PRESA CANARIO: THE CATCH DOG FROM THE CANARY ISLANDS
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– Presa Canario is a very serious animal.
In the beginning,
the purpose for the Presa Canario
was to ward off wild dogs.
^ Catch wild animals,
cattle and such
^ to prepare it for slaughter.
And to be an all-around protection,
family oriented dog.
Presa Canario is a breed
that is originating
from the Canary Islands.
It was created in the 1700s
by a bunch of farmers.
They used these dogs
in the beginning
as cattle herders and protection dogs
for their flock.
I discovered the Presa Canario breed
in the early 2000’s.
I found out from a friend of mine
about the breed
and I started to do a little research
with finding out the temperament,
the basic characteristics
of the dog.
And as I did more and more research,
I realized that this was something
that I may be interested in
incorporating in my family.
The thing that excited me the most
about this breed
when I first saw it, of course,
was the way it looked.
It was a huge dog.
It had a beautiful coloring
and markings.
It was very fascinating
from the eye’s perspective.
As I investigated it and got to know
the breed a little more,
what fascinated me even more
was the temperament of the dog
and its ability to move
at such a huge size.
Also, I was impressed
with the bite.
The biting mechanism of the dog
when I saw it chomp down
on something for the first time,
it was very impressive.
I’ve been dealing with this breed
for about 12 years now.
And over the years,
I’ve had a lot of experience
with different styles of Presas.
Different temperaments of Presas.
And I come to realize that
because the breed is fairly new,
being recognized as a breed
in itself in 1989,
there’s still a lot of development
taking place within the breed.
So my experience with this breed,
I have had tall Presas,
short Presas,
narrow Presas,
wide Presas,
skittish Presas,
fiery Presas.
The temperament, size,
functionality, everything
is all over the place right now
in this breed.
If you do your research,
you’ll find that the breed was split up
between two different ideologies
on the island.
You had the Gran Canaria side
which they bred for functionality
and they bred for purpose.
They bred for working
and for protection.
For that type of thing.
And then you had,
and they cared less
about how the dog looked,
they only cared more
about how the dog functioned
and that the dog could work
and do the specific jobs
that they had in line
for the dog to do.
The catch.
The protecting the cattle.
The warding off intruders,
things of that sort.
Then you had the Tenerife side
of the island
where they focused more
on the dog’s exhibition
and the way the dog looked.
Size, markings, coloring,
things of that sort.
They didn’t care too much
about the dog’s actual functionality
and the purpose of the dog.
More or less, they cared more
how the dog looked.
So this was more of a
softer temperament,
a show style dog
as opposed to a working style dog.
Because of the different ideologies
between the Gran Tenerife
and the Gran Canaria
you have differences in temperament,
and no real consistency.
So if you don’t have a grip
on the bloodlines
and an understanding on
what bloodline links back
to what part of that difference,
you’re gonna have a dog
that may be more aggressive,
or you’re gonna have a dog
that may be more passive.
There will be no balance.
That’s why it’s important
that whatever person
is dealing with this breed
that they become knowledgeable
of both sides.
You can have a different,
a whole different style of dog
in one specific breeding.
You can have a breeding
made up of tall dogs and short dogs.
Wide dogs and narrow dogs.
High drive and lazy dogs.
With every breeding
you’re gonna have fluctuation.
The reason is,
is the breed is relatively new.
And there hasn’t been enough
consistent breedings
of good quality dogs
to make it a pattern.
Right now you have people
that are uneducated
that are just putting dogs together.
They have no understanding
of the differences in the breed.
Temperament-wise,
functionality-wise,
and they’re just going by look
and look alone.
And that’s what’s hindering
the progress of the breed.
The Presa Canario is an awesome breed
if the breeder is knowledgeable enough
to know exactly what
they’re putting together
when they’re putting two dogs together.
This breed can be balanced.
It can be a family dog,
it can be people friendly.
It all depends on what the vision
of the breeder is
and the knowledge as well.
When looking at a Presa Canario puppy,
temperament should be the first thing
that someone should look for.
