Presa Canario: Your Complete Guide

Presa Canario, also known as Dogo Canario or perro de presa Canario, is a large, mastiff-type dog breed from the Canary Islands. It’s a rare breed in the United States, but its natural ability to guard and protect contributes to its growing popularity.

The natural desire to protect is an excellent trait for people who want an inherently good guard dog. However, for some, breeds like this can be too much dog to handle given their dominant nature. Before you adopt or get a Presa Canario from a breeder, you should learn everything about the breed to determine if it’s a good match for you and your family.

Our article will provide an overview of the Presa Canario to help you determine if this breed has what you’re looking for in a dog. Read to the end to learn about everything from Presa Canario’s physical traits and trainability to health and care needs.

Quick Look at the Presa Canario

Below is a quick table summarizing the characteristics of Presa Canario to give you a sense of what to expect from this breed. You’ll find a much more detailed description for each point in the later parts of this article.

What Is the History of Presa Canarios?

Although the exact origins are unknown, the Presa Canario is believed to originate from a mingling of the Bardino Majorero and the various breeds of molossoid-type dogs introduced to the Canary Islands.

Dogs of this type were commonly used by the Canarians as livestock guardians and herding dogs. The lineage of the Presa Canario is where the breed gets its renowned guarding abilities.

The Presa Canario has never been widely popular outside the Canary Islands, but the breed’s numbers were nearing extinction in the 1960s. With the creation of Club Español del Presa Canario, the breed gained more recognition and was included among the national symbols of the Canary Islands in 1991.

The earliest Presa Canarios made their way to the United States around the same time, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1996. However, Presa Canarios are still rare in the US, having never been featured on the AKC’s most popular breeds list.

What Do Presa Canarios Look Like?

The Presa Canario comes in various colors. The most common coat color is black, followed by brown, fawn, silver, and orange. The coat typically features markings or brindle patterns, but solid-colored varieties aren’t uncommon.

Like other mastiff-type dogs, the Presa Canario has a large head with ears that hang down and stand close to the head. They appear big and beefy with broad shoulders and thick bones. These give the breed a dominant look, making intruders think twice before attempting anything.

One physical feature of this breed that stands out is their rear end tends to be higher than their shoulders. Along with a body longer than its height, Presa Canario posses almost cat-like movement. Coupled with their markings and brindle coat, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you come across a Presa Canario named tiger.

What Size Is a Presa Canario?

The Presa Canario is a large dog breed. Males weigh between 110 and 140 pounds and stand 22 to 26 inches at the withers. Female Presa Canarios are around the same height but weigh 85 to 115 pounds.

Although this is a broad height and weight range for the breed, you can expect Presa Canarios bred in the US to be bigger. This is mainly due to American breeders prioritizing size more than their European counterparts, who want to highlight their instincts and drive more as they are typically utilized as working dogs.

What Is a Presa Canario’s Coat Type and Length?

The Presa Canario has a short, smooth coat. It’s rather harsh to the touch and stands close to the body. Compared to dog breeds with a dense double coat, caring for a Presa Canario’s coat is straightforward – more on the grooming needs of the breed down below.

What Is a Presa Canarios Temperament?

The Presa Canario, like their ancestors, have a long history of guarding and herding livestock in the Canary Islands. Naturally, these dogs are very protective and suspicious of anything strange in their territory.

As you can expect, Presa Canarios are natural guard dogs. They are confident and won’t consider backing down as an option when faced with a challenge. They will instinctively watch over your home and property to ensure nothing strange gets a pass. While these are excellent traits to have in a guard dog, it has its downsides.

The inherent desire to guard gives the Presa Canario some aggressive tendencies, requiring an experienced owner to keep everything in check. As with similar breeds of this nature, early socialization and training are essential with Presa Canarios to curb unwanted acts of aggression.

Otherwise, they can become too dangerous and hard to manage, resulting in snapping at anyone and anything they’re unfamiliar with when challenged. It’s essential to start basic obedience training from a young age, focusing on impulse control to teach them when to stay calm and stand back.

