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In his book "Historia General Sobre Las Islas
Canarias" (General History of The Canary Islands) historian Augustin
Miralles Torres comments that the islands took their name from the big
dogs that were found of them, it and of two of those animals taken to
the king of Mauritania in the times of the expedition of Juba. Described
are facts that dogs took place in myths and funeral customs and even
were part of the diet of aborigines of the islands. Demons appeared to
them as big fleecy dogs named "Tibicernas" on the island of Gran Canaria
and "Irnene" on the island of La Palma. Mummified bodies of dogs have
been found beside their masters as a guide to the great beyond. They
also consumed the meat of castrated dogs in small percentages, and
evidence of this has been found by archaeologists.
Following the conquest of the Canary Islands, the
presence of dogs of a type typical to holding dogs has been well
documented, particularly in the documents of the Municipal Council of
Tenerife. First mention is from a document dated 1501 declaring "that it
is allowed for any farmer of pigs to own "uno de las gandes" (one of the
big)". In the year 1516 there occurred an order for the extermination of
wild dogs or strays because of the harm that they do to livestock.
Appointing a pair of "Perros de Presa" owned by Don Pedro de Lugo,
trained for such a task. Another historical date, January 5, 1526, where
the death of the "Perros de Presa" is ordered for the damage that they
do to the livestock, with the exception of dogs in the service of
butchers and the pair owned by Don Pedro de Lugo. In the same year, in
December, occurs an order for the extermination of all "Perros de Presa"
with the exception of the four under the control of the town councilor.
From the documents of the Municipal Council of Betancuria (Fuerteventura)
it is noted that on August 25, 1617, given to the residents is the right
to kill, without fear of punishment, any "Perros de Presa" that were
loose and could produce harm. On February 19, 1618 it is ordered that
all "Perros de Presa" be tied up. October 21, 1624, it is ordered that a
dog may not be owned, except for the care of the home, and it is
understood that it is of hunting or holding type. Later on, in the year
1630, it is ordered that every resident must declare all "Perros de
Presa" to the court. In 1654 it was ordered that all dogs on the islands
be killed for the harm that they produce to livestock, minus one that
could be owned for the care of the home if it is of holding or cattle
dog type. The last reference to the "Perros de Presa" occurs on March
13, 1737, where the killing of abandoned dogs at the ports for visitors
from other islands is ordered and prohibiting the ownership of a dog for
someone that was not a farmer or a cattleman. It is deduced from that
order that the inhabitants of the islands sometimes moved accompanied by
their dogs, while others were left behind at the ports and possibly
began to breed into a bloodline.
As we have said previously, the presence of a type of
Presa dog in the islands is perfectly documented. It likewise is true
that we know nothing of their phenotype; neither we have the sufficient
judgments of amount in order to discard any of the several theories that
tend to define their origin.
Were there dogs of "indigenous magnitudes" in the
islands before the conquest? Did the Presas arrive to Canaries with the
conquerors? Is it be possible that in Canaries before the conquest dogs
of great size existed and they merged with several types of Presas
concluding the conquest? What we know with all clarity is the function
which these animals developed. Functions of guard of country property,
of struggle of the cattle, as assistant of butchers and even of
extermination of wild dogs and/ or strays, trained for such effect.
Based on this we could imagine a compact animal, proportionate, robust,
something slighter and more functional, but definitely a molosoid of
prey.
Several are the supposed genetic currents in the
configuration of the Prey Canary. Being that the islands obliged resorts
along the routes of the new world, it receives the blood of the Iberian
Presas.
The conquest of the Americas also brought about other
changes to the Canary Islands. The downfall of the single crop of sugar
cane came due to Caribbean competition. At that time the islands
embarked on the new scene of cultivation of grapevines. They produced
some strains of excellent quality and it was being converted into wine
by one of England's main importers. This new market brought many English
colonists, mostly traders and merchants of wine and island fruits, who
resided on the islands either temporarily or permanently, starting from
the end of the XV century and continuing throughout the XVIII century.
In England these were the "golden years" of dog fighting and they of
course arrived to the islands with their Bandogges and Tiedogs
(predecessors of the Bulldogs and Mastiffs) for faithful guardians of
their country properties. The Canary Island inhabitants, always open to
new ideas, soon became enthusiastic participants of this new sport : the
fighting of dogs. It should be noted that at this time this was not
practiced on the peninsula.