Next, it should be the bone structure
and the correctness of the structure.
The structure of the dog
should be the next thing
that someone should look for
when they’re look at Presa Canario puppy.
Also, they should be looking
for the height
relevant to the rest
of the puppies.
You should line your pup up
with the rest of the litter
and see where he is height-wise
when he gets to three
to four months as well.
Being a responsible breeder
and understanding
the fluctuation with
inside the breed,
I go through a lot
of questionnaires
before I decide to place a dog
with a new home.
I need to know exactly
what the purpose
of the buyer is
when he’s buying this dog.
I need to know what he expects
out of the dog, in it’s entirety.
So what I like to find out is,
is I would like to know,
I like to know
whether or not
the dog is gonna have
a apartment.
Is the dog gonna have a yard?
If the dog is gonna have a yard,
is there any other dogs
surrounding that yard?
How well is the fencing
around the yard?
Does the owner have
any experience with a large breed?
Or an aggressive style breed?
And if so, what type of dogs
had that person had
experience with.
Do they want a family friendly dog
or do they want a protection,
aggressive dog?
Are there gonna be
small children around?
Are there gonna be any other animals
at all around?
What kind of neighborhood
is the dog gonna be in?
And is it gonna be in a rural area?
Is it gonna be in the woods?
Are there gonna be a lot
of different animals around the house?
Do you want a quiet environment
where you live?
There’s a lot of different questions
that needs to be asked
because different environments
bring out different characteristics
inside different areas of the bloodlines
that are inside this breed.
So as a responsible breeder,
and knowing the full scope
of this particular breed,
I need to have all of these questions
answered before I place a dog.
The flip side of that,
I have to know exactly
what I’m dealing with
before I place a pup
to a new home.
So therefore, I don’t advertise
the dogs before I sell them
because I like to
go through the litter myself
and temperament test the dogs.
See which dogs are going to be
on the more aggressive side
of the coin.
Which dogs are going to be
on the more passive
side of the coin.
Which dog is gonna be the taller.
Which is gonna be the shorter.
Which one is gonna be…
What area of functionality
the dog is gonna be
before I place the dog.
That is why I keep
for at least three to four months
before I sell anything
out of the litter
or place it in a new home.
Because everything that I produce
is not for sale.
Some dogs are not even worthy
to be sold.
They’re better off as pets
and therefore, adopted out.
We don’t like to place pups
in new homes
until they have been temperament tested
and health tested first.
And that takes, at least, three
but most likely, four months.
So if you’re expecting
to pick a Presa Canary out
at eight weeks,
don’t to really know
what you’re getting
because it takes
a little bit of time
to cipher through all of the issues
and concerns, temperament-wise,
before knowing exactly what will
fit your home
and your personality.
The ideal environment
for a Presa Canario,
the myth is that you can
keep ’em in an apartment.
But if I was to recommend
the type of home
for this specific breed,
I would recommend a house
and one with a nice-size yard.
Because Presa Canarios
have a lot of high dirve.
A lot of energy.
And they need a lot of space
to really be happy and functional.
Through my experience,
I wouldn’t put a class
or a specific type of person
with this breed
because the breed has such a fluctuation
that I honestly feel
that it could fit with anybody
as long as I know
exactly what that person
is typically looking for.
If you want a happy, friendly,
people friendly dog,
the Presa Canario can
supply that need.
If you want a protection,
aggressive, very weary,
suspicious of everything
style dog,
the Presa Canario
can also fit that particular need.
The dog has so many different
functionalities within its entirety
that it can fit, pretty much,
any home in any environment
as long as the breeder is educated
and understands the lines
that the dog consists of
and has a clear understanding
of who they’re placing the dog with,
it can be a dog for everybody.
The Presa Canario overall
is a pretty solid dog health-wise.
However, over the years,
with my experience,
there are some issues
that engulf this breed.
I wanna discuss a few of those issues
that I feel are prominent in that
as a potential person looking
to get into this breed,
these are the things that
I think you should know.
Such as, epilepsy.
