By Jaime Pérez Marhuenda
© author. All rights reserved
The present situation of this breed in Brazil goes marked by all the events that have taken place among all the more influenced breeders associations. First, let’s go to establish the "Who is who’ in the Brazilian Cinologic World.
In Brazil, there are three national associations that have more or less influence on the breed Fila Brasileiro: The Confederaçao Brazil Kennel Club (CBKC), the Asociaçao Cinofila Brasileira (ACB), and the Clube do Aprimoramento do Fila Brasileiro (CAFIB).
WHO IS WHO?
Until seventies, the Brazil Kennel Club (BKC) was the only Club in Brazil, what became the main national cynologic organisation. In the years 1978-79, a group of executives from the BKC formed the CBKC, inhering from the BKC all the rights with regard to the ‘Book of Origin’ and its filiation to FCI. Leaving the BKC without responsibilities, why this change? It is difficult to understand, because CBKC and BKC had the same responsibilities and, moreover, they had the same board of directors. The fact is that this is what happened, and the CBKC was the cynologic Club placed in Rio de Janeiro. Those who have dogs from Brazil can observe that there are some pedigrees that have been registered by the BKC, and, from one data on, it turns up others, like CBKC’s. FCI recognises both ones and the others, but this split provokes the beginning of hostilities among the members of these groups.
As the time goes, the number of dissatisfied people with the steps carried out by the CBKC was growing up. And this situation ended with the establishment of the ACB, which nowadays includes a great part of Brazilian breeders and lovers of all dog breeds. The members of the ACB can participate in CBKC dog shows, obviously in an attempt of the latter not to stay without ‘clients’. Because what is the meaning of a cynologic organisation with no members, however recognised it may be by the FCI?
In relation to the Fila Brasileiro, to the last seventies it appeared the Clube de Aprimoramento do Fila Brasileiro (CAFIB), because of the crossbreeding problems that have arised. CAFIB was some months before a Committee formed by expert dog fanciers, created by CBKC with the same task. What happen was that this committee did not direct its effort in favour of the Fila so strict as it had to be. This produced the constitution of one new club formed by those who were not in agreement with the official attitude. Then the CBKC obliged them to determine to which club they wanted to belong to: to CAFIB (as independent club) or to CBKC. Time has shown that all those who had a real interest in the Fila Brasileiro going on belonging to CAFIB, giving some of them up their condition of judges (even ‘all rounder’) and working against crossbreeding.
Meanwhile, the work of the CBKC felt in deadlock: what some moths ago have been considered as important as to form a committee, suddenly, it left to be of great interest. In proof of it only saying that, till the constitution of CAFIB, CBKC has not promote any other movement in favour of the Fila Brasileiro. Something different is that some CBKC breeders repudiated crossbreeding as equal or even more as CAFIB did, doing a selective hard work; although they were isolated actions, plenty of good intention but ineffective to give a global solution.
Only some months ago, whoever wanted to have a Fila in Brazil (or import it from there) had to choose among one of these national organisations.
If you choose a Fila from CBKC, you will be sure your puppy will have a FCI recognised pedigree, but ¡perhaps you have not buy a Fila! You only have a piece of paper on where it is saying that it is so, although the morphology of your dog shows not.
If you choose a Fila from ACB, you will find yourself in a ‘no-man’s land’: your dog does not belong either to ‘official branch’ or an specialised club.
If you choose a Fila from CAFIB, you will be sure you have bought a dog that has passed strict quality controls, but you will not be able to show it outside this Club, because CAFIB pedigrees are not recognised in FCI shows. As result: an excellent and meticulous task of selection that remain in the most absolute ostracism, meanwhile crossbred dogs go on winning CAC’s, CACIB’s, Best of World, etc.
Fortunately, things soften. What was a pitched battle to establish their own points of view, it is becoming in a confluence of opinions and recognition of a good-made work, whoever does.
Wherever sides, nobody doubts that Fila Brasileiro has suffered crossbreeding, mainly with German Dogue, Mastiff and Bullmastiff. Suffice it to say that in a letter, dated in Agost 1983 and signed by the Mr. Eugenio Enrique Pereiro de Lucena, President of CBKC at that moment, he recognised the existence of croosbreeding in Filas.
In the other side, they have to be called ‘stunted breeders’ those who persist on ignoring the work that CAFIB has made along all these years. Once old bitterness has being calmed down, it only stays facts that show their good approaches on breeding and recuperation. If you see what kind of dogs have been use for breeding by CAFIB, you realise that faults like marked stops, v-lips, short muzzles, long-legged dogs and, over all, apathetic, hyper-nervous or non-aggressive-with strangers dogs have disappeared.
