presa canario's

The Presa/dogo is a dominant dog by nature requiring early socialization and obedience training. As with any young animal or child, they must be taught the boundries of expected behavior. It is vital you allow all children to handle, feed and play with the Presa/Dogo pup if the correct bonding is to take place. Of course, any action of this type should always be done with adult supervision. Be sure to invite your child’s friends and neighborhood playmates to come and play with your new pup. When properly socialized as puppies, these loving companion/guardians quickly learn to love people posing no threat to them, their charges or domain. Understandably, you must recognize your small Presa/Dogo pup will quickly evolve into a large muscular dog with an extremely powerful tail that has been known to sweep young children aside when in a happy mode.

Do They Get On With Other Pets?

This depends largely on the animals involved. The Presa/Dogo Canario is strong character and dominant animal. Most of them do not get along well with another of the same sex and same dominant personality. Males and females generally do fine together. They may have minor scuffles from time to time, as all dogs will, but as a general rule do not fight.

The breed also generally gets along well with less dominant dogs. Many Presa/Dogo Canarios peacefully exist in households with smaller dogs or other non dominate breeds, even of the same sex.

The Presa/Dogo should not show aggression towards a puppy. This is a dog that lacks confidence, in that he sees a puppy as a threat. This in neither typical or desirable behavior of the breed. As the Presa/Dogo is a confident dog, he can often be seen taking "abuse" from a younger animal. Many people would lead you to believe this older animal is "soft" or "cowardly", but in truth, he is displaying his self security and in the process in boosting the confidence of that younger animal. A parental correction from an adult to a pup should not be viewed as aggressive behavior.

Too many people believe that the Presa/Dogo is an aggressive animal that cannot get along with any other dogs. This is just not true. They can and do live with other dogs, even other Presa/Dogo's peacefully.

You must always use caution and common sense when introducing a Presa/Dogo Canario into a household with other animals. Dogs of opposite sex are the best choice to get along. Adults of the same sex will sometimes result in problems, especially between two dominant males. This depends greatly on the individual dog's personality and the amount of time the owner spends working with him. Training and socialization are the key factors. No breeder can answer this with absolute certainty. Use caution when dealing with a breeder who will tell you that a Presa/Dogo Canario will never fight. And in the same regard tells you they always will fight.

Many Presa/Dogo's also live peacefully in the same household with cats and other small animals. As well as those that live daily with horses and other farm animals. This also, of course, requires the same training and socializing to them as with dog to dog introduction.

Do They Make Good Guardians?

The Presa/Dogo Canario makes an exceptional home guardian breed. They are naturally territorial, watchful of strangers, close bonding with their families and confident in themselves.

A "watchdog" or "guardian" dog is very different from having "personal protection". This is a dog that is highly trained in protection of his owner(s). While most Presa/Dogo Canario's can successfully become personal protection dogs, they are not all born equally. If this is what you are expecting of your dog, then we highly suggest consulting a professional trainer in your area.

What is their temperament like?

The Presa/Dogo Canario is a dog of powerful appearance with a severe expression. His look should denote strength and courage. The dog is a noble breed of great confidence and self security. The dog is never excessively aggressive. An overly aggressive animal is not one of "strong temperament" but one that is unbalanced and insecure. This is neither typical or desirable in the breed.

The breed is gentle and affectionate with his family, including children. He should always be tolerant and gentle with them. A dog that shows aggression towards children is a dog of insecurity and unstable character and will need evaluating.

The Spanish standard states "desconfiado" which literally translates to "distrustful, wary or suspicious". It has been translated by some as "unfriendly", but mistakenly interpreted as "aggressiveness". The best English description of this temperament is aloof or reserved. Aloof is also often mistaken for unfriendliness or aggressiveness. Aloofness in an animal is best described as indifference. The dog acknowledges your presence, but neither reacts positively or negatively towards you. This is the correct description of the Presa/Dogo Canario. Upon meeting a stranger, the dog should be watchful and "suspicious", ever keeping his eye out for trouble, but should not react with aggression to a situation not warranted. The dog should accept friendly strangers and even petting from them, but typically show no real enthusiasm for it, never backing away fearfully or reacting aggressively to a friendly person.

As with any breed, those interested in purchasing a Presa/Dogo Canario should carefully research breeders and a dog's ancestry to ensure that the breeding lines are healthy. Typically speaking, the higher the degree of consanguinity, the higher the likelihood of genetic defects. Due to the breed's vast gene pool, many of the genetic problems that affect other purebreeds are less evident. However, as the breed becomes more tightly interbred and bloodlines developed the incidence of genetic problems may increase.

As a large breed, the Presa/Dogo Canario can be susceptible to hip dysplasia. Other possible (but generally uncommon) health problems include epilepsy, osteochondrodysplasias, demodectic mange and cryptorchidism. A health issue unique to Spain is canine visceral leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is a blood parasite that has a long incubation period (of several years) and most often leads to death.

The average lifespan for the Presa/Dogo Canario is 8-12 years.

Is The Presa/Dogo Canario A Fighting Breed?

NO!!! The Presa/Dogo Canario is not a fighting breed. It is a breed that can fight, but dog fighting was not the purpose behind this breed. There is a brief point in their history, which has been glorified by some, that the dog was involved in this activity, as most molosser dogs were. The Presa/Dogo Canario was developed by Canarian farmers to be a farm dog and guardian. He was occasionally used for fights that were for entertainment at local fiestas. But the original breeding and selection of these dogs purely for fighting is untrue.

Banned Breed - Cropped Ears

The breed Perro de Presa Canario, sometimes known as Dogo Canario, depending on what part of the world your in are not a banned breed within the UK, they are not one of the four dogs listed in the DDA.

It is perfectly legal to bring this breed into the UK, BUT make sure you have all the right paperwork, VERY IMPORTANT.

This breeds ears are cropped only if they are imports. NO dog within UK that is not imported or has a good medical reason should have cropped ears. It is illegal within the UK to crop a dogs ears with serious legal penalties if caught.

The one variation to this rule is if someone has sent a UK born dog out of the UK to be cropped and the dog has been sent back at great expense and after first completing the usual quarantine period.

When walking your cropped dog in the UK you can be stopped/asked by Police/RSPCA to provide proof of importation paperwork, if this paperwork is not available then the chances of your dog being seized are very high.

Some Questions To Ask When Purchasing your Presa Puppy

There are several factors to consider before attempting to purchase, a Presa Canario. First ask yourself - Have you ever owned a large, powerful dog? Are you prepared to devote the time and energy to develop this loyal guardian as your lifetime companion? If your answers were positive then move forward to "Research & Reputation" of Presa Canario breeders. Most successful breeders can be identified through their kennel listings in major dog magazines, through internet links or personal websites, and through their affiliation/membership with American Presa Canario registries and/or clubs. You might be considering a breeder because of geographic location or you like the look of his dogs, whatever the case may be, there are questions to consider asking before making your final decision to purchase.

Q. How long have they been breeding Presa Canario?
Q. How many dogs do they own or have they owned?
Q. How many litters/puppies have they produced?
Q. Do they provide a written health guarantee, for how long? What are the particulars of the contract?
Q. Have they ever had to honor their guarantee? How many times? What were the reasons?
Q. Can you visit their kennel? Is it clean? What is the condition of their dogs? Are they approachable? Do they appear stable and confident?
Q. What documents are provided with the puppy purchase? A written sale contract? A health certificate from a licensed veterinarian indicating overall health and what vaccinations were given? Identification/registry papers offered with the pup: (UPPCC, UKC or AKC/FSS, etc.)? Is there support information provided, such as puppy care, feeding, training, ear cropping, etc.?
Q. Can the breeder make available a certified 3-generation pedigree of his dogs?
Q. Are his stud dog(s) DNA on file? if the answer is yes, with what organization?
Q. Is the breeder easily accessible after the initial sale?

The number of positive responses should clearly indicate your selection of a reputable breeder and offer your best chance for a quality Presa Canario puppy.

The bottom line is do all you can to make sure the breeder you pick is not a Puppy Miller, this can be hard, but achievable.

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