Terceira Mastiff

The Cão de Fila da Terceira — the Terceira Mastiff or Rabo Torto — was the cattle dog of Terceira in the Azores, and is effectively extinct.

History

It worked cattle on Terceira, holding and driving animals on the island's farms, and its local name Rabo Torto, "twisted tail", described a characteristic kink. The last dogs of the type are reported from the mid-twentieth century, and Portuguese breeders have since attempted reconstructions from related Azorean and mainland stock — which is not the same thing as the breed surviving. What is described here is largely historical, which is why the panel is thin.

Temperament

Accounts describe a hard, determined cattle dog, strongly territorial and closely bonded to its handler.

Care and training

Nothing here is husbandry advice for a living population. The Azorean cattle dog that does survive, the Cão de Fila de São Miguel, has a page of its own.

Health

Not documented: there is no population to describe. These are historical notes rather than a forecast for any dog; the measured facts are in the panel.