The Fila Brasileiro is a very large dog, which leads some to believe that it is best kept outdoors. The Fila Brasileiro is happy to live outdoors but it can also be brought up to spend time indoors too. This type of socialization and respect for your property should be done when the dog is still a puppy. Once the dog is older, if it has not learned how to behave indoors, it can become destructive without meaning to be. Thus, the rules of the house have to be imposed early along with a good dose of obedience training.

If you do get a Fila Brasileiro and choose to have it in your home, this can make the dog very content. It loves spending time in the company of its owner and the remaining members of the family. It can even tolerate little children and pets that are a part of your immediate household. However, this care and faithfulness to the home members of its "flock" doesn't extend to visitors. Just because a Fila Brasileiro can be inside the home and behave well with the family members does not mean it will readily accept guests in the home. So be careful as to when you choose to allow the dog in your home to keep your guests safe if they are visiting.

When the dog is young it will exhibit the random behavior of puppies, from chewing to accidents. You will need to understand the proper reinforcement responses to get the message across that the dog should not chew on your furniture or mess on your carpets. If you are not aware of how to properly house-train a puppy, be sure to get help with licensed trainers or read up on your particular breed. You have to instill respect for your home when the puppy is young, before it grows up and completely ignores you.

There are various ways to house-train a dog. You can put it in a crate to get it to understand that the house is not a place to urinate or defecate. Every time it makes a mistake, remove it from the household and crate it. This is the way many dogs are trained. Your dog should begin to understand that the rights to be in the house are dependent on its good behavior. Limit the freedom it has to explore areas while it is young that might cause it harm or be too destructive on your own peace of mind. While the dog is young, this can be done with privacy/security fences, just realize once it grows up it will easily jump these barriers or bowl right through them. That's why it's important to train the dog to respect your household when it is young as this is the easiest time to make a lasting impression.