Presa Canario

History

The Presa Canario descends from the Bardino Majorero, once widespread across the Canary Islands. These dogs were cross-bred with various molossoid-type dogs introduced during the colonial period, with significant influence from dogs brought by British residents in the late nineteenth century. By the 1960s the breed was near extinction. A breed society formed in 1982 and drafted a provisional standard, published by the island government.

The standard was approved by the FCI in 1989. In 1991 the dog was listed among official animal and plant symbols of the Canary Islands as a symbol of Gran Canaria. Spanish national recognition came in 2001. The FCI provisionally accepted it in 2001 as Dogo Canario, granting definitive acceptance in 2011.

At the request of the Real Sociedad Canina de España, the name changed to Presa Canario in December 2018. The breed entered the AKC Foundation Stock Service in 1996. Importation and sale are banned in Australia and New Zealand.

Characteristics

The Presa Canario is a large, robust, muscular dog. The 2023 international standard gives heights at the withers and weights for dogs and bitches, with the previous 2018 standard specifying heavier weights and slightly lower minimum heights. The head is broad, massive, square, and brachycephalic.

Cropped ears stand erect; where cropping is banned, ears are close-fitting, pendant or rose-shaped. The upper lip is pendulous but not excessively so, with upper and lower lips forming an inverted V from the front; the flews are slightly divergent, and the inside of the lips is dark. A UK study found a median longevity of 7.7 years, notably below the all-dog median of 12.5 years.