A bloodhound and mastiff mix. Can you imagine? These beautiful mastiff dogs can sniff out something as well as being as gentle as possible. They are originally from Brazil and have the original name of Fila Brasileiro. When they were first around, they were made to watch out for the plantations, then they were later brought to the United States by a group called the Conquistadors.

This loving creatures weigh about 100 pounds or more and they stand about 27-30 inches off the ground. They have the hound dog look in the face with a large flabby neck. They have short hair that is very easy to manage. Their colors vary. You may want one that is reddish tan, how about black or maybe even yellow. Then there is the most popular and that happens to be brindle.

As most of their cousins in the Mastiff family, the Brazilian Mastiff is very loving in nature. They can be aggressive as well. They are gentle with children and very protective of them. Mastiffs are very obedient to their masters and very easy to train as well. The have great pride and courage.

They are often used as hunting dogs, having inherited the good hunting instincts from the bloodhound part of their lineage. They are especially good at locating, then immobilizing prey; the word “Fila” in their name is the Portuguese for “hold”.

More athletic than most mastiffs (another bloodhound trait) and less prone to the obesity which can plague the mastiff breed, they are healthy dogs. They get their protectiveness from the mastiff in their lineage.

More than most other varieties, Brazilian Mastiffs are not at all fond of strangers. The only sure way to get on a Brazilian Mastiffs good side, it seems, is to spend a lot of time with them as puppies if you want them to remember and show that famed protectiveness towards you.

They will attack without permission so it is wise to hide him if strangers plan on staying as guests. Even the best of the best Brazilian mastiffs, the show quality, can become aggressive towards the judges. That is a scary thought. Imagine being attacked as a show dog judge? I think that I would keep the working dog category out of my choice of judging. That is to say the least.

Remember to be careful as you choose your new Brazilian Mastiff puppy. You want to make sure that the breeder is a good and trustworthy one. Some breeders have other agendas when selling their puppies so it is wise to get references first hand.