This makes the Presa Canario a poor match for novice dog owners. These dogs require a dominant leader that can channel their protective instincts into something useful and away from more destructive behaviors. Here’s more on the temperament of the Presa Canario.

Are Presa Canarios Good With Kids?

Presa Canarios generally get along well with anyone in their immediate family. They hold anyone and anything in their family dear to their heart and will do anything to protect them, which is how they show their affection.

However, a few traits of this breed raise questions for families with young children. Due to their size, a Presa Canario just bumping into a young child can cause injuries. These dogs should be taught to remain gentle and calm when playing with children.

Behavioral issues such as resource guarding and food aggression should be addressed as soon as possible. Even when it’s just play, a Presa Canario with behavioral issues may display aggression when their resources are taken away. This can happen with any dog, but the breed’s size may lead to serious problems if they attempt to challenge children.

All these bring us to supervision. Children and large dogs like the Presa Canario should never be left alone unsupervised. As long as the children in the family respect their space, and there’s an adult to watch over everyone, a Presa Canario will get along well with children.

Are Presa Canarios Good With Other Animals?

Presa Canarios typically do better in a one-pet household. They have a high prey drive and may chase small animals. Coupled with their size, they are dangerous to have around smaller pets. If you have cats, Guinea pigs, rabbits, or birds, Presa Canarios aren’t generally recommended.

The temperament of a Presa Canario around dogs depends on their upbringing. Without enough socialization, a Presa Canario will likely have dog aggression and won’t accept strange dogs in their territory.

Since they are strong-willed dogs that won’t back down from a confrontation, they may attempt to dominate strange dogs during walks and in dog parks. From a young age, socializing around other dogs and encouraging friendly play is important to teach them strange dogs are potential friends – not a threat.

Are Presa Canarios Aggressive?

The Presa Canario is more aggressive than the average dog. If they don’t like something, a Presa Canario will be quick to show it by barking and growling. While aggression is a trait that not every dog owner wants, it can have its uses in protection and guar work.

However, it would be wrong to let any dog engage in aggressive behavior whenever they want. From a young age, Presa Canario owners should teach their dogs that there are times when this type of behavior is unacceptable.

Presa Canario owners can achieve this by providing frequent socialization opportunities with strangers and unfamiliar dogs at a young age.

Do Presa Canarios Bark?

With everything discussed so far, we can say that Presa Canarios aren’t afraid to make their powerful voices heard when there’s a reason for it. Due to their protective personality, they almost always bark at something suspicious. This can be a stranger walking toward home or someone on a bike passing by.

There are many reasons for a Presa Canario to bark, but everyone around them will be aware of their presence when they do. For this reason, they don’t make a good fit for apartments. Besides, their size and protective instincts require a spacious area to roam to let out excess energy and feel fulfilled.

Are Presa Canarios Affectionate?

Presa Canarios are affectionate dogs, though this side is reserved for their family. However, how you and a Presa Canario perceive affection is probably not the same. Presa Canarios have a different way of showing their love and appreciation to their family rather than accepting pats and goofing around like most dogs.

The Presa Canario is a breed that shows affection by protecting its family and keeping a watchful eye over its territory. With these dogs, don’t expect a lovey-dovey personality that rolls around to greet you. That said, Presa Canarios are affectionate in their own unique way.

Are Presa Canarios Intelligent?

Presa Canarios are intelligent dogs that are always on the lookout for potential danger. They keep an alert eye and will let their family know if there’s something wrong. As guard dogs, Presa Canarios are self-willed and excel at their duties.

This intelligent nature makes them excellent working dogs. However, dog intelligence doesn’t always carry over to trainability and other aspects – more on these below.

Are Presa Canarios Energetic?

Like other giant dog breeds, Presa Canarios are low-to-medium energy dogs that don’t require immense daily exercise. They enjoy lying around and slowly patrolling their territory rather than running in full sprints unless there’s a need for it.

As for how much exercise a Presa Canario needs specifically, a half-hour-long walk around the neighborhood should be enough to keep them healthy and fit. You can also incorporate hikes and appropriate dog sports to make them more tired and less interested in acting overprotective.

