eSPO
16th June 2007, 14:10
Admin Note : The original reply to Bob is modified from time to time to provide timely information to combat the most recent rumours and trends trying to ruin this great breed. It seems as though everybody wants to buy a Presa these days. I got an e-mail from "Bob" and after I replied I decided to post my reply, i figured it may help the hundreds of unique visitors we get here everyday.
[quote]
Bob , The Perro De Presa Canario is a young breed. Constructed just thirty years ago on two different Islands by people with different ideas, that used different breeds. The RSCE ( Spanish Kennel Club) decided to work with the Island Breeders to develop the breed and adopt a standard in 1989. This is the original standard for the Presa Canario dog http://www.irema-curto.com/presa-standard.htm . Please pay close attention to the maximum height and weight .There were two main clubs, the one on the Island of Tenerife and the other in Las Palmas ,Gran Canaria. The Club on Tenerife (CEPRC then ,CEDC now) concentrated on using breeds and crossings to achieve a certain "look" or breed "type" as soon as possible. The Dogo Canario has been bred exclusively for show and exhibition. They used modern purebred dogs to accomplish their "look" . Their products are known as Dogo Canario today. The Club in Las Palmas concentrated on developing the ultimate performance dog, with strength,speed,endurance and tenacity. Functional dogs were bred and non-functional dogs were culled. Two very different goals with similar ,but ,different results. The Breeders on Las Palmas tried to incorporate whatever traditional "Presa Dogs" (Island Holding dogs ) were left with . . Bull Mastiff,Great Dane,Staffordshire Bullterrier, Neopolitan Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff , Bulldog, Bardino Majorero and other breeds to accomplish their goal. It is important to know that these breeds are not identical to their UKC/AKC counterparts today. They were much harder and had much more prey drive, they were actually working dogs used for hog,livestock and guardian duties.
The CEDC Club breeders wanted to establish a breed "look" and did not care about using the traditional "Presa" dogs to create their version. ..The CEDC (Tenerife Club) dogs are farther along in confirmation ( their selection was based on exhibition and shows) .The lines from Las Palmas tend to have more fire. This is not to say that there were not great looking dogs from Las Palmas and all Tenerife developed dogs couldn`t "work". The CEDC agreed to change the name tofrom Presa CAnario to Dogo Canario and eliminated Black from the standard in order to receive FCI recognition in 2001( FCI is a European Kennel Club) . This made the difference between the Presa Canario and the Dogo Canario more apparent. The breeders on The Canary Islands and many other traditional breeders, including Manuel Curto ,( A Tenerife based breeder who used Gran Canaria ,and other stock) did not recognize the name change nor the modification of the original standard. http://www.irema-curto.com . Today you will still find the CEDC aligned with the FCI. The FCI is not a registry, it is a governing body. The United States is not an FCI country . Outside of the FCI/CEDC is Manuel Curto Gracia, an independent breeder who lives on Tenerife and who used Gran Canaria based foundation stock to establish his program years 30 years ago. Most pedigrees will have Manuel Curtos dogs at the origin of their pedigree. http://www.presacanario.kie.pl/presa34-a.htm .Manuel Curto is very successful and takes his breed very seriously. He is considered by many to be the father of the modern breed. Anybody considering an authentic Presa Canario would do well to consider a Perro de Presa from his kennel. You will also find the Club in Las Palmas that concentrates on old line dogs and uses the old standard of the RSCE adopted in 1989. http://www.elpresacanario.com/
In the US you will find Clubs that are dedicated to the Perro de Presa Canario and the Dogo Canario. Although the Presa and the Dogo share common roots (occasionally) they are two different breeds. Different breeds were used in their development and different criteria for selection of breeding stock were employed. In the US You have the DCCA, "Dogo Canario Club of America" a small club who is aligned with the CEDC/FCI , The IAPC ,a very small club made exclusively of Redstar Kennel owners. They claim to be dedicated to preserving the Presa Canario as a protection dog even though they recognize the FCI standard of the show dog, the Dogo Canario. After breeding and selling hundereds of puppies a small percentage have titled in protection work Their limited success is due to the dedication of their owners and not the superiority of their dogs or breeding program. You also have the UPPCC who is comprised of breeders who use Presas from all backgrounds. In the early 1990`s Bill Jarvis and Travis White brought back Tonio del Jardin Canario and Princessa de Jardin Canario directly from Las Palmas. Tonio and Pricesa were sired out of Rokote