To this, I have to be more precise saying that CAFIB does not give a cent-per-cent guarantee. Neither CAFIB nor anybody; because we are talking about living beings, evolving constantly. And we could handle it, but not dominate it. So, to bet on CAFIB does not mean "to lay on the winner horse", but "to lay on the one that used to run fastest".
APPROACH OF POSITIONS
On the 13rd of July 1995, the ‘Jornal dos Sports’ newspaper published a report signed by Mr. Paulo Roberto Godinhos and titled ‘CAFIB, SHOW YOUR FACE’. In a few words it said that, if "Cafibian" Filas had a good reputation around the world and their dogs were winnings in shows that were taking place in Spain, USA, Argentine, etc., they could not be keeping out to the Brazilian cynophile. So, they would be allowed to participate in Dog Shows organised by other institutions to make people compare the aptitudes of their dogs by vieing with other Filas.
Mrs. Eva Rimes, President of the BKC, who invited CAFIB to participate in a Show the 9th of September in Rio de Janeiro, took the baton: 25 cafibian dogs and 3 ACB’s went there. The Best Absolute Male was a dog from Chachoeira Kennel (ACB-CBKC), and Best Absolute Female and Best of Breed was one from Boa Sorte Kennel (CAFIB). As you see, the Dog Show finished with a diplomatic result, giving out the prizes between both sides. I believe that these concessions are even necessary if you want to reconcile extremely antagonistic approaches that, actually, only obstruct the international spreading of the breed.
This Show in Rio de Janeiro in not an isolated event. It celebrated as result of an agreement between the CAFIB and the ACB on Agost, the 10th 1995, in which it was concreted what follows:
It will be recognised in Dog Shows:
By CAFIB:
All pedigrees from the ACB, once the puppy has been judged according to the test of phenotype and temperament made by CAFIB.
All ACB judges of Fila Brasileiro to judge in CAFIB Shows according to the cafibian standard.
By ACB:
All pedigrees from CAFIB in agreement to the test of phenotype and temperament made by ACB.
All CAFIB judges in ACB shows to judge according to the standard of the ACB.
It will be recognised for genealogical register:
By CAFIB:
All origin certificates from ACB once the dogs have been approved according to the cafibian test of phenotype and temperament and others rules.
By ACB:
All cafibian origin certificates from three complete generations of dogs before on.
One thing more, in November it was celebrated a CAFIB-ACB Dog Show in which prevailed the standard of judgement of CAFIB (rules, judges, etc.) This is a decision that honours the ACB: they knew how to advance and, for that, they didn’t have any doubt in promoting what they thought it was the best for the improvement of the Fila Brasileiro. There were good intentions with palpable results and that was followed by a great number of breeders.
What is the CBKC waiting for? What reasons do not allow them being more open-minded? It might be is there someone who thinks that reasons argued seventeen years before for breaking the relations with CAFIB are still valid nowadays? Perhaps that ‘someone’ denies realising what facts in support have the others...
Could it be somebody in the CBKC that has asked himself why specialised Brazilian judges are not invited in our Dog Shows? The typical excuse is that travelling expenses are too high because of the distance. Don’t be wrong, the main reason is that in Brazil there are FCI judges that know the Fila, but they probably will be as many at last who do not be able to distinguish a pure and a crossbred dog. Or even worst, who think that the crossbred is the good one.
This question appears in each European Fila lover that has trying to analyse the difficult relation among the different Brazilian institutions. Seeing this situation from Europe, the distance gives us the necessary objectivity to avoid that "One can not see the wood for the trees". In the beginning of 80’s, German cinophyle declared publicly its own disagreement with the ‘status quo’ that the breed had in Brazil, opening his own initial register without beating about the bush to promote the importation of pure Filas, and showing its unconditional backing to CAFIB, even in the question of ‘black’ Filas about which the German Club für Molosser asked to the CBKC being eliminated to the standard.
Seeing the importations made in the rest of Europe, chiefly from the CBKC, we can observe that they have been very few, and, from among them, very few dogs have contributed to the improvement of the breed, and very many to its damage. To the last 93’s, it came just at the moment in which you could see a correct phenotypic dog but lacking in temperament. Try to separate phenotype and temperament in the Fila Brasileiro is like having a cat without nails. On the way, many breeders have lost not only their time but also their interest in this breed.
CONCLUSION: The Fila Brasileiro of the CBKC is not reliable, except for rare occasions. It is a real fact. Any breeder from this side of the world that intents to import dogs from there thinks twice. Someone there in Brazil will have to pay attention and think that this situation provokes a great confusion abroad and that, in view of the Brazilian passivity, we have had to look for more or less correct solutions (or "patches") which are of a lesser effectiveness than if should be taken by them.
