Canary Dog Blog

If you would like to own a dog that is powerful, devoted and can easily become an excellent guard dog, then the Canary Dog is the best breed for you. These dogs are brave and eager to defend their master at any cost, but on the other hand, they can be very dominant and if not treated properly, they can easily become jealous and dangerous. Therefore this dog is not recommended for novice dog owners. Rules must be set and lines must be cleared for this dog to achieve pack leader status in their eyes. Early socialization and obedience training is therefore a must for them. The Canary Dog can do well with children, other dogs and smaller pets, but only if they are raised together. At least half an hour playing session and a long, daily walk is very much recommended to keep the dog healthy and happy. They can live in an apartment, but the best is to provide them at least a medium sized yard for exercises.

The coat of the Canary Dog is short and coarse to the touch. It requires weekly brushing with a firm bristle brush. The breed is a minimal shedder. These dogs are prone to health issues like hip dysplasia, epilepsy and leishmaniasis (blood parasites), so frequent visits to the vet are recommended.

Training of the Canary Dog is very hard, as the dog always tries to become dominant. Therefore training must be done with consistency, firmness, much patience and rewards.

All in all, the Canary Dog is best for experienced dog owners who will be able to become the pack leader and will provide the dog enough care and exercise to keep them healthy and happy.

I hope this short article will be able to help you decide whether the Canary Dog is the best breed for you.

This beautiful and rare breed has numerous stunning qualities, however, there are some factors we have to watch out for.

• Due to its size and high energy level, the Presa Canario needs a large fence yard to be able to live happily. If you can’t provide enough area and possibility for exercises, the Presa is probably not for you.
• The Canary Dog is a perfect watchdog, it is highly protective. However, if not trained properly, can be suspicious, or even aggressive toward strangers. This is why it is extremely important to start the training in time, at a very young age.
• A Presa Canario probably won’t tolerate other dogs in the household, unless the other one is submissive, but this also depends on the temperament of the other dog and the level of training and socialization.

The ideal coat of a Canary Dog is of medium length and “rustic”. This means it is slightly coarse to the touch. The Canary dog only sheds minimally. The short, coarse fur comes in shades of fawn, brindle and black. White is allowed up to 20 percent and is most commonly found on the chest and feet, and occasionally on a blaze on the muzzle. The breed standard requires black pigmentation and dogs should have a black mask that does not extend above the eyes. This breed has never consisted of any shades of blue or grey. All colors that have been accepted include: Black, silver fawn, red fawn, fawn, red-brindle, brown-brindle, fawn-brindle, reverse-brindle and verdino, which has an almost greenish tinge to it.

The Canary Dog, or the Presa Canario or even the Dogo Canario as the breed in known has a strange name that often confuses people. Was it named after a canary bird? Or the Canary Islands? What’s the story? Well, this gorgeous breed originates from the Canary Islands. Hence its name. (Forget Tweedie bird for now). It was bred as a multi-purpose farm dog and Canary Dog enthusiasts believe that a certain farm dog breed from the Canary Islands; called : “Perro de Bardino Majorero” was crossed with the Mastiff and other English dogs that were brought to the island by visitors. It is believed that this dog breed: the “Perro de Presa Canario” ( or: the Canarian Dog of Prey) was created sometime during the 18th century as a flock and guard dog. Sadly a lot of the Canary dogs lost their lives to Dog Fights…that which was introduced by English settlers and perpetuated with the use of other Mastiffs and Bulldogs.

After 1940 – during a period when dog fights were prohibited, the breed almost became extinct. Luckily in the 1970’s well-meaning breeders made it their life-work to rekindle the genetic make-up of this powerful breed. It truly remains the : ” perro de la tierra ” (The dog of the land ). As for Tweedie…yes, the little yellow songbirds we call canaries have little green ancestors who once lived on what are now Spain’s Canary Islands. You might think that the islands are named after the birds, but such is not the case. “Canary” derives rather from the Latin word canis, or “dog”, and the name Canaria was given to one of these islands because of its population of fearsomely huge canines. Both the dogs and the birds were brought back to the Continent, but while the canaries prospered, those fierce dogs of the past (the grand-daddies of the Canary Dogs) have since become extinct. The name Canaria, however, stuck to both the islands and the birds…and gave the basis for the naming of the star of this Blog…the Canary Dog. As for Sylvester, he has no part in the story!

I have always prided myself on the fact, that I know quite a lot about dogs…their character and the different breeds. As a child I loved to read books about the different breeds; owning large dogs like Rottweilers and Dobermans and even a Great Dane. But strangely enough, I only ever heard about the so-called Canary Dog in 2007! Being somewhat ashamed of my limited knowledge, I decided to make a Blog about this dog that was left out of my passed canine-based education. So I welcome you dear Reader. Whether you own a Canary Dog, or have a passion for them, or are just a passer-by, I hope you will spend a few moments wandering through my postings dedicated to this fascinating breed. I welcome all comments and feedback, so please leave a pawprint or two.