del Jardin Canario. Rokote was made famous on Las Palmas and in Spain where he one multiple Championships and the first CAC in Presa Canario history. Rokote was reputed to be very effective in the ring and outside of it. Rokote also sired the 5th Presa Champion of Spain ,Brosco,and very well known Presas ,Carlota and Ebro del Jardin Canario , they were consistant winners of island exhibitions. The purpose of these early exhibitions was to show the world what a Presa Canario was. According to Manuel Curto and Clemente Reyes Santana the predecessors to the JArdin Canario line were product of the crosses of Bull Mastiff, Staffordshire Bullterier, Dane, Neopolitan Mastiff and traditional "Presa" dogs complete with Majorero blood. The CEDC breeders would not allow Rokote to win any Monographic Exhibition ( Anuual show based on Tenerife) because he was a Las Palmas Based dog and was a first generation cross. (Of course all dogs that were displayed were recent crosses) The first Monographic winner was Baron, who was also a 2nd generation cross but based on Manuel Curto breeding Stock. Tonio and Princesa, through Medusa,and 13 other dogs imported by Bill Jarvis after his return to the states have had the most impact on the United States Presa Canario population. Medusa was a famous female in the line of Tonio and Princesa. She was owned by Richard Kelly and Showstopper Kennels and was Purchased from Bill Jarvis and Travis White in Utah. Rob and Ruth Combe were acquaintances of Travis and Bill and purchased Jasmine de Princessa from Bill and later Bill imported Banot de Haridian for them to pair with Jasmine de Princesa. Tonio and Princesa had three litters and Medusa is the only pup out of those litters who had a tendency to throw alot of white. At that time the standard called for up to 30% white. Originally on the islands it was 40%. Medusa dominated the Show ring in the United States for quite a while. Today when you see a pedigreed Presa with it , usually, is a Medusa offspring. When people have bred dogs with Medusa on both sides of the Pedigree all white dogs have occured. Because this line used Staffordshire Bullterier for gameness the white has popped up in certain dogs (genetic throwback). The standard was modified to 20% white and that is generally acepted by all US groups. These are the reasons that all or most of the Tonio/Princesa line dogs are similar in type and temperment. They are known to be very athletic, drivey, excellent family companions, and will not run from a challenge by any dog.
The DCCA uses CEDC based dogs now Called the Dogo Canario. One of the well known dogs that represent this club , as of this writing, is named "Sirena" She is a Presa Canario bitch that was rescued by her new owner and is actually "Cita de Irema Curto". Her name was changed by her Dark Force Kenels (Tracy Hennings) to hide the fact that she is a rescue and she is directly from the kennel of Irema Curto in Tenerife, a person she has openly ridiculed for years ( and yet she breeds with one of his products) . My experience tells me that the CEDC based dogs, who were selected for confirmation only, are not as drivey,more defensive and experience more health problems. This is because of their breeding philosophy of "type" at the expense of health and temperment. Several well known CEDC club "Champions" ( Commonly used studs and bitches.) have been verified to have suffered from severe dysplasia and epilepsy. Verdugo, Uga and Mencey to name a few. http://www.irema-curto.com/article6.htm the CEDC breeding program has resulted in a family of dogs that are estimated to be dysplastic about 40% of the time and have a high percentage of heart problems.
The IAPC uses a variety of dogs and is mainly interested in protection dogs. They have used dogs imported from Germany,the Canary Islands to develop their program. Since it is a working program they are soft on pedigree, soft on type, and attempt to breed for the best working dog, even if this includes using non-Presas to breed promote their kennels. The pedigrees of their foundation dogs are not very deep and origins on most are questionable. All of my comments here are generalizations, we all know that all breeders can produce good dogs and subpar dogs. Decide what you expect out of your dog and research the background and health of prospective Sires and Dams and be a part of the group that best fits your personal philosophy.I would insist on a long pedigree (four generations or longer) verify Canarian bloodline ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PEDIGREE. MANY POPULAR PUPPY MILL STUDS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CANARY ISLANDS, they are simply using mutts as studs. BE CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEVERAL LITTERS A YEAR. EVEN mORE CAREFUL WITH MULTIPLE LITTERS A MONTH ! Insist on evidence of health and temperment test of Sire and Dam. The Presa can be very dog aggressive and dominant and are not a dog to put in the yard to ignore. They demand to be an integral part of your life and be a part of the family.
