We Are Fila Brasileiro Lovers

We are Animal Lovers, we are Dog Lovers and moreover we are Fila Brasileiro Lovers.  Our Fila Brasileiros have been carefully selected and are all magnificent. We have weighed our decisions in accordance w/ the FCI Breed Standard but with a distinct concern for a strong Fila Temperament in the gene pool. Our Filas live inside our home, share our food and live with all of the privileges that a spoiled 10 year old human child would expect; perhaps more. They are our best friends. Julius Kennels is not a commercial business. The owners of the kennel are in the estate development business; not in the "K9 Business" Under no circumstance does the kennel seek to materially "profit" financially from the Filas. The motivation behind Julius Kennels is for the breed to profit, for the dogs to profit, for us to emotionally profit from sharing our lives with the Filas and for other special families to profit from sharing their lives with these majestic canine friends.  Ultimately we hope that over time; Filas from Julius Kennels will be highly sought after; world renown as: healthy, correct, and ultimately magnificent Fila Brasileiros.

We "sell" our puppies but we like to think (& act) that we are carefully "placing" our dogs in fine homes (with prepared and educated responsible adults). Families and individuals purchase our dogs but they must first apply and experience something commensurate to an adoption process w/ a large fee. There is a fee which varies depending on the litter and particular dog. A deposit is required once the family/individual has been approved (by ourselves) but we do NOT have a first come first serve basis format. We intensively phone interview our potential Fila Families or preferably interview them "in person" if possible. We create a database of those interested in the litter and attempt to match the needs and requirements of the family/individual with character traits on each particular Fila based on assumptions made through Puppy Personality Testing and our own observations. We reserve the right to return a deposit for no reason and we do not allow potentials to "choose" their dogs although we will do our best to accommodate their desires. All pet quality puppies will come with a strict contract where the new owner agrees to spay or neuter the puppy by 7 months of age. Although through the application process we can weed these people out; unforeseen events do occur; we are very concerned with people who have life changing events and find themselves no longer able or willing to care for their dog; we want to be aware of the situation and assist in the finding of a new home; and if need be Julius Kennels will take the dog back as a rescue. We don’t ever want to hear of our Filas finding their way to a Dog Pound.

We have 5 Filas that are close family and live in our home. We have a neutered "Rescue" Male Fila that lives in our home in South America; in addition to another Fila Male in custody with a Fila Lover who makes up the whole of our "Fila Family" both internal and extended. We currently live in South Florida and have recently purchased a Farm in Southern VT near the border with New York State. Our family and the Filas will be spending their summers at the Farm. They will enjoy our private: fresh air, rolling hills, 2 ponds, woods, meadows and rock formations. They will also occasionally, on a selective basis, spend time under the Aspen Trees in Aspen, Colorado so that they can enjoy some "Apres Ski" and dry Rocky Mountain air.

Filas are primitive dogs. They are extremely loyal dogs. They are instinctual dogs. Unique to the breed is their natural "serious" attitude about protecting those whom they love and that which they feel belongs to them. Their unique personality is what makes them special. Without the "unique Fila Temperament;" no matter the confirmation of the dog it should not breed. We believe that most working dog breeds have lost their abilities to work. Many argue, quite logically, that this is due to the fact that their "services" are no longer required in modern society. Today’s working dog at most shows are only the aesthetic remnants of their glorious ancestors. It is our hope to preserve one of the last truly instinctual, natural, old fashioned working dog breeds.

Filas are not appropriate pets/companions for most people. I cannot emphasize this enough. Currently Filas are considered a rare breed and it is our position that they should remain a "rare breed." This is not to say that we would not like a sufficiently large gene pool; but that it is our hope that the breed never becomes as popular or well known as most AKC or FCI working breeds. This could draw undue attention to the breed; creating an incentive for breeders to have more litters (therefore creating more breeders with a financial motivation) and eventually in the effort to make them better suited (more marketable) on a mass scale to litigation prone dense suburban and even urban society, the "taming" of the Fila’s Special Temperament is inevitable. In today’s world, and in certain foreign countries, a dog with the protective temperament of a Fila can be an asset. Nevertheless, today in the United States given the current legislative and political climate many could argue the dog to be a serious liability. Litigation and BSL are elements and issues that can affect Fila owners. Individuals who choose to live and care for these magnificent dogs are taking on a level of responsibility that goes far beyond that required for most other "Working" Guard Dog Breeds. Those considering a Fila most realize it is a lifestyle changing event and something to be considered very carefully.

