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About the Breed — Breed Standard

Breed Standard

History

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Characteristics

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF BREED STANDARD

Weight: Males: 100 - 125 lbs (average)

Females: 88 - 110 lbs (average)

Height: Males: 24 - 26”

Females: 22.5 - 24.5”

Coat / Colour: Short wiry fur. Brindle (all varieties from brown to grey), reversed brindle and fawn (ranging from red to sand coloured). Below examples are fawn, brindle, and reverse brindle respectively:

Head: The head should be large and square. Muzzle should be shorter than the skull. Approx. 6:4 ratio. Wide jaw. Should have a black mask (black lips and black around the eyes). The ears can be hanging (whole) or cut (triangular).

Body: The body should be longer than it is tall by about 20%. The chest should be deep and wide. The hind legs strong and powerful. Although a larger dog is often desired, it should not restrict the functionality and agility of the breed.

FULL BREED STANDARD

The breed standard below is taken directly from the Perro de Presa Canario ‘A KENNEL CLUB BOOK^TM’ Special Rare-Breed Edition:

BREED STANDARD FOR THE PERRO DE PRESA CANARIO(Official Translation of the Breed Standard of the Club Espanol del Presa Canario)

Aspects considered by judges:

I. BREED NAME AND SYNONYM

Name: Presa Canario (in Spanish)

Synonym: Perro Basto and Verdino for brindled specimens.

II. ORIGINS AND DIFFUSION OF THE BREED

Molossoid dog, native to the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, in the Canary Archipelago, where it was originally bred for fighting purposes. Basically the presa dog is the result of crossbreeding between the Bardino or Majorero form the island of Fuerteventura and molossoid dogs that were introduced to the islands from abroad. Its fiery temperament is inherited from the Bardino, a pre-hispanic, hard-working and aggressive cattle dog, widely distributed throughout the islands. The resulting crossbreed has a black mask and brindled or fawn coat with white spots. A few decades ago, a group of breeders began the process of recovering the breed, drawing on tradition and their experience. Since then, the Presa Canario has been carefully bred and widely promoted.

III. GENERAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

1. Physical Description: Of medium height, eumetric, straight profile. Robust and well proportioned, mesomorphic, the body being longer than the height at the shoulder, more so in females. The head is large, square and wide-skulled. Slightly flacid overlapping flews. Black mouth lining. Strong teeth, wide apart, generally fitting. Chestnut-colored eyes of medium size. Ears set high. Round, powerful, muscular neck with thick fur and loose skin. Slight dewlap. Short, straight back. Wide tail base. Chest wide and deep. Stomach slightly updrawn. Forequarters straight, wide-boned and strong cat feet. Powerful, muscular hindquarters with moderately angled stifles, with cat feet slightly longer than front feet. Thick, elastic skin. Short slightly rough hair without undercoat. Coat in brindled specimens should be fawn and black with black mask.

2. Character and Temperament: Powerful appearance, severe expression. Especially suited to protecting, guarding duties and traditionally used for herding cattle and dog-fighting. Impetuous temperament. Low, deep bark. Obedient, reliable family protector, unfriendly towards strangers.

IV. MORPHOLOGICAL DATA

1. Height at shoulders: Males: 61 to 66cms. (24 to 26 ins.). Females: 57 to 62 cms (22.5 to 24.5 ins.).

2. Head: Brachycephalic type. Cubic tendency. Large and solid. Skull to face ratio 6:4. Furrow no accentuated.

2.1. Skull. Convex in anteposterior and transversal direction. Zygomatic arches very pronounced, with greatly developed jaw and cheek muscles. Marked depression between frontal lobes.

2.2. Muzzle. Shorter than the length of the skull, normally about 40% of the total head. Very wide. Straight or slightly convergent wrinkle.

2.3. Lips or flews. Fairly thick and fleshy. Upper flews not too pendulous, but forming an inverted “V” when viewing from the front. Inner lips may be pinkish but preferably dark.