The UPPCC tends to be made of small hobby breeders and the DCCA and their associates are more mass quantity-commercial oriented breeders. When somebody uses "titles" to promote their breeding stock make sure you read exactly what that title means, many "titles" are made up by small organizations and are just smokescreens to make their dogs appear to be something they are not, if someone starts to mention or brags about titles find out what they are. ie " My stud has multiple titles" you ask "what are they" ? Then find out what specifically what was required to earn the "title" . Joe Brown, myself , and Richard Kelly were succesful in gaining recognition for the Perro de Presa Canario in historic name and coat color by the UKC. Cindy Cooke of the UKC, Joe Brown, Richard Kelly and I (David Espinoza) wrote the UKC standard for the Perro de Presa Canario along with other input. We tried to stay in line with the original breed standard of 1989 which allowed the Black coat and the traditional white markings on belly,chest, and feet. The white blaze on the face or head is allowable as well.The Black coat and white markings of the Perro de Presa Canario are a historic reality and they were eliminated in the FCI standard in 2001, fortunately the Black coat and historical pattterns remain an integral part of the UKC standard. The Presa can now participate in all UKC events.which include Obedience trials, Agility trials,Weight pulls, Conformation events, and a new personal protection event. Joe Brown, Sam Nelson, and myself resigned from the UPPCC when the other members of the board decided to drop the breeder requirements that we had agreed upon at the formation of the club. They removed mandatory hip and temperment tests and made them "optiona"l for breeding dogs. Some of us disagreed with this decision and resigned. Decide on what you want to do with your dog and pick your puppy accordingly. See that the parents have the drive and ability to do the activity that you have decided to participate in. The more drivey the dog, the easier to train. Many Breeders are not limited to any one type of Presa Canario from any single program.The plan is to unite the best of the best to achive our breeding goals. In the UPPCC you will find Manuel Curto based dogs, CEDC based dogs, Tonio-Princesa (Del Jardin Canario, Las Palmas) based dogs, and mixes of these breeding philosophies. Choosing a breeder is alot of work when considering a Presa Canario.
Do your homework, talk to as many breeders as possible and get a feel for them and take the plunge. There are many non affiliated breeders in the US who are doing there own thing, a word of caution. Do not spend your money on dogs that have no Island dogs both sides of their pedigree or no health ,temperment screening. Be careful. There are those who are still crossing in Bulldogs, Neos, and other stuff to make their own brand of expensive, profitable mutt. THRE IS NO WAY TO RECREATE THE TYPE OF NEO or DANE, etc of 70 years ago with their counterparts today. The Dane was once one of the best huters/catchers of its day. The Neo was once a working dog with strength, speed and hard temperament. Get familiar with the Perro de Presa Canario , its standard, and pedigrees and keep yourself from making an awful mistake. Make a choice that you will be glad to live with for 8 to 12 years. I can send you some valuable research links and tools in another e-mail. Remeber, large kennels with multiple breeding males and females are often in it for the money. Be careful and verify all information. There is alot more to breeding dogs than throwing a male and female together and putting ads in the paper. You can by a mutt at the pound for 60.00 why pay thousands for one because they are called "Presas" by the "breeder" ?
1. Insist on Hip X-ray on Sire and Dam. Some lines are running 40% Dysplastic. You don`t want a crippled dog.
2. Insist on a pedigree with legitimate presas on both sides, preferably back to the islands. ( Your paying for a Presa you may as well get one)
3. AVOID PUPPY MILLS There is no way an operation having several litters a month can properly imprint,train,socialize, or place 30 to 40 puppies. Do not support these operations.
4. Do not be impressed by fancy websites and pictures of dogs playing tug of war with bite sleeves, most puppies will play tug with sleeves, if you are looking for a real protection or competition dog ask to see titles or video of the parents in real life protection scenarios. Very few dogs have what it takes to face this kind of pressure, almost all will play tug of war with a sleeve.
