The presa canario, also known as the dogo canario, is the national symbol of the island of Gran Canaria (Spain) and one of the oldest dogs in the country. Its powerful physical characteristics and its noble and faithful character stand out. If you are thinking of adopting a puppy or an adult dog of this breed, do not hesitate and continue reading this complete sheet of our site where we will properly inform you about care, training and the different he alth problems that can affect the breed:
Origin of the Presa Canario
As its name suggests, this molosser comes from the Canary Archipelago, mainly from the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Spain). In fact, a law of the Government of the Canary Islands names the Dogo Canario as one of the symbols of the island of Gran Canaria.
These dogs descend from the ancient "majorero" dogs, which existed in the archipelago since pre-Hispanic times, before the 14th century. At that time, the large dogs of the islands were used by the indigenous people as guardians, protectors and also as cattle dogs. Later, with the arrival of Europeans to the islands and particularly with their subsequent conquest by the Crown of Castile, Majoreros began to be used as auxiliary dogs for butchers. Experiments are also beginning with crossbreeding with other dogs that have arrived from the continent.
However, the modern race was defined in the 18th century, when there was a strong English migration to the islands. The English brought to the archipelago dogs of the bulldog and bull terrier type that they used in the cruel dog fights, so popular at the time. Logically, the local molossers were also used for this horrendous hobby, as well as crosses between majoreros and bull-type dogs.
Thus, the current Canary Dogo has mainly blood from the local Majoreros of the islands, but also has blood from English molossoid dogs. Currently, the Presa Canario, as this bulldog is also known, is a very popular dog almost all over the world. As with other breeds, the Presa Canario is considered a potentially dangerous dog in Spain and other countries.
Characteristics of the Presa Canario
The Dogo Canario is a medium-large Molossian dog. Its appearance is imposing and although its height at the withers is similar to that of the German shepherd dog, it is much more robust and muscular. The measurements of the Presa Canario are:
- Machos: height between 60 and 66 cm at the withers and weight between 50 and 65 kg.
- Females: height between 56 and 62 cm at the withers and weight between 40 and 55 kg.
The head of this bulldog is solid, compact and has thick, loose skin. The nose is black and the naso-frontal depression (stop) is pronounced. The muzzle is shorter than the skull, wide and powerful. The eyes are medium to large, slightly oval and brown in color. The ears are medium and fall on both sides of the head. The current standard does not require them to be amputated, but unfortunately we can still see many of these dogs with their ears cropped.
The body is longer than it is tall (rectangular profile). The topline is straight and rises slightly from the withers to the croup. The chest is deep and wide, while the flanks are slightly tucked up. The tail is thick at the base, set in the middle and should not exceed the hock.
The coat of this bulldog is short, smooth and rough. According to the breed standard approved by the International Cynological Federation (FCI), the hair must be some shade of tabby and always with a black mask There may also be some white markings on chest, throat, front feet, and rear toes, but these markings should be minimal. Standards recognized by other organizations also allow the color solid black
Character of the Presa Canario
The Dogo Canario stands out for being a calm dog and with a calm temperament. He is usually very attentive and especially sure of himself. His past as a guard dog predisposes him to have a shy and reserved attitude with strangers, but very noble and serene with his close relatives. He is without a doubt one of the most loyal dogs out there. In addition, the Presa Canario is a very obedient dog, with whom we can work wonderfully on obedience and other activities that include mental stimulation, such as canine skills and different obedience exercises.
Presa Canario Care
The Presa Canario is a dog that is easy to care for. A weekly brushing will suffice to remove the remains of dead hair or dirt, for this, we will use a soft comb with short bristles, since their fur does not have a double layer and the use of metal brushes could irritate or damage your dermis. On the other hand, the bath should be offered every 6 or 8 weeks, although it is advisable to wait until it is really dirty so as not to remove the natural protective layer of your skin.
The Dogo Canario needs at least between 2 and 3 moderately long daily walks (between 30 and 40 minutes) to exercise your muscles and stay active. In addition, it is essential to dedicate part of the walk to physical exercise, an activity that will free you from stress and tension that may accumulate.
Education of the Presa Canario
The Dogo Canario is not the most suitable breed for novice and inexperienced owners as it needs a responsible and experienced person by its side who can guide it in education and socialization correctly. A dog with these characteristics must be properly trained to avoid unwanted behavior or behavioral problems.
The socialization of the puppy is probably one of the most important factors to take into account when training a Mastiff, since it will be essential that it be capable of socialize with other people, dogs or various pets. We must introduce him, from 3 months of life, to all kinds of people and animals, in this way, when he reaches his adult stage, he will not react reactively. If we avoid socializing our dog to improve his "guard instinct" we may face a serious problem in the future when we are not able to invite people to our house or have to consider our own dog as "dangerous".
Another fundamental aspect of their education is basic obedience, essential for their safety, that of other people and animals and for our peace of mind. For a better response and communication with our Dogo Canario, it may be interesting to visit a professional canine trainer who helps us work with him and tells us the exercises that we must practice regularly. regularly to secure orders.
Remember that when they are properly socialized, Mastiffs are excellent companions, but even so they tend to be reserved with strangers and great protectors, you must Always be presentin your social relationships with people who don't know you. In addition, it can be somewhat clumsy during games with children due to its strength. Training is not difficult with this breed, but you have to take into account its independent temperament and work with positive training , which works very well as long as the trainer be consistent and firm.
Finally, remember that if you want to educate a Presa Canario in protection, defense or guarding, it is essential to go to a professional, we should never try to instruct our dogs in these types of activities that can be dangerous for us and our environment as well as for our best friend's own mental he alth.
Presa Canario He alth
The care we can offer our dog will help us maintain good he alth, however, as with other large dogs, the Presa Canario dog is susceptible to sufferingthe following diseases :
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Epilepsy
- Gastric torsion
In addition to strictly following the dog's vaccination schedule as well as its deworming (internal and external), it will be essential to go to the specialist every 6-12 months to ensure its good he alth and detect it in time any disease. Remember that degenerative diseases, such as elbow or hip dysplasia, can be less serious if detected quickly. If you follow our advice you will enjoy a he althy and happy dog for a long time, remember that its life expectancy is between 9 and 11 years