2.4. Jaws. Teeth with very strong wide base, generally fitting. Slight prognatism (slightly undershot) acceptable, given the dog’s origins. Bite typical of molossoid dogs. The absence of one or two premolars is not a fault, since the dog’s function depends on its canines and incisors which should be well in line and well placed.

2.5. Palate. Well-marked pinkish grooves.

3. Eyes: Slightly oval. Well separated. Black eyelids. Color varies with coat from medium to very dark brown.

4. Ears: Hanging when complete. Medium sized, set high and wide apart. Generally rose. If in accordance with tradition, they are cut, they stand erect or semi-erect and are triangular in shape. Full eared dogs compete on equal terms with others.

5. Neck: Round, straight, solid and highly muscled. Shortish between 18 and 20 cms. (7-8 ins.). Loose skin below the throat forms a medium ridge.

6. Forequarters: Perfectly straight, well boned, set well apart, powerful musculature. Elbows turned neither in nor out. Compact cat-like feet. Strong nails, either black or light, according to the coat.

7. Body: Longer than the height at the shoulder by about 20%. Wide chest, deep brisket level with elbows, with marked pectoral muscles. Thoracic perimeter at least 30% greater than shoulder height. Well-arched rib cage, almost cylindrical.

7.1.Dorso-lumbar line (from withers to loin). Straight, ascending slightly to the loins. Slight saddle effect just after the withers.

7.2.Loin. Straight, medium length and wide. Normally 1.5 cms. (0.6ins.) higher than the withers.

7.3. Flanks. Unpronounced.

8. Tail: Set on high, flexible, strong at the soot and tapering to the hocks. At rest there may be lateral deviation. In action, elevated saber-like with the tip pointed forward but not curled.

9. Hindquarters: Hindlegs powerful, straight when viewed form the side or front. Very muscular second thighs unpronounced angles. Cat-like feet. No spur normally. Hocks low and neither sickle nor cow. The presence of a spur is a fault but does not merit disqualification.

10. Coat:

10.1. Hair. Short all over, generally denser at the withers, throat and top of loins. No underhair. Compact tail hair. Rough-looking, coarse.

10.2.Color. All types of brindle, from very warm dark colors to gray or very light brown or blonde. Full range of fawn to sand-colored. Occasionally there are markings around the neck or legs, where white marking is least desirable. In general, there are more or less long white markings on the chest. The mask is always dark and may extend around the eyes.

11. Weight: Average male: 45 - 57 kgs. (100 - 125 lbs.). Average female: 40 - 50 kgs. (88 - 110 lbs.).

12. Defects:

12.1. Slight defects.

· Excessive wrinkling of the craneo-facial region.

· Presence of spur.

12.2. Serious defects.

· Poor nose pigmentation.

· Excessive prognatism.

· Specimens with slight hound-like apprearance.

· Poor mask.

· Sickle legged or cow hocks.

· Unbalanced character.

· Frail or thinnish appearance.

· Craneo-facial disproportion.

· Curled tail, of equal thickness all the way, amputated or mutilated.

12.3 Total disqualification.

· Monorchid, cryptorchid or castrated specimens.

· More than 20% white markings.

· Totally unpigmented nose or mouth lining.

Most important aspects:

1. Head (typicality): Massive. Muzzle well filled out. Dark colored eyes, well separated. Stop defined, but not too abrupt. Straight nose, not arched. Upper lip not withdrawn. Sufficient wrinkle. Well aligned bite. But not level. Reject specimens with level bite.

2. Body: Rectangular, longish, medium sized. Reject height that is neither functional nor characteristic. Well-sloped shoulders. Very arching ribs. Chest deep and the wider the better. Very well-developed pectorals. Separate elbows, not turned out. Strong-boned. Loins higher than withers, well developed. Slight angulation of hindlegs.

Carlo Medaglia | C: 705.206.1474 |