Origin of Cau di Fila di Saint Miguel, exterior standard, character, health, care and training, interesting facts. Price when buying a puppy of Fila Saint Miguel. Cao de Fila de Sao Miguel (Cao de Fila de Sao Miguel) - such an incredibly sonorous and exotic name belongs to the dog, which has one of the most ancient and most common canine specializations. He simply grazes cattle and protects them from predators, as hundreds and thousands of other herding dogs have done and are doing all over the world. And, of course, he helps in hunting and looks after the house. But the dog itself looks completely unique, more reminiscent of a fighting dog than an ordinary shepherd. And this is not surprising, because in his blood lives the ineradicable fighting spirit of his ancestors - bulldogs and mastiffs, Great Danes and Alans, who in a strange way mixed into an unmatched exterior dog, over the centuries of his stay on one of the most beautiful islands of the Azores archipelago - the island of San Miguel.
The story of the origin of the Azores shepherd dog
The history of the Azorean Shepherd Dog, called Cau di Fila di Sen Miguel or simply the Senmiguel Fila (as well as the Senmigel Sheepdog or Azores Kettle Dog), stretches back centuries and is currently not well understood. But, as the name of the breed suggests, the dog is closely related to the island of São Miguel (Azores), which has long belonged to Portugal. And therefore, the ancestors of the breed, undoubtedly, are the very settlement dogs, actively imported from Portugal, Spain and France after the discovery of the Azores in 1427.
The favorable geographical position of the Azores archipelago allowed the navigators of those years to make the necessary stopover on the way to the alluring gold-bearing New World, to replenish water and food supplies before a long journey. That is why cattle, sheep and goats were actively imported to the open islands from the mainland by settlers (there were practically no animals on the islands themselves). Well, and, of course, all kinds of dogs, without which it was simply unthinkable to manage the ever-increasing herds.
Animals of larger breeds also found their way to the islands: bulldogs, mastiffs and mastiffs, which were often already needed to guard the hacienda of wealthy cattle farmers and planters. Mixing with local canines, their descendants gradually turned into an aboriginal species, and then into a breed now called Cao de Fila da Terceira or Rabo torto.
However, the need for shepherd dogs was growing. And already quite deliberately on the island of San Miguel, the locals began to see the warlike Fila di Tersheira with a local species of animals, supplementing the received mestizos with the blood of Molossian dogs that periodically appear on the island along with visiting travelers.
Ultimately, the settlers of the island of San Miguel managed to get a dog that fully satisfies their needs - fast, agile, strong and hardy, capable of fearlessly fighting predators and, at the same time, perfectly controlled, wonderful shepherd. Thus, a completely new breed arose - Fila Saint Miguel. Over time, these dogs took their rightful place among the islanders and became indispensable helpers for them.
The isolation of the island of São Miguel and the low popularity of the new species in the rest of the world have served well. Until now, the Azores shepherd dog has survived in its original form and is bred exclusively in a pure version, without admixtures of other varieties. And no matter how it was in reality, and no matter what ancestors took part in the national selection, but the shepherd dog from the Azores at the beginning of the 19th century began to gain wide recognition as reliable and talented, formidable, but manageable. First on the islands of the Azores archipelago, and then in mainland Portugal. Several of these beautiful animals even managed to get to Brazil and to remote African countries - Mozambique and Angola.
Much more widespread fame came to the "senmigels" only with the onset of the XX century. But the breed's active participation in exhibition championships (due to the rarity of the animal) began only in the 80s of the twentieth century. In June 1981, in the port of Ponta Delgada (São Miguel Island), the first championship was held with the participation of an indigenous island dog. The panel of judges acknowledged that the dogs presented at the exhibition really had the necessary uniformity, allowing them to be standardized by defining them in a separate species. A similar verdict was passed by the judges in 1983 during the exhibition in the metropolitan village of Vila Franca do Campo.
The official recognition of Phil Saint Miguel came only in 1984 after the active efforts of fans of the extraordinary shepherd dog (especially dog breeders Antonio Jose Amaral and Luis Mescia de Almedid). Senmiguel Filas were registered with the Portuguese Kennel Club that year.
The international recognition of Phil Saint Miguel came quite recently - the International Cynological Federation (FCI) recognized this breed only in 1995. However, the Can di Fila di Saint Miguel breed was still lucky, its progenitor, the dog Rabo Torto, remains unrecognized by world standards to this day.
