Breeds / Large
Presa Canario puppies
Calm, confident and strongly territorial, a powerful Canary Islands guarding breed that is steady with their own household and reserved and watchful with everyone else.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin Spain
- Adult weight 38.1 to 49.9 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 84 to 110 lb
- Adult height 56 to 66 cm
- Energy level Low
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Shedding Moderate
- Typical lifespan 9 to 11 years
- Good with children Not recommended
- Good with other dogs Not recommended
About the Presa Canario
The Presa Canario was developed in the Canary Islands to hold and move cattle and to guard property, and they still carry that work in their build and their instincts. This is a heavy, broad headed dog of 38.1 to 49.9 kg standing 56 to 66 cm, with a short coat and a lifespan of 9 to 11 years. Around their own household they are calm and confident, often quiet indoors, but they are naturally suspicious of strangers and territorial without being taught to be.
Energy needs are moderate: steady daily walks and something to occupy the mind. Grooming is a weekly brush. Everything else about this breed is management. They rate poorly for tolerance of children and of other animals, so supervision, careful introductions and lifelong socialisation are essential, and secure fencing is not optional. They suit experienced owners who train consistently from day one, and they are restricted or banned under law in some countries, which is worth checking before you commit.
The law in your country
This breed or type is restricted in some places. Check the current rules where you live before you commit to a puppy.
Australia
The Perro de Presa Canario is on the list of pure breeds that cannot be imported into Australia under Department of Home Affairs legislation. The Department of Agriculture says the import of mixed breed dogs, including mixes involving these breeds, is not restricted. Source.
United Kingdom
The Presa Canario is not on the UK list of banned types of dog, which names the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully. Whether a dog counts as a banned type depends on what they look like rather than their breed or name, so a Presa Canario cross that looks like one of those types could still be caught. Source.
New Zealand
The Perro de Presa Canario is listed as a type of dog in Schedule 4 of the Dog Control Act 1996, added by the Dog Control (Perro de Presa Canario) Order 2010. A dog that belongs wholly or mainly to that type cannot be imported, and the local council must classify them as menacing, which means they must be muzzled in any public place and the council can require them to be neutered. Source.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Presa Canario puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. Energy is on the lower side for the breed, but every eight week old puppy still runs in bursts and then crashes. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed for
- Bloat and gastric torsion, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs
- Eye disorders including entropion and ectropion, found by an ophthalmologist evaluation
Your Presa Canario puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Presa Canario.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 38.1 to 49.9 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 48 inch (48 x 30 x 32 in, 122 x 76 x 81 cm) for an adult of up to 49.9 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other large breeds
More on the Presa Canario
Previous: Prague Ratter · Next: Pudelpointer
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- gov.uk for the legal status notes
- Health notes from Presa Canario breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/presa-canario/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.