Presa Canaria Dogs

You might have seen this article in the news recently but what is a Presa Canaria exactly? This dog is what the Canary Islands were named after. The Presa Canaria has a big square head which is the same width as the length. The jaw is big and powerful. The dog’s chest is broad and deep and these dogs have dense bones, powerful muscles and thick skins.

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If you’re thinking about buying a Presa Canaria dog, you will need to be dominant and confident and understand about alpha dogs. Everyone in your home has to be comfortable around such a dog. These dogs are great guard dogs and the sight of them alone is enough to put anyone off robbing or attacking you.

This dog is quite inactive indoors so it will be OK in an apartment as long as you walk it daily. It needs occasional grooming (just brushing and perhaps the odd shampoo).

The Presa Canaria can be dangerous in the wrong hands but loving and loyal in the right ones. Daily pack walks to satisfy the dog’s migration instincts are a must, and you have to walk the dog beside or behind you, to reinforce your pack leader status. Unless you’re actually looking for a guard dog and you’re prepared to spend time training this dog correctly, it might be better to opt for another breed.

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These dogs are believed to be related to the now extinct Bardino Majero breed, which was crossed with English Mastiffs. The Presa Canaria was bred in the Canary islands in the 19th century for dog fighting, which used to be a common and popular entertainment throughout Europe. Fights were staged in open fields in some countries like Ireland, but in pits or rings in the Canaries. Dog fighting is of course illegal now.

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