The genetic base of the breed is in Brazil, it owns Brazilians, and they are who must solve all these problems, showing a compact and solid image abroad. All the while, I hope the CBKC members forgive me for going on giving my unconditional support to CAFIB, due to their reliable and hard work in favour of the Fila Brasileiro.
CROSSBREEDING NOWADAYS
At this point, in Brazil it seems that nobody thinks on "blood shocks". ¡That’s a relief! The "rescuers" of the Fila Brasileiro have to be tired for their effort in the70-80’s and they would have had a rest. And also does the Fila, or in other words, ¡he tries to recover!
The work developed by CAFIB, and by a group of CBKC breeders that have made a hard task of selection, has as result an important answer against crossbreeding. However, there are nowadays some kennels that breed with dogs coming from a line of crossbreds, logically giving more crossbreds that are sold as pure Filas, with their own CBKC pedigrees. And this is only the beginning: the crossbred dogs are sold to people to whom the dog stops being "a" Fila to turn into "his" Fila. And, from here on, the animal becomes untouchable when feelings come into play. Who can persuade to that new owner that his dog is not a real Fila Brasileiro when he has paid a great amount of money for him and, also, he has a pedigree to guarantee it? As some time ago, a good Brazilian friend of mine said: "The worst enemy of the pure Fila is the crossbred Fila, that deceived breeders have in their homes, breeding them with love as if they were one of the family..."
And here is where the CBKC might act or, if their condition as all FCI recognised breeds generalist institution could make them to loose effectiveness, they might recognise the work that those outstanding groups have developed and delegate to them. And ever more. If, as result of all this, they have to make all dogs pass a test of phenotype and temperament, only giving inscriptions to those dogs which really deserves it, ¡go on!
I want to clarify that this plea is not new. Many people and institutions did it before; I simply subscribe to it.
THE FILA FROM RIO V. THE FILA FROM SAO PAULO
One idea that has been passing down for many years outside Brazil is that the Fila Brasileiro from Rio de Janeiro was quite different than Sao Paulo’s. Saying like this, it seems that this opinion only gets the Fila followers confused: there are not only different attitudes among associations, ¡you have also to take into account the geographic situation of the kennel to which you are going to buy the dog!
Certainly, it is true; or such it was.
Crossbreeding started in Sao Paulo, although it developed in Rio de Janeiro. Crossbred dogs were in fashion, what became the Fila as the breed with the greatest number of inscriptions in the BKC/CBKC. This situation did not stopped even though the breeding was made using pure dogs; and the reason was that pure Fil0as did not exist in Rio due to its condition as area basically urban. Those dogs were not different to others simply they did not be Filas.
When CAFIB celebrated its fist analysis in Rio in 1980, the disaster took place. The majority of dogs were rejected, which produced to people making aware of the problem, specially Antonio Alves Freire, Vicencio Lomba Lima and Dativo José Francisco, who went to Varginha (Minas Gerais) to take pure Filas from the kennel of José Gomes (one of the Fila Brasileiro’s historic breeder). To these, Augusto y Matilia Canizza were followed, incorporating dogs from the Ibituruna kennel, also in Minas Gerais.
Actually, the Fila from Rio de Janeiro is not in its best moment. The fact of being a big slope urban area, without the living space to breed these animals, makes breeding not as free as in areas like Sao Paulo or Minas Gerais.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
The real thing is that the scene planned like that appears pathetic: faced organisations, crossbred dogs with FCI pedigrees, pure Filas with pedigrees not recognised by the FCI, etc. The reality is not so bad; you only have to take the right road.
Making use of the Brazilian chaos, some European breeders persist in telling all and sundry about the closing of our bloodlines, ignoring what is happen outside. These are observations with the aim of masking their own interests.
On the other side, some Brazilian breeders send litters of crossbred dogs with FCI pedigrees, taking advantage for the exporting of dogs.
It is as well to keep away from XXX.
Some time ago, the Spanish Molloser Club (Club Español de los Molosos de Arena – CEMa) took the necessary steps with the Spanish Kennel Club (Real Sociedad Central para el Fomento de las Razas Caninas en España – R.S.C.F.R.C.E.) to make possible the incorporation of pure Filas to our bloodlines. Let us hope that they should finish early, and favourably.
To conclude, it only remains to add that, actually, in Brazil some XXX have arisen, which will contribute auspiciously to the expansion of the pure Fila.
It can not forgot that we are in Spain some breeders who have pushed our luck importing pure Filas, more or less qualified but Fila Brasileiro at last, which surely will contribute to the good development of the breed in our days.
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