If you experience a dog that has epilepsy,
it is recommended that you do not
breed the dog
and that you spayed or neuter the dog
and give it out as a pet
and that’s the responsible thing to do.
I recommend that anyone that gets
a Presa Canario
that does have epilepsy,
that they immediately contact the breeder
and let them know the dog
does have epilepsy
so that the breeder can do the proper test
on the parents to weed out, possibly,
reproducing such a dog and do the correct
things to prevent it from happening again.
Another problem with the breed is
osteochondritis,
which is a health issue in the breed
that causes rapid growth in large versions
of the breed
and it causes the forearms to knuckle over.
It is self-corrected,
it’s nothing to panic about
but it’s also because of a lot of people
overfeeding the dog and giving it
too much protein.
Overfeeding and overexercising a puppy
before it has fully developed its joints
can lead to joint problems.
The reason being is that
these dogs are growing
at such a rapid pace
that their joints have not caught up
to their actual growth process.
Therefore, it is very important that
as a responsible Presa owner
that you don’t overfeed your dog
and don’t over-exercise your dog
until it has reached, at least,
one year of age.
Then it should be safe enough for you
to take it for long walks.
‘Cause I have people that want
to do three mile walks
with the five month old puppy,
that’s just…
you’re setting yourself up
^ for some real problems later on,
joint-wise.
^ Siroc is three years old.
He is very, very confident.
He has a lot of prey drive.
He is very weary of strangers.
He is a borderline friendly.
But you would have to be introduced to him
and time would have to be spent with
you, me and Siroc.
He’s not gonna let you get close to him
unless I introduce you to him
and you spend some time with him.
Siroc is very weary of strangers.
And he’s very protective of the family.
He is not, what I consider,
one of my friendlier Presas.
^ Mike Tyson is a very very
intelligent dog.
He’s very protective.
He’s very suspicious of strangers.
He is a little bit more balanced
as for as his temperament
with strange people.
When he sees you talking to me,
he automatically recognize you
as someone that doesn’t pose a threat.
Tyson is about 25 inches at the withers.
He is approximately 138 pounds.
He is very,
he’s three years old.
^ Sativa is considered a dirt fawn.
She’s 26 inches at the withers.
She is balanced temperament,
she has a balanced temperament.
She’s very high prey driven.
She’s very protective,
very weary of strangers.
And she’s a well-rounded guard dog.
She’s three years old.
^ Luna is 25 inches at the withers,
about 120 pounds.
She is a very very protective.
Very very weary of strangers.
But she gets along really well
with kids and with family.
Her drive is amazing.
She’s about three and a half years old.
^ Remy Dimacho Grande is son
to Siroc and Luna.
Six months old and he’s about 90 pounds.
Remy is an exceptional Presa Canario.
Temperament is strong.
His intellect is outstanding.
He learns quick.
He’s a very protective and weary dog.
His drive is on the top of the chart.
The breedings that I’m doing
in today’s time
far exceed the breedings that I did,
let’s say, 10 years ago
due to the fact that I have been
weeding out,
being responsible,
educating the buyers
and taking all the necessary
health tests and steps needed
to keep this breed healthy
and keep this breed balanced
as far as temperament.
Because the breed is still developing,
as a breeder it is critical
and important
that we share information
one with another.
And we document the different
health problems
and temperament problems
that exist within the breed.
Educate each other on what
bloodlines are amplifying
the different traits that we are
trying to get rid of.
This is a way to, I feel,
better the breed
an educate the world
about this awesome breed
that I have fallen in love with.
Thank you for you for your time.
My name is Arthur Harris
with Macho Grande Canarios.
It has been a pleasure spending time
and explaining
and going through the ins and outs
the outs and ins of the breed.
And, again, you should consider
all of the information
that I have given you
before deciding
that a Presa Canario
is fit for you.
And you should also
take in consideration
that this is a serious breed
and that you must have time
to spend with this particular breed
and if you’re gonna just put a dog
in the back yard
and not take time out to train
and to properly socialize and spend
adequate time with the dog,
that is a complete disaster in the hands
of the wrong person.
(upbeat electronic music)
