Perro De Presa Canario

Researchers believe that the Perro De Presa Canario’s ancestry dates back to the 15^th or 16^th century. He is thought to have descended from mastiff-type dogs that were brought to the Canary Islands by the Spanish conquistadores. He was used as a livestock guardian dog and to guard the farm from predators. Included in his ancestry are the Iberian Presa and the Alanos. The Iberian Presa is a mastiff-type dog that is extremely rare whereas the Alanos is a type of bulldog that is believed to be now extinct. The Bardino Majorero, a sheepdog, is thought to also be a part of the Perro De Presa Canario’s ancestry. Once the Perro De Presa Canario was discovered, he was exported to various countries and became a popular dog for dog fighting rings. Dog fighting was outlawed in the 1940s, but it still continues illegally today and the Perro De Presa Canario is still used extensively in these rings. The Perro De Presa Canario breed club was formed in the Canary Islands in 1982. In the 1970s, breeders in the United States began breeding the Perro De Presa Canario and worked to develop a dog that was strong, courageous, confident and territorial. These dogs became the foundation for almost all the Perro De Presa Canarios found within the United States. In 1996, the American Kennel Club began accepting him as a part of their Foundation Stock Service. The United Kennel Club officially recognized the breed in 2003. Because there are still too few Perro De Presa Canarios being registered within the United States, he remains not able to be officially registered with the AKC expect through their Foundation Stock Service.