The Terceira Mastiff (

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

: Cão de Fila da Terceira) is an extinct Portuguese dog

landrace A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation ...

, also known as the Rabo Torto (''rabo''=tail, ''torto''=curled/twisted).Krämer, E.-M. (2009). ''Der grosse Kosmos Hundeführer'', 229. Kosmos: Stuttgart.

History

The Terceira Mastiff came from the island of

Terceira Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 53,311 inhabitants in an area of approximately . It is the location ...

, located in the

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

, which is the only island where this dog has ever existed and where it was employed as a house guardian. It descended from the

Rafeiro do Alentejo The is a Portuguese breed of livestock guardian dog. It is named for its area of origin, the Alentejo region of southern Portugal. It is recognised by the Clube Português de Canicultura, and was definitively accepted by the Fédération Cynolo ...

. In the 1960s, there was an attempt to revive the breed with the aid of the Portuguese government. However, there was disagreement between government officials and breeders, which led to the project's failure. After this, the future of the Terceira Mastiff depended solely on local farmers and breed fanciers. By the 1970s, it was already declared extinct. It is an ancestor to both the Cão Fila de São Miguel and the

Fila Brasileiro The Fila Brasileiro () is a Brazilian breed of large working dog of mastiff type. It is used as a guard dog, for cattle herding and for big-game hunting; it may also be kept as a companion dog or pet. In the eighteenth century, when slavery was ...

. This breed is different from the Barbado da Terceira.

Appearance

The Terceira Mastiff is a medium-sized

molosser The Molossus ( el, Μολοσσός, Molossós; also known as the Molossian hound, Epirus mastiff) was a breed of dog from Ancient Greece. History The Molossus were dogs that were kept by the ancient Greek tribe and kingdom of the Molossians, ...

that represents the ''Fila'' or Dogo type and resembles the Cão Fila de São Miguel. One of its most remarkable features is an innately short, corkscrew-like tail. Its nose can be either black, brown, or even pink. The colour of the short, smooth coat can be either fawn or yellow, always with a light mask. Red, black and brindle individuals are usually considered to be impure. The height is approximately .

References

{{Extinct breeds of dog Catch dogs Dog breeds originating in Portugal Dog landraces Mastiffs Extinct dog breeds