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REPORT: THE PRESA CANARIO IN TENERIFE
by the then president of the Spanish Club of the Presa
Canario Dog Manuel Martín Bethencourt.
In Tenerife, like in the
other islands of the Archipelago, mainly in Gran Canaria, the Presa
Canario Dog was used for the guard of houses and properties, for the
conduction of the bovine cattle of the land, denominated "coarse
cattle", and overall for the combat of dogs, liking that according to
what is believed, is introduced in the Canary Islands due the English
colonization.
The breeder crossed without no racial concept. The only
thing that they looked for was that his dog was good guardian and a
great fighter that left outside combat the dog which he faced. The color
was not important, although there was a great predilection by the
brindle, the tiger one, and in smaller degree the fawn ones, both
footwear and collared in white. The north zone of Tenerife was the most
inclined to this type of spectacles. It is possible that such
circumstance had to do with that it was -also at the present time- the
one of greater concentration of coarse cattle (bovine canary), whose it
struggle was task of the dogs. Peculiarly in this zone, also is
denominate to the Presa Canario "Coarse Dog" and frequently "Bordon".
Some authors have related this designation like deformation of the word
"bulldog".
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Bovina
Canaria |
Bovina
Canaria |
Presa
Canario w trakcie pracy |
Some great breeders of the Presa Canario were Juan el
Marchante, Andrés el Penínsular, The Guardian from El Ortigal, Gabino,
El Caporal, The Guardian from La Esperanza, Luciano and Polo Acosta,
owner of famous "Marruecos", that had bought to Juan el Marchante, and
of which was claimed was the Champion of the perros de presa. This dog
was imported to Tenerife from the Island of La Palma.
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Marruecos |
In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the wood hut there was a
species of deposit in which trained dogs for the combat.
In years 40 was decreed the
prohibition of the dogs fights, and although some is celebrated
sporadic, the presa canario falls in damage, until almost its total
extinction. This situation is agravated by the great popularity
acquiring by other foreign breeds, in special the German Shepherd.
Also the conflict of the
Spanish Sahara decimated remarkably the population. It is in decade 70
when the recovery begins, in resurging slow but uninterrupted.
In 1975-76 three male units of Gran Canaria are imported
to Tenerife, from the locality of Sardina, Felo and Monzón, brindle and
fawn respectively, as well as a brother of mother of color fawn, Firpo,
all they children of the female named Diana.
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Felo |
Firpo |
On the other hand, were imported from Arucas (Gran
Canaria) a pair of unit, Boby, brindle male, and Piba, fawn female of
the line of Juan Santana. It is the import of these units of Gran
Canaria those that crossing with presas of old lines of Tenerife, as
they were Manolo and Troika of Don Silverio Mesa, Turca of Don Telesforo
Hernandez, etc. settle the lines of present blood in the present time.
In year 1974 Manolo is
crossed with Barde, from where is born Taoro of Don Jose Manuel Teixeira
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Boby |
Piba |
Manolo,
Laika, Troika |
From Boby and Piba de Irema Curtó in several litters
proliferate exemplary like Toby, Viva, Tamay I, Tamay II, Patrás, Mora,
etc.
In September of 77 a
daughter of this crossing, Tamai I, is mated with the male Felo of Mr.
Quevedo, being born exemplary like Mahán, Beneharo, Guacimara, Guama,
etc. Again Felo mated a dog of the Boby-Piba line, called Mora, of where
they are born exemplary like Ioya and Guanche de Pilar Udías.
Manolo, male of Don Silverio Mesa was mated with Gara,
female of Mr. Quevedo of where is born Drago, of the Dr. Murube del
Castillo.
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Gara |
This dog is mated to Mora -daughter of Boby-Piba- of
where Jama, Urma and Caimán are born.
Urma, with a dog of unknown origin, whelped to
Bruco and Tauco, establishing a differentiating line.
Blood of Bulldog is introduced, through the
crossing of Guama (Felo-Tamai) with Gruñón (Bulldog), of where Campeón
and Teguise are born. This occurs in March of 1980.
Elvis, male brindle with influence of Gran Dane,
was mated with Tamay II (Boby-Piba), being born Bardino, that establish
new line of blood.
Felo is mated to Jama (Drago-Mora de Irema Curtó)
from where is born Yaiza, of Don Mario Montequi and Day of Don Joquín
Reig. This female (Day) is mated with a Bullmastiff, of where Jacho and
others are born, establishing a differentiated type.
Mahan (Felo-Tamay I) is
mated with Turca, dog of old line, and is born Porky, that constitutes a
new line. These we could say are the most significant crossings of
re-breed of the Presa canario in Tenerife, until year 1982. As of this
moment the Spanish Club of the Presa Canario is constituted, that
agglutinated great part of the breeders in active, and canalizes the
breed through the Committee of Selection and breed.
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Porky |
Thus a new stage of crossings began, adding the
descendants of previously mentioned the refreshment of the blood of
Bulldog that contributed unit like Teguise and Campeon. With these
crossings was tried to give structure to them that were slight, due to
the great existing consanguinity.
Fruit of these new
contributions are exemplary like Patagón, Traque, Caporal, Daute, Faycán,
etc. Are consolidate units of great structure and type, paying attention
the differentiating type of the racial group of Tenerife.
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Patagón |
Traque |
Caporal |
Faycan (z prawej) |
Crossings with Bullmastiff brindle in 1984 are tried,
also with unit product of Bullmastiff-Stafordshire Bull Terrier,
although these crossings have little repercussion in re-breed. Also test
with DogoArgentino is made, that was complete rejected.
example fotos of
few different breeds from the beganinng of XX century
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Dogue de Bordeaux |
Bullmastif |
Mastino
Napolitano |
Also the crossing of a female, Morita (Felo-Mora de Irema Curtó ) with
the Lirio of Don Manuel Alemán, of Arucas (Gran Canaria), contributes
blood of Neopolitan Masstiff, although it has not been continued.
In synthesis, in the racial group of Tenerife we
find us with a distributed population of the following way respect to
lines of blood:
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Most of the population, approximately a 85%,
and most characteristic, descending of the Boby-Piba-Felo line,
refreshed with blood of Bulldog (Gruñón) and in one more reduced
proportion blood of Bullmastiff and Great Dane, impregnated by the
one of old presas.
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An isolated racial group, considered in a 5%,
desdendientes of Boby-Piba-Felo with Bullmastiff in first
generation, that display a different phenotype.
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Another racial group, considered in a 5%,
constitutes units of the Drago-Boby-Piba line, that have been mated
with an indetermine sires and which they display own
characteristics.
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And finally, a 5% of indetermine population
product of fortuitous crossings.
As it is deduced off the previously exposed, when being in Tenerife the
fights totally extinguished, are made the crossings taking care of the
phenotype of the reproducers, using a high degree of consanguinity to
fix the type. Like consequence, a high homogeneity in the existing
population has been obtained, but also for this reason problems of
character, structures and dysplasia of hip are appearing. At the present
time, the Spanish Club of the Presa Canary is in the arduous task of
promoting crossings between unit of the two canary provinces, to the
object to unify the type of the Presa Canario in all the region.
Published in the first bulletin of the
CEPPC.
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