Description

Everything about the Presa Canario gives off a certain aura of power. The dog’s head is massive, its body, equally so – slightly longer than it is wide, giving it a compact cube like appearance. It is draped in lose, thick skin that sits on its head ending in slightly drooping, pendulous jowls. The dental occlusion and structure of the maxilla and mandible are structured in such a way as to result in a scissor or slightly undershot (maximum 2mm) bite. A pincer bite would only wear out the dog’s teeth, and is therefore highly undesirable. Its oval eyes are reasonably set apart and tend to be of a dark to medium brown colour, depending on the pigmentation of the dog’s coat. The Presa Canario’s drooping ears sit slightly above eye level and are well set apart.

The neck of a Presa Canario is characteristically short, straight and thick and is shorter than the length of the head, adding to the Presa Canario’s solid look. The body is also relatively long with females looking proportionally longer than males. The chest is broad and deep, with a well sprung ribcage and very prominent pectoral muscles. It characteristic of the breed to have its croup slightly higher than its withers. Coming down to the level of the elbow, the thoracic cage gives an impression of great capacity. If the thoracic perimeter had to be measured, it should measure approximately one and a half times the height of the dog at its withers. The belly of the dog should be tucked and should never be sagging, giving it a very athletic look.

The tail is thick at its base, tapering to a point at the end. It should go no lower than the level of the hock. The tail is neither set high, nor low and should not form a curl or be held over the dog’s back. It is desirable for the tail to be held straight with only a slight curve at the tip.

The shoulders and front limbs should be set at a position and angle that results in a stable posture. It is desirable for the dog’s forearms to look adequately muscled and strong boned. The front legs of the dog should be held in a way for the elbows not to be held at a reasonable distance from the body. Cat like paws, rounded toes and dark pads and nails are also a characteristic this breed, and they surely contribute to the almost feline grace with which these dogs moves about.

Presa Canarios should have parallel, strong and muscular hind legs that do not support the dog at any exaggerated angles. Due to the croup normally being carried slightly higher than the withers, the hind limbs should be slightly longer than the dog’s front limbs.

Presa Canarios are agile and supple dogs, covering a lot of ground with their far reaching strides. While running, the tail is carried low and the head slightly higher than the back. It is when the dog is alert that the gait is changed with the head and tail both held high.

Origin: Canary Islands

Look

The dog’s thick and elastic skin is a reminder of its use as a herding dog and as a livestock guardian, often protecting the dog from the numerous hazards that it used to face while tending to their flocks. Excess, loose skin is present around the neck and head resulting in hanging jowls and dewlaps with this excess skin arranging itself in pronounced furrows around the dog’s eyes and forehead when it is particularly interested or worried about something.

The coat is flat and coarse, and is very short on the ears, while being longest at the withers and on the back of the dog’s thighs. As with many mastiff type breeds, the coat colour can come in different shades of brindle, fawn, and sandy as well as solid colours somewhere in between dark brown, to pale grey or blonde. Presa Canarios must have a black mask like pattern on their face. It is also allowed for dogs to have white markings on their chest.

Health

The Presa Canario is a very healthy breed, with no particular diseases associated with this breed of dog. Due to its large size, it is wise to take extra precautions by doing a hip score test to make sure that the dog will not suffer from hip dysplasia in the future. As with every other breed of dog, it is also suggested to take your Presa Canario to the vet for a yearly check-up, in order to make sure that your dog is in tip top condition. Large dog breeds, if not properly fed, often suffer from developmental problems and it is therefore suggested for prospective owners to speak to their puppy’s breeder to make sure that they know how to adequately feed their Presa puppies during the most delicate years.

Learning

Presa Canarios can be a tough nut to crack, but when you do get the results, these are very rewarding. These dogs can be aloof, and can come across as disinterested in what is going on around them. It is therefore important to use encouragement methods that will capture their interest and engage them in what you are trying to teach them. As with most other dog breeds, the most effective tool is food, closely followed by a favourite toy. It is also imperative for a dog of this size and aloofness to be taught its place in the family and their social environment. Dominance should be asserted by the family, establishing clear boundaries with a gentle hand. These dogs respond incredibly well to positive reinforcement, but like any other breed of dog can turn dangerous if mistreated or handled in a rough way.

Given the way this breed behaves, people often do the mistake of thinking that Presas are a bit dim. This couldn’t be further from the truth. If one understands how these dogs work, one is sure to have a very rewarding companion that is always ready to get into the thick of things and is also always ready to please. Activities such as obedience training, agility training, iron dog and other dog sports will help with further deepening the bond between the Presa Canario and its owner.

Temperament

This dog is calm and attentive. This dog is very devoted to its family and is always willing to please. Presa Canarios are a bit wary of strangers due to their guarding nature but with proper socialisation these dogs can learn to trust different people and adapt to any owner’s busy social life. Do not mistake wariness with lack of confidence. This breed, if a bit aloof, still is a very confident breed that holds itself with a certain noble bearing. It is understandable to think twice before housing a Presa Canarios with other pets, but contrary to popular belief these dogs usually do very well with dogs, cats and other pets.

There are, however, exceptions to the rule and given the strength and power of this dog breed, if things go wrong, they can go downhill very quickly.

Living with

Presa Canarios are relatively inactive when indoors. It is therefore possible to house them in a flat, but adequate exercise must be provided every day. It would therefore be ideal if the Presa Canario can have access to a reasonably sized yard.