The song [1] says: “They’ve got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil.” Yes they do, but they also have an awful lot of dogs!

 

We found these eight standards-based breeds in Brazil:

a) Fila Brasileiro – The Brazilian Mastiff is the national dog of Brazil.
b) Terrier Brasileiro – The Brazilian Terrier is the only Brasileiro with AKC FSS® status.
c) The six other Brazilian dog breeds are: Campeiro Bulldog, Dogue Brasileiro, Gaucho Sheepdog, Pampas Deerhound,

          Rastreador Brasileiro, and Serrano Bulldog.

 

The Vira-lata Caramelo is a breed apart! We nicknamed her Vera for our story.

 

Her full Portuguese [2] name translates to: Caramel Trashcan-Tipper. Trashcan-Tipper may not yet be the best name or description for a conformation breed such as those you see at our Westbury shows, but as Willy once said: “What's in a name? [3] That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.”

 

Vera may not come up smelling like a rose but she is enjoying more attention and publicity than all the other Brazilian breeds! Netflix is making a feature film about her and her street-mates. Street-mates? Yes, she is a street breed. Vera and her street-mates have common, identifiable, and genetically reproducible traits, have a niche into which they fit, and are reasonably well connected to people. They serve as companion animals to those people who acquire them and with whom they bond. Are these traits, and others, not the core of a Breed Standard? Vera and her street-mates are also intelligent survivors. How different is Vera from your dog, or the Webmaster's dogs?

​

“The Caramelo ended up becoming the great symbol of Brazil, a symbol for the people,” Diego Freitas, the [Netflix] film’s director and co-writer, said. “The Caramelo is the spirit of our time. Today, many see Brazil’s diverse roots – immigrants, enslaved Africans and Indigenous people –

as a source of pride.”

 

“It’s a story that I hope is worthy of the dogs, because they are incredible,” Freitas said, with his own Caramelo – the film’s inspiration – at his feet. “They change our lives.”

AP Wire Service

​

Interesting Fact: The “Frenchie” which is now America’s most popular dog according to AKC, was once a combination of ingredients too! With the English lace trade moving to France [4] in the mid-1800s, the local Toy Bulldogs went along. “Over a span of decades, the Toy Bulldogs were crossed with other breeds, perhaps Terriers and Pugs…. They were given the name Bouledogue Français.” Voilà! The elite French Bulldog!

 

Will Vera and her street-mates be a rags-to-riches breed? Will they stay as a street breed or become an elite breed? Vera and her pals seem to have a good chance at fame, if not one of Westbury’s terrific trophies!

L & TS 2024

Editors Note: as of May 2025 there is no release date for the film.

​

[1] Frank Sinatra first recorded The Coffee Song in 1946. We know his jazzier 1961 version, much better.

[2] Portuguese is the predominant language in Brazil.

[3] Juliet, as she laments the name of her beloved in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

[4] The English lace trade, the development of the Toy Bulldog, and the impact of the First Industrial Revolution on the English lace-makers and their migration to France, are all far beyond the scope of this story.