Purpose and use of Phil Saint Miguel
The main purpose of the Azores shepherd dog, as the name implies, is to help people graze livestock. In addition, for a long time, island kettle dogs have been used to protect farm houses and buildings, as well as to hunt a wide variety of animals, including a rather large one, for example, a wild boar.
Nowadays, the functions of herding dogs have changed significantly, and although they can still be found in the meadows and pastures of the islands of the Azores archipelago and even in Portugal itself, these days these dogs are increasingly found at dog championships and shows.
In the United States, attempts (and quite effective) have been recorded of using these shepherd dogs as sports dogs in flyball competitions (Flyball is a new sport where the athlete's task is to catch and bring the owner as many balls as possible, shot from a special cars).
Increasingly, Azorean beauties attract attention not by the working qualities of shepherd dogs, but by the irresistible unusual exterior and rarity of the breed. Increasingly, they are turned on as pets that have absolutely no responsibilities other than communicating with the owner and his household.
Senmiguel Philos external standard
"Senmigel" is a rather large animal of a fighting constitution. And although the dog is not inclined to display unreasonable aggression, his entire frightening exterior, reminiscent of a wild hyena with burning brownish-orange eyes, always causes certain fears among others. Yes, and the size of the dog is appropriate. An adult kettle dog reaches 61 centimeters and weighs up to 41 kg. Females are somewhat smaller, but also impressive - body weight up to 36 kg, with growth at the withers up to 58 centimeters.
- Head voluminous, rather large in proportion to the body, square with a broad, rounded skull. The occipital protuberance is well developed. The stop (transition from the forehead to the muzzle) is clearly pronounced. The muzzle is wide, of medium length (shorter than the cranial part of the head). The bridge of the nose is broad and of medium length. The nose is large and black. The lips are clear in color, close to the jaws, dry, without drooping wings. The jaws are very powerful. The dental formula is standard (42 pcs.) Complete. The teeth are white, rather large, with pronounced large canines. Tick or scissor bite.
- Eyes round or oval, medium in size, set straight and not too deep. Eye color from orange to dark brown (the darker the better). The eyes are expressive, the gaze is straight, somewhat reminiscent of the gaze of a panther.
- Ears set high, triangular in shape, in proportion to the size of the head, broad at the base and rounded at the tips. The ears are docked. Cropped ears take on a rounded shape, which makes the dog very similar to a hyena.
- Neck the kettle dog is of medium length, very strong and muscular with a pronounced nape.
- Torso square-rectangular, very strong, well muscled, not inclined to be overweight. The chest is well developed. The back is strong, of medium length, not too broad. The line of the back is straight or slightly raised towards the croup. The rump is strong, short, slightly higher than the withers.
- Tail set on high, of medium length, solid, saber-shaped. The tail is usually docked (level 2-3 vertebrae).
- Limbs straight, strong. The hind legs are wide-set. The limbs have broad bones and well-developed muscles. Feet are oval and rather compact, with strong pressed toes.
- Leather “Senmigela” is thick, pigmented to match the coat.
- Wool short, dense with undercoat, smooth to the touch. If the tail is not docked, a slight fur fringe is visible. Small feathering (in the form of "fringe") on the hind legs and in the area of the ischial tuberosities.
- Color with many variations: light yellow, reddish-deer, reddish-brown, yellow-brown, gray, dark gray to almost black. And also according to the pattern: brindle, fine-spotted or granular. White spots on the forehead, forelegs and chest are possible.
The character of Phil de Saint Miguel
At home, the Senmigel Sheepdog is valued as a skillful and reliable herding dog, capable of action and decisive action when necessary. She is very hardy, capable, for a long time, does without rest and food. She is an excellent herd protector, taking her duties seriously. As a rule, not one, but several of these animals, usually 2-3, are used to guard the herd and move it to a new pasture. It is by acting in a team that these dogs are most effective. And it is for the same reason that they are absolutely not suitable for keeping in an apartment. Too much living space is required for such an energetic working shepherd.
