharma and I imagine she is just as bonded to him?
Just from the way you speak of them I can tell they were wonderful people that gave all of their heart and souls to their Filas. They sound like they were exactly the type of breeder that I am/will be looking for and if they were still breeding to me it would be an honor to even be considered for one of their pups.
Bimmer sounds like a brave and courageous boy (going after a bear!). He also sounds like he really loves Kharma and I imagine she is just as bonded to him?
Bimmer and Kharma are such a pair. Thick as thieves, lol. He will, though, insist on good behavior and even though she is twice his size, when he snarls, she hits the ground! He's the only creature she has that kind of respect for though.
One of the sweetest things is to see him tenderly wash her face and ears. If he's scolded her, she'll hang her head, then tiptoe over to him and nudge him with her nose, tears rolling down her face, and stand there and wait for him to wash her face.
I knew I had a real dog when, at three months old, she got into an electric cattle fence. I really hot one. It throws blue arcs a good foot in the air. Most dogs scream bloody murder and run as far and as fast as they can.
Not Kharma.
Three months old . . . she turned around and bit the fence - twice. I had to pull her off of it. She'd probably still be biting the thing if I hadn't :rofl1:
One of the sweetest things is to see him tenderly wash her face and ears. If he's scolded her, she'll hang her head, then tiptoe over to him and nudge him with her nose, tears rolling down her face, and stand there and wait for him to wash her face.
I knew I had a real dog when, at three months old, she got into an electric cattle fence. I really hot one. It throws blue arcs a good foot in the air. Most dogs scream bloody murder and run as far and as fast as they can.
Not Kharma.
Three months old . . . she turned around and bit the fence - twice. I had to pull her off of it. She'd probably still be biting the thing if I hadn't :rofl1:
Bimmer sounds like quite the dog in his own right and Miss Kharma certainly has a flair for the dramatics doesn't she? They sound like quite the pair indeed and about Bimmer washing Kharmas face...awwww.
About biting the fence I read on a few sites that Filas don't feel pain like other dogs or maybe it was about having a high pain threshold? I guess Kharma confirms that.
About biting the fence I read on a few sites that Filas don't feel pain like other dogs or maybe it was about having a high pain threshold? I guess Kharma confirms that.
Their pain threshold is incredible, but trust me, she felt that fence, lol! Buffy and Shiva had both gotten a dose of it at a later age, even, and they both took off. Buffy did look pretty embarrassed about it when she got herself back under control at least.
Someone shot Kharma in the foot when she was 7 months old. The .22 shattered when it hit one of her toe bones and fractured the bone slightly. I'd never have known anything was wrong with her if the foot hadn't started swelling. She never gave any indication of pain. Let her hear the sound of gunshots, to this day, and she wants to go find the source . . . The dog holds a grudge FOREVER, lol!
Someone shot Kharma in the foot when she was 7 months old. The .22 shattered when it hit one of her toe bones and fractured the bone slightly. I'd never have known anything was wrong with her if the foot hadn't started swelling. She never gave any indication of pain. Let her hear the sound of gunshots, to this day, and she wants to go find the source . . . The dog holds a grudge FOREVER, lol!
Somebody SHOT Kharma?! And she didn't eat them then proceed to point and laugh while the sun bleached their bones?! :yikes: What happpened?
And P.S. being that I'm still fairly new around here, and have never stumbled across it in my travels, what breed is Bimmer? He's a mister handsomepants for sure, but I never feel like I can put my finger on it.
I have no idea what happened to whoever shot her, probably don't want to know, lol! She was still a pup - just 7 months old at the time. She may not have even noticed until later though.
Bimmer's primarily GSD, however, he came from an area that is predominantly populated by either imported or farm raised GSDs, a lot of wolf/GSD hybrids and Australian Shepherds. Living with him it's been pretty easy to tell that he's a mix of at least GSD/hybrid, and I've wondered if there isn't a little Aussie thrown in there as well. The funny thing is, he looks like the old fashioned, historical GSDs, although I saw a photo of a wolf (can't remember the species, but it was one native to this part of the country) that looked JUST like him, markings and all, lol! He definitely hunts like a wolf - nothing in common with the GSD there. He's a predator in his heart when it comes to prey animals.
That wolfy "edge" has served him well, raising Filas, lol!
Bimmer's primarily GSD, however, he came from an area that is predominantly populated by either imported or farm raised GSDs, a lot of wolf/GSD hybrids and Australian Shepherds. Living with him it's been pretty easy to tell that he's a mix of at least GSD/hybrid, and I've wondered if there isn't a little Aussie thrown in there as well. The funny thing is, he looks like the old fashioned, historical GSDs, although I saw a photo of a wolf (can't remember the species, but it was one native to this part of the country) that looked JUST like him, markings and all, lol! He definitely hunts like a wolf - nothing in common with the GSD there. He's a predator in his heart when it comes to prey animals.
That wolfy "edge" has served him well, raising Filas, lol!
We were still living at the farm at the time, and Charley refused to listen to me about NOT just letting the dogs out unsupervised. There was a trailer park next to the lower pasture, running beside the driveway. I'm sure it was someone over there.
I hope I never have to live in a rural area again. The people are just . . . just . . . the worst.
I hope I never have to live in a rural area again. The people are just . . . just . . . the worst.