presa-canario.ourpitbulls.com
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| Registartion date: | Jul 9 2006 |
| First Name: | presa canario | | Last Name: | presa canario | | Country/State: | germany |
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The breed is originally from the Canary Islands in the 1700s, notably Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Its exact ancestry is unknown, but enthusiasts believe that an already established farm dog from the Canary Islands by the name of Majorero (Perro de Bardino Majorero) was crossed with the Mastiff of England and Old-Style Bulldogs that were brought from Europe to the Islands by visitors and colonists, creating the foundation for the modern Presa Canario.
It is also believed that a number of Spanish and breeds may have contributed to the development of the Presa Canario such as the Perro de Ganado Majorero, Presa Español, and Alano Español.
Presa type dogs are mentioned in historical documents of the 16th and 17th centuries, as guard dogs and catch dogs. Perro de Presa Canario is generally considered as being created during the 18th century with the above-mentioned crosses for the purpose of dog fighting, tradition which the English settlers transplanted along with their English breeds of Mastiff and Bulldog. Canary Islanders consider these fights "honor fights" and not the sole purpose of the animal. They were most definitely used as guard dogs, and with declining use, farm dogs. These presa type dogs were also referred to as the "perro de la tierra" or "dog of the land."
Like many fighting dogs, the breed became nearly extinct after dog fighting was outlawed in the 1940s, but the breed was revived in the 1970s with the help of several crosses by various breeders. This period is generally known as the reconstrucion of the breed and as a result, occasional atypical specimens are not uncommon, although increasingly less so.
"Perro de Presa Canario" means the Canarian Dog of Prey. It is sometimes referred to as a "Presa."
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