One last point to make. Filas are like Velcro. We have owned: Rottweilers, German Shepards, St. Bernards, Chow Chows, Cocker Spaniels and Huskys. We have never seen a breed of dog so enamored and obsessed with their human pack (family). They can be very needy dogs, prone to becoming depressed if the human members of the pack do not constantly stimulate and interact with the Fila. They are not dog to be left alone in a yard. They generally will wait by the door for the owners to come home and will hang on your every move. They believe, in their Fila minds, that they are entitled to all of the privileges available to humans. They become very attached and they are not very independent like for example: an Anatolian Shepard.

Julius Kennels and our Filas all have a strong –correct- Fila Temperament. We would counsel those who wish to live with a "macho" looking beast to search elsewhere because a Fila is a dog with a bite to back up the bark -out of the box- without any training. Most people want the "look" and maybe the "bark" but not the bite! Those in this group believe that through incredible socialization and strong training they can have a "friendly" Fila. It is our position that they are potentially "breaking" the dog and suppressing his natural instincts and temperament. The Fila is happy to do his job and those who want a dog to walk off leash with in Central Park, New York City should find another breed. We also are not fond of the idea of a Fila living in a very dense urban environment and especially not in an apartment/condominium building. Those who have managed to rework their lifestyle patterns to protect their neighbors and themselves from an unpleasant accident understand that it is less than optimal and perhaps quite dangerous. We will qualify our dislike for dense urban Fila living with the fact that a Fila is a dog that is happiest at the side of his or her master. If the family and/or individual shower the dog with love; whether the dog lives on 4,000 acres in Montana or 4 acres in Connecticut he/she wont care.

We will finish by explaining how we fell in love with the Fila Brasileiro and an observation about "Fila People."
There is a huge love for the canine in our house.  There has always been the desire to create an "Elite Kennel" and breed some incredibly fine dogs although we were never sure of which breed because we love MANY Dog breeds.  We began to toy with the idea of having a loyal, playful yet vigilant and serious guard dog. The search sent us through the land of Pitbulls, Neapolitan Mastiffs, Tosa, Bandogs, Shepards, Anatolians, Presa Canarios, Dogo’s, Bullmastiff’s and even the beautiful Douge De Bordeaux. After tremendous research we discovered much information that relates to the description of the "Temperament" of the Fila; one being natural and genetic – requiring no training.  We became intrigued. The lore of the tremendous loyalty and docility to the family members (unlike maybe working breeds who constantly challenge their human family for the Alpha position) were attractive traits. The agility, speed and intelligence combined with the powerful size of the animal added the finishing touches. Lastly, my belief that the AKC in the United States has helped take the "work" out of Working Dogs; by focusing almost completely on confirmation – led me to the paranoid belief that "old fashioned" no negotiating guard dogs are fast becoming a thing of the past.

Fila people are like a combination between competitive archeologists and horse breeders. They all believe that they have the best specimen and the only logical answer to the history and mystery behind man and his origins. We, with our Filas, have decided to take a non-combative, somewhat neutral and holistic approach to the many arguments between different groups that are associated with the Fila Brasileiro; like for the example the issue regarding Black Filas. We believe that due to the Filas humble origins on the working ranches in Brazil; we are convinced that the original human companions to the dogs were interested mainly (probably exclusively) in the working ability of the animal, the results it could yield and a manner for which to perpetuate this yield from the animal through breeding. Ultimately the Fila is a product of a tremendous mixture of canine influences and genetics. This complicated and somehow vague origin lends itself beautifully to debate and conflicting opinions. Julius Kennels believes that one should adhere strictly to the accepted Official Breed Standard as accepted by the FCI; notwithstanding we opine by insisting that one remain cognizant of the origins of the dog and it’s ultimate purpose as a working breed. For example; we believe that in the origins of the dog there was tremendous disparity in the size of the dogs in question; like in many other breeds, and that ultimately within every breed there are minimum and maximum sizes that should be allowed that would handicap or assist in specific working endeavors. At Julius Kennels, we would not make the argument that one is superior to the other. Ranchers and other rural people living with Filas before International Televised Dog Shows where truly concerned with things of greater import. The Fila temperament is a testament to a dog who thus far has managed to maintain the integrity of it’s purpose and a fair amount of aesthetic variation. The effort to define the exact origins and to define too narrowly the "aesthetics" of the Fila; instead of insisting on stricter rules and governance as it relates to temperament could lead only to the destruction of the dog as it was known and energies spent perhaps in vain (at this point). There must be balance.