All of this is still lacks one final ingredient that
completes the explosive cocktail of the Presa Canario- the Bardino
Majorero, originating on the island of Fuerteventura, valued and
extended throughout the islands, appreciated for its intelligence
(easily trainable), of great physical resistance, an excellent guardian,
dedicated mostly to the management of goat herds, of little bark,
extraordinary set of teeth and an incorruptible courage, their rustic
coat brindled in tones of greenish, they contributed to the Presa
Canario a great part of their expression. This combination of Presas of
the land and Presas of the continent, incorporated with the blood of the
temperamental and rustic Bardino majorero, began an ethnic grouping of
Presas of intermediate and predominant type, of burning temperament. To
the traditional functions of guarding and struggle with the livestock,
was added a new and exciting mission, to the delight of most breeders:
The Fights.
Verbal history of the old fans testifies to how they
took place, how the challenges arose, and even to who the participants
were, etc. According to these old accounts the owners would come to an
agreement as to whether they would witness the fight in silence or if
they would incite the animals. Any spectator could touch or bother the
dogs during the battle. The fight could be in one of two forms, with or
without collars. Although the general idea was that the animals were
placed inside a circle drawn in the ground, faced front to front and
loosened, the collar often began the matches. It was not an excessively
blood spectacle since the Presa grabs and pushes and doesn't nibble.
Rarely were their deaths between contestants because when humbled, their
owners would guide them to draw back from the war. These were not public
organized acts, but rather sporadic as the challenges of their owners
arose. Although when a celebration of a fight was know, practically the
whole neighborhood participated in the show.
In the 1940's the prohibition of dog fighting was
ordered although this practice continued discreetly, but only for about
a decade. Beginning at that time and due to the hardening of the
authorities to eradicating the fighting of the Presa Canario, its
numbers decreased and it remained relegated to very few breeders.
Fortunately their stock was maintained, preventing the total
disappearance of the Presa Canario. This situation was worsened by the
introduction of new and strange breeds to the islands. The German
Shepherd (with all of its glory of hero of WWII and it's world wide
recognition), the Doberman Pinscher, the Great Dane, the Neapolitan
Mastiff, etc. One important part of the so few breeders it that it
allowed the temptations for the incorporation of the blood of these
"new" breeds into the Presa Canario, that would create a crossbreeding
that would leave the Presa Canario practically unrecognizable. The birth
of any "pure" litter prevented the disappearance of the Presa Canario
for good.
The Recovery of the Presa Canario
This situation changed radically in the beginning of
the 1970's. It was a time that adopted the social attitudes of reunion
to traditions of nearly lost cultures. The attitudes changed from
"everything we can get out of it the better" to "conservation, respect
and impregnation of the earth". The Presa Canario was no exception and
with being relegated only to rural areas and cattlemen, it became the
fashion for guardians in the urban areas. This began a slow but
continuous recovery of the breed. The few breeders of those years began
contact between them given the shortage of animals available for
breeding. The necessity arose to control the crossings and attack as a
team. That produced quickly, constituting the Club Español del Presa
Canario, in which most breeders of Tenerife, who were responsible for
most of the remaining population, took refuge. They also incorporated to
their project, fans of the breed from Gran Canaria, Lanzarote,
Fuerteventura and La Palma, establishing delegations on those islands.
The official record signature was November 12, 1982 and in January 1983,
they were recognized by the Real Sociedad Central as the only official
representative for the recovery of the breed.
Popularization of the breed in the hands of the CEPRC
could not have been more qualifying, but was spectacular through their
numerous popular shows that reintroduced the islanders with the
legendary dogs that they had heard their parents and grandparents tell
of. As reward of this management of breeding, the demand for information
reached unthinkable limits. The Club Español del Presa Canario
negotiated and participated outside of competition of similar breeds on
the road to recovery in the year 1985 at the National Exposition of
Tenerife and the years 85 and 86 in the International of Las Palmas in
Gran Canaria. On October 19, 1986 and June 6, 1987 the first and second
specialties for the Presa Canario took place. Reported entries were of
140 and 80 respectively, because of the presence of Don Valentine
Alvarez, president in that time of the Real Central Society, and the
delegate of the Commission of Spanish Races, Don Carlos Salas.
On November 1, 1987 a pair of Presa Canario ,a
brindle male "Facian" from the island of Tenerife and a female of the
same color "Marquise" from the island of Gran Canaria, in order to be
presented at the International Exposition of Otono in Madrid, as the
official presentation of the Presa Canario to the national authorities
and to international circles.
On January 24, 1989, the official standard of the
breed was approved. A historical moment that guaranteed the permanent
position of the Presa Canario as a Spanish dog originating from the
Canary Islands.
translated
Manuel Martin Betherncourt, CEPRC
Judge and Breeder
from:
www.dogocanarioclub.org
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