Is the Fila de São Miguel really a healthy breed?
I decided to write this article in english language, to be able to reach more people in the dog and Fila São Miguel community. It is my sincere wish to avert genetic (health) damages in this breed, and prevent it to go down the tube like so many other dog breeds did in the last years. Although the Fila São Miguel is not affected by breeding on exaggeration like super short muzzles, extremely long fur or massive skin wrinkling, you can already see a major changement in it’s appearance since the breed standard was developped in the 1980s and early 1990s. Thanks to the work of some breeders and the internet, the Fila gained more international popularity in the last years and it becomes easier to import a dog than before. If you are new to the breed, you are looking for a reputable breeder to buy from. Usually this is someone who’s kennel name is cited in catalogues of dog shows and repeats itself in the pedigrees of the offspring around Europe and maybe in the world. So …