Fila Saint Miguel is an unusually loyal dog. Once she has chosen her master, she remains faithful to him for life. There are many stories about the aggressive nature of these strong dogs, but, as always, all these rumors are too exaggerated and probably come from people who are not familiar with the breed. Philae live on the islands everywhere and have not "eaten" anyone for all the time. On the contrary, they are loved and appreciated precisely for the manifestation of adequate aggressiveness when performing "service". The rest of the time, these are the most ordinary calm and restrained dogs, absolutely adequate to the situation.
Getting used to one owner, these shepherd dogs also get used to their home. And although in the pastures they have to regularly move across the plain, they do not like moving to new premises, and especially with a change of owners. In general, these shepherd dogs need a strong and domineering owner, able to clearly take control of all their actions. For this reason, they are poorly suited as a "first dog" as they are capable of dominance and require early socialization. Even despite the fact that the cattle dog gets along well with people she knows, it is still not desirable to keep him in a house with small children due to the high energy of the animal.
This strong, alert and brave dog is ideal for work as a guard or watchman. And in this case, she is capable of being truly ferocious and very dangerous. This means that it requires compulsory training by an experienced dog handler.
Azores Shepherd Health
It is believed that Fila Saint Miguel has good health and good immunity. It is also generally accepted that there are no genetic breed diseases in these dogs.
But, as it turned out, American veterinarians disagree. Of course, it is premature to base your conclusions on the study of a few individuals brought to the United States prematurely (the statistical base is too small), but some points regarding the health of the Azores shepherd were published in the American press.
So it became known that the island "senmigels" suffer from dysplasia of the hip and elbow joints, like many large breed dogs. Visual problems, intestinal distention and some deformities during skeletal formation were noted.
But it is most likely that the breed is really quite strong in health, since the life expectancy of Senmigel Sheepdogs reaches 15 years. And this is really a lot for an animal of this size.
Care Tips for Cau di Fila di Saint Miguel
Caring for the Azores Shepherd Dog requires minimal effort from the owner, this is how this breed was conceived (cattle breeders had enough problems with caring for livestock). Although the short coat of Phil Saint Miguel has an undercoat, it is quite possible to take care of it no more than once a week (of course, if you do not have a show-class dog).
It is important to pay attention to standard grooming procedures such as clipping nails and bathing. You can bathe the kettle dog as needed. Difficulties with bathing usually do not arise, Azores shepherds are calm about this procedure.
Dogs easily tolerate climate change, are unpretentious in food. Therefore, the diet can be selected as standard, appropriate for an energetic dog of this size.
Features of training and education of Phil Saint Miguel
The Fila Saint Miguel breed exhibits amazing learning abilities. According to the reviews of the Portuguese cynologists who were directly involved in the training of the Azores shepherd dogs, this is a very smart breed that always wants to please its owner, but rather tough, independent and capable of making its own decisions, which is not bad for a working shepherd dog, but not always suitable for an ordinary owner. Therefore, early socialization and training of the animal for obedience is imperative. And it is better if an experienced dog handler does it.
In general, the Azorean shepherd dog needs constant work, education and is not well suited for the role of a sofa pet.
Interesting facts about the Azores shepherd dog
It is curious that the Portuguese themselves, living on the mainland, learned about the existence of the exclusive Senmiguel Shepherd Dogs only in 1938, thanks to the photographer Jose Joaquin Aidrada. It was he who, during a visit to the island of San Miguel, made several successful pictures of an unusual shepherd dog with cropped round ears. These pictures were presented by the photographer to the Portuguese Kennel Club, which somewhat perplexed connoisseurs of native Portuguese breeds. A whole commission was sent to the Azores archipelago to clarify the situation. And although the Cau di Fila di Saint Miguel breed was found and described by experts, the breed was officially recognized only in 1984.
The Senmigel Sheepdog is considered one of the rarest breeds in the world. Even in the Azores archipelago, there are no more than 72 individuals (data for 2009).
Price when buying a senmigel shepherd dog puppy
Azores Shepherd Dogs are among the rarest dog breeds, so it is simply unrealistic to buy them in Russia. On the Azores themselves, they are also quite few in number and quite expensive.
And although the Portuguese government is taking steps to popularize the breed, and dog enthusiasts are trying to increase the population, at the moment, Senmiguel Filas are still in short supply.
The cost of an average conformation puppy with already cropped ears and all the necessary vaccinations reaches about $ 2,000. In the USA, where the most energetic breeders have already started breeding the breed, the price for Azorean Shepherd puppies is even higher.
Learn more about this rare breed in this video:
