Perro de Presa Canario
The Perro de Presa Canario, also known as the Canary Mastiff, is a rare large Molosser-type dog breed originally bred for working livestock. The name of the breed is Spanish, means "Canarian catch dog", and is often shortened to "Presa Canario" or simply "Presa". The breed is sometimes also called Dogo Canario, meaning "Canarian Molosser". It is the animal symbol of the island of Gran Canaria.
Appearance
The Perro de Presa Canario or "Canary Dog" is a large-size dog with a thick and muscular body. The head is broad, massive, square, and powerful brachycephalic shape. Proper head and good expression are part of the breed standard, and are manifest in the best breed specimens. The ears are normally cropped, both to create a more formidable expression and to prevent damage while working with cattle. If cropped, the ears stand erect. In countries where ear-cropping is banned, the ears are close fitting to the head; they hang down and should be pendant or "rose" shaped. The upper lip is pendulous, although not excessively. Seen from the front, the upper and lower lips come together to form an inverted V. The flews are slightly divergent. The inside of the lips is a dark colour.Males have a standard desirable height range of at the withers, with a minimum weight at maturity of and a maximum weight of. Females have a standard desirable height between at the withers, with a minimum weight at maturity of and a maximum weight of.
The breed is also characterized by a sloping topline. Another characteristic of the breed is the shape of the paws and the catlike movement of the animal. The body is mesomorphic, that is, slightly longer than the dog is tall, contributing to the feline movement.
History
The historian Agustín Millares Torres, in his "General History of the Canary Islands", said that the derivation of large dogs in these islands were . According to his research, these dogs took part in the myths, funeral customs and even gastronomy of the natives of the islands. Demons appeared to these people as big fleecy dogs, known as "Tibicenas" in Gran Canaria and "Irnene" on the island of La Palma. In the funerary cults, the dogs appear mummified beside their owners. The dogs were also consumed in small amounts, as has been proven in archaeological discoveries.In the aftermath of conquest, the presence of these dogs of molosser morphology on the islands is well documented, especially in the cedularios of the councils of Fuerteventura and Tenerife. The first quote after conquest dates from 1501, which allowed the puerqueros to have "one of the larges." In many periods, these dogs were used to kill the wild dogs that attacked cattle. Success was credited by the presentation of the skins of the heads. In others periods, many of these dogs were ordered to be killed for the damage they did to cattle. At one point, residents were given the opportunity to kill loose and wild dogs without punishment. In other occasions the dogs were ordered to be bound. And still other times, due to the damage caused by these dogs, their possession was banned for anyone who was not a farmer or a hunter. All this occurred between the 16th and 18th centuries.
In addition to the traditional role of cattle dog, the Perros de Presa Canario have been used for dog fighting. Until the 1950s it remained a common practice in all of the islands.
There exists ample testimony from former fans. The owners agreed on whether the fight had to be witnessed in silence or if they could incite the animals. No spectator could touch or bother the dogs in combat. The most widespread method was to place the animals within a circle marked on the ground, face to face. The fight began when the collars were removed. These were not organized public events. Instead, they emerged sporadically at the challenge of the owners. However, practically the whole neighborhood participated in the show once it became aware of the fight. The fights were banned in the mid-1940s, but lasted for another decade. From that moment, due to tightening by the Francoist authority for the eradication of dogfighting, the Perro de Presa Canario was relegated to counted breeders that kept the breed alive and prevented its total disappearance.
The FCI recognized the breed provisionally in 2001 and completely in 2011 under the name Dogo Canario. In December 2018 it changed the official FCI name to the Presa Canario because the Spanish Kennel Club had wished for it.
Temperament
Presas require early socialization and obedience training. In some situations, the Perro de Presa Canario can be aggressive toward other dogs and suspicious of strangers. In the past these dogs were used in dog fighting rings due to their size.In 2001, Diane Whipple, a lacrosse player and coach was killed when she entered her apartment building in San Francisco and was attacked by two dogs, Bane and Hera, owned by Marjorie Knoller and Robert Noel.
In County Galway, Ireland in 2017, a woman was killed when she entered her son's home and was attacked by three of these dogs, which were being used by the son as guard dogs.
Health
As a large breed, the Perro de Presa Canario can be susceptible to hip dysplasia. Other reported health problems include dilated cardiomyopathy- heart problems and mast-cell tumours - cancer patellar luxation and patellar evulsions, skin cysts, epilepsy, osteochondrodysplasias, demodectic mange and cryptorchidism and Canine leishmaniasis. The latter condition is described empirically as highly likely to affect dogs in areas of Spain and academically described as having increased over 22 years prior to 2006, with risk being highest for dogs that were older, large, lived outside, and lived at the meso-Mediterranean level.Lifespan
The average lifespan for the Perro de Presa Canario is between 10 and 12 years.Basis for the name and standard
The Perro de Presa Canario has a legislative basis in Spain in the form of recognition by a Real Decreto of the Ministro de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, which was published in the Official Gazette of the Spanish Government. The original can be read on the site of the Spanish Government Gazette.In the decree, the breed is referred to as "Presa Canario". A breed standard is attached in the Royal Decree and it includes having a black coat and specifies a maximum weight.
Any other name or standard is not recognized by Spanish law.
In Spain there are two main organizations which are legally recognized by the Minister of Agriculture, Fishing and Nutrition : the and the . The term "legally recognized" means that these organizations have the power to inscribe the litters into the official Book of Origins of Spain.
The FCE recognizes the breed according to Spanish law, and uses the Presa Canario name and standard, as set by the .
of the Spanish Government has been issued and sent to the RSCE to warn it and to invite it to modify its regulations.
Another recent legal source that identifies the breed is the . This decree also states the breed name as "Presa Canario" and gives the legislative power of official association recognition to the local governments.