Dogo Canario

Perro de Presa Canario, Canary Mastiff

The Dogo Canario has wonderful qualities. One must avoid stimulating his aggressiveness because he is already instinctively an excellent guard and protector, without any particular training. He is dedicated to the protection of his family whom he simply adores. Balanced and very calm, it is better for strangers to avoid provoking him because the impression of dignity and serenity that he releases quickly changes into instinctive defense, and he won't stop at anything if he is convinced his family is threatened. This superb four-legged specimen is a knight at heart and will stop at nothing for the love and protection of his own.

Height 57 to 66 cm
Weight 40 to 50 kg
Life expectancy 9 to 11 years
Hair Loss Low
Excercise Need Medium
Home country Spain

Quick Overview of the Dogo Canario

Temperament

  • Sweet and affectionate
  • Determined
  • Attentive and calm
  • Strong temper

Appearance

  • Muscular, robust, massive and large
  • Hardy appearance, but well proportioned
  • Slightly flabby skin
  • Hound appearance

Health

  • Robust and rarely sick
  • No particular pathology
  • Puppy growth to be watched

Temperament of the Dogo Canario

Sweet, affectionate, determined, attentive and calm, the Dogo Canario is endowed with a strong temperament accompanied by a highly developed protective instinct.

Stubborn and dominant, he must be well educated early on. Compatible with all, he has to learn to socialize with his peers.

Very calm and attentive to everything that is going on around him, this dog is also quite suspicious and protects his territory from all intruders.

No one enters his home without his permission. The Dogo Canario is not aggressive by nature but can be very persuasive if forced to.

His deep bark is very dissuasive when he uses it. He is, however, very balanced with humans, unlike his natural aversion to his peers.

The Dogo Canario is devoted to his family but is always wary of strangers despite an excellent education. He will be calm and balanced with humans, but will protect his family against all odds. 

dogo canario personnalité

Breed Appearance

dogo canario

Although considered a hound, the Dogo Canario is of average height. Muscular, sturdy, massive and large, his silhouette is hardy in appearance but very well proportioned.

His slightly flabby skin is a very characteristic aspect that most certainly comes from the Bulldog or Mastiff.

Height

Between 62 and 66 cm (24.41 to 25.98 inches) for the male
Between 57 and 62 cm (22.44 to 24.41 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 45 and 50 kg (99.21 to 110.23 pounds) for the male
Between 40 and 45 kg (88.18 to 99.21 pounds) for the female

Color

His dress is a pretty red color in all shades from very dark to very light, but often quite cold tone.

Hair

His short coat is flat, rustic and rather coarse. He has no undercoat.

Morphology

The Dogo Canario's head is massive and has a slightly convex skull and a well-marked stop.

His eyes, medium size and oval shape, are usually in harmony with the color of the dress.

His drooping ears fall on each side of the head when not trimmed. His large nose is black. His tail usually does not go beyond the hock.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 2, section 2 and is #346

Characteristics of the Dogo Canario

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

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Life in an apartment
Good first dog
Tolerates solitude
Tolerates cold weather
Tolerates hot weather
Affectionate
Friendly with children
Friendly with strangers
Friendly with other animals
Hair loss
Drooling level
Easy to care for
Robust health
Easy to train
Intelligent
Tendency to bark
Tendency to nibble
Protective
Instinct to hunt
Adventurous spirit
Energy level
Level of intensity
Need for exercise
Playful

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Dogo Canario puppy: between 1000 € / $ 1 / £1 and 1200 € / $ 1 / £1
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder

Tips About this breed

Essentially a companion dog, this magnificent specimen is intended for guarding people and their property, a task that he also accomplishes brilliantly.

 

The Dogo Canario is compatible with all but can't stand other dogs and his education must be carried out accordingly. If he has to mix with other dogs, he must learn to socialize with them from a young age because his ancestral fighting genes are still very present and he will fight with other dogs, even today.

He can live very well indoors, even in an apartment because he has a calm temperament when he's with his master. Obviously he needs a minimum of exercise to thrive. The Dogo Canario can therefore easily become everyone's companion, children and adults.

 

Health of the Dogo Canario

Robust and rarely sick, the puppy's growth must however be monitored.

A diet rich in protein is essential as for all mastiffs. He does not suffer from any pathology or particular genetic disease.

GROOMING

His short coat only requires an occasional good brushing, but nothing more. No particular other maintenance is necessary.

History of this breed

As his name suggests, the Dogo Canario is native to the Canary Islands in Spain, more specifically Gran Canaria and the islands of Tenerife in the archipelago.

Resulting from the cross between Bulldogs, Mastiffs and a local breed, probably including the Majorero and other Molossuses dogs of the archipelago, this large mastiff type therefore combines power, agility and morphology specific to mastiffs.

The Dogo Canario was greatly appreciated for helping the shepherds of the time control the cattle and for his talent as guardian and protector of cattle.

Around 1526, one wanted to eliminate him. Some claimed that he caused tremendous damage to domestic animals and the breed was almost extinct.

He was saved, however, and the dog began to be used in dog fights. When, in 1960, the ban on dog fighting was implemented, the breed was again threatened but he still resisted and was saved again.

The Dogo Canario's breed was subsequently improved around 1989, to finally result in the dog as we know him today.

Increasingly popular, especially in the United States but also in several other countries, the Dogo Canario received the approval of his standard by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) in 2001.

Although the breed is rather old, it has only recently been officially recognized. Today, he is an excellent companion dog, much appreciated for his superb talent as guardian and protector of property and people.

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