Are Presa Canarios Easy to Train?

The Presa Canario may be an intelligent dog breed, but training these dogs isn’t the easiest. They will understand what you want from them, but a Presa Canario must see a reason for executing the commands. These dogs may hesitate to perform commands without knowing what’s in it for them.

When training Presa Canarios, utilizing high-value rewards, such as a tasty treat, will lead to better outcomes. Once you know what a Presa Canario likes, you’ll have an easier time training complex tricks.

For guard work, you won’t need to teach them much as they have an inherent desire to roam and protect their territory. For protection dog work, however, they require training from a young age, especially to be well-behaved in public situations.

Are Presa Canarios Good Watchdogs?

Presa Canarios are good watchdogs instinctively with their alert and protective nature. You can sleep comfortably knowing a Presa Canario will alert you of anything questionable.

Presa Canarios might even take watchdog duties to the next step and confront intruders, be it four or two-legged, without any training. The natural desire to guard and protect makes the Presa Canario an excellent breed for those looking for a loyal guardian for their property.

Are Presa Canarios Good Service Dogs?

Presa Canarios are guard dogs that aren’t suitable for service dog work. Although they can be trained to assist individuals with a disability, performing a given task in public with strangers everywhere may make them overwhelmed and lead to losing focus and getting distracted.

Since service animals must stay on the job no matter what, Presa Canarios don’t make ideal service dogs due to their suspicion toward strangers – not that they’re incapable of learning service dog work.

How to Care for a Presa Canario?

Like every dog breed, Presa Canarios need an attentive owner to live a healthy, happy life. Luckily, it’s generally easy to care for a Presa Canario, though this breed demands a lot of time for socialization and training at an early age. Here’s more on their care needs, grooming, health, and feeding.

Do You Need to Groom a Presa Canario?

The Presa Canario requires very little grooming. Brushing them should only be a monthly task to remove loose fur from their coat. Since they have a short coat, they don’t need to be taken to a professional groomer like long-haired breeds, though you can take them for baths and other necessities such as nail trimming and dental care.

Do Presa Canarios Shed?

Presa Canarios shed minimally. However, we must consider the size of the breed. Even though they aren’t heavy shedders, it may seem like you have more than one dog at home. Brushing them every other week instead of every month in spring and fall will help Presa Canario owners maintain shedding.

What Health Problems Do Presa Canarios Have?

The Presa Canario is generally a healthy dog breed, but they still suffer from common ailments seen in big dogs, such as elbow and hip dysplasia. Using dietary supplements for joint health can prevent these from developing early.

Due to their size, bloat, also known as gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), is a condition to watch out for in Presa Canarios as they age. Avoiding play and exercise at mealtime and feeding high-quality dog food in a slow-feeder can help prevent bloat in Presa Canarios and other large breeds.

How Long Do Presa Canarios Live?

The Presa Canario has an average life expectancy of between 9 and 11 years. This is considerably high for dogs of this size, making the Presa Canario one of the healthier large dog breeds.

What Should a Presa Canario Eat?

A Presa Canario should eat high-quality dog food appropriate for their weight and activity levels. You can also opt for a homemade or raw diet formulated by your veterinarian.

If you’re unsure about what to feed a Presa Canario, contact your vet to get recommendations. They can point you to the best diet for a Presa Canario based on their lifestyle, health, and weight.

Is a Presa Canario the Right Dog for Me?

Only a select few prospective dog owners will find a Presa Canario is the right dog breed. Due to their protective nature, they are only suitable for experienced dog owners living in a home with a spacious yard for a Presa Canario to call their own.

The bottom line is Presa Canarios are intense dogs that are too much to handle for most people. Unless you’re highly experienced in training dogs of this caliber, the Presa Canario won’t make an ideal breed choice.

Consider other guard dogs that are easier to handle than the Presa Canario. German shepherds, Doberman pinschers, giant schnauzers, Great Danes, and many others can make just as great guard dogs. Read more on these breeds from our blog to find out which ones are the most appropriate for you and your family.