Looking For Kangal Or Anatolian Shepherds...

[ajoknoblauch]

My husband had two filas that unfortunately passed away a couple years ago.

They are great dogs... super gentle with family, great protectors, and alert watchdogs. However in the case of my husband's filas, and many others I'm sure, they are notorious for not accepting strangers. And by strangers, I mean anyone not in the immediate family. Those dogs knew me for years and I could not be alone with them even after 7 years of living here part time! When my in laws adopted some small stray dogs, they had to be kept separate as well because they refused to accept them.

Perhaps they weren't properly socialized as puppies, but after that I would think twice about a fila. If you want protection they're great - they're scary looking and loyal - but it may mean never being able to leave strangers, friends, extended family etc alone with them.



Very cute baby and puppy pics Citygirl! Looks like life is good in the country.

A friend of mine with a B&B in Puerto Varas has a two-year-old fila who likes me almost too much - the animal's capable of knocking me off-balance with affection. My friend warns his guests with children about unnecessary contact, simply because the dog is so strong.

 

[citygirl]

Crema - the breed standard is not to accept strangers. They are guard dogs (although tied to guarding places, not people).

We trained ours very carefully as we have clients that come in and out. Our filas are aware that if we are there and someone drives in through the front gate (front gate = clients/friends), they are not to do anything. They are suspicious by nature but know that if we're there, everything is okay. They will greet our clients and sit near them but that's it.

Now if you were to try to come in while we weren't here or if someone comes through the back gate unescorted (workers, service providers, ) they can be quite aggressive. No one is getting through them.

The biggest problem with filas is that usually people have them in smaller houses/spaces. They are bred to be roaming guard dogs and if you keep them in a smaller space, they get more aggressive, more protective, more dangerous. And they are dominant dogs so if you don't teach them what the rules are and how to behave and how to differentiate between normal guest behavior and possible suspicious behaviors, you can have lots of problems.

Oh and ajoknoblauch - we don't disagree on leaving them alone. That's a good idea in general with babies and animals.

Sorry for the sidetrack - I love this breed. There are lots of people who have them who shouldn't sadly and some breeders who are breeding bad examples but when bred correctly and raised correctly, they are absolute loves. It is definitely key to get them as puppies though and raise them right, I wouldn't buy an adult fila without knowing the history.

Sounds like the OP has the space and if she is looking for a guard dog, they're a great option. Now if she wants a herding dog, they're out. There are some fantastic german shepherds being bred here. My cousin has some that are fantastic working dogs on his farm.