VERIFY EVERYTHING Hips, health and tempement, of sires and dams of perspective puppies. Do not take anybodies word , or "I`ll get that for ya" or the "the hips were tested in europe, or spain , or on the Islands"
Insist on a Penn Hip or OFA rating, or at minimum, copies of the Xrays takin in the US of sire and Dam with LEGIBLE DATE AND NAME OF SUBJECT DOG.
5. AVOID PUPPY MILLS AGAIN . Find a good ol Ma and PA hobby breeder, or a breeder that will dempnstrate the abilities of his dogs. Obtain pedigree information and VERIFY Island lineage. Remeber if puppies are raised in a home environment they are generally better socialized than with high volume breeders who cant spend time with them. Your odds of success will skyrocket if you find a good hobby breeder. Its Quality not Quantity, there is only one reason to have several breeders and multiple litters on the ground at one time its called MONEY.
Good Luck !
David Espinoza
602-218-5147
[quote]
Bob , The Perro De Presa Canario is a young breed. Constructed just thirty years ago on two different Islands by people with different ideas, that used different breeds. The RSCE ( Spanish Kennel Club) decided to work with the Island Breeders to develop the breed and adopt a standard in 1989. This is the original standard for the Presa Canario dog http://www.irema-curto.com/presa-standard.htm . Please pay close attention to the maximum height and weight .There were two main clubs, the one on the Island of Tenerife and the other in Las Palmas ,Gran Canaria. The Club on Tenerife (CEPRC then ,CEDC now) concentrated on using breeds and crossings to achieve a certain "look" or breed "type" as soon as possible. The Dogo Canario has been bred exclusively for show and exhibition. They used modern purebred dogs to accomplish their "look" . Their products are known as Dogo Canario today. The Club in Las Palmas concentrated on developing the ultimate performance dog, with strength,speed,endurance and tenacity. Functional dogs were bred and non-functional dogs were culled. Two very different goals with similar ,but ,different results. The Breeders on Las Palmas tried to incorporate whatever traditional "Presa Dogs" (Island Holding dogs ) were left with . . Bull Mastiff,Great Dane,Staffordshire Bullterrier, Neopolitan Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff , Bulldog, Bardino Majorero and other breeds to accomplish their goal. It is important to know that these breeds are not identical to their UKC/AKC counterparts today. They were much harder and had much more prey drive, they were actually working dogs used for hog,livestock and guardian duties.
The CEDC Club breeders wanted to establish a breed "look" and did not care about using the traditional "Presa" dogs to create their version. ..The CEDC (Tenerife Club) dogs are farther along in confirmation ( their selection was based on exhibition and shows) .The lines from Las Palmas tend to have more fire. This is not to say that there were not great looking dogs from Las Palmas and all Tenerife developed dogs couldn`t "work". The CEDC agreed to change the name tofrom Presa CAnario to Dogo Canario and eliminated Black from the standard in order to receive FCI recognition in 2001( FCI is a European Kennel Club) . This made the difference between the Presa Canario and the Dogo Canario more apparent. The breeders on The Canary Islands and many other traditional breeders, including Manuel Curto ,( A Tenerife based breeder who used Gran Canaria ,and other stock) did not recognize the name change nor the modification of the original standard. http://www.irema-curto.com . Today you will still find the CEDC aligned with the FCI. The FCI is not a registry, it is a governing body. The United States is not an FCI country . Outside of the FCI/CEDC is Manuel Curto Gracia, an independent breeder who lives on Tenerife and who used Gran Canaria based foundation stock to establish his program years 30 years ago. Most pedigrees will have Manuel Curtos dogs at the origin of their pedigree. http://www.presacanario.kie.pl/presa34-a.htm .Manuel Curto is very successful and takes his breed very seriously. He is considered by many to be the father of the modern breed. Anybody considering an authentic Presa Canario would do well to consider a Perro de Presa from his kennel. You will also find the Club in Las Palmas that concentrates on old line dogs and uses the old standard of the RSCE adopted in 1989. http://www.elpresacanario.com/
In the US you will find Clubs that are dedicated to the Perro de Presa Canario and the Dogo Canario. Although the Presa and the Dogo share common roots (occasionally) they are two different breeds. Different breeds were used in their development and different criteria for selection of breeding stock were employed. In the US You have the DCCA, "Dogo Canario Club of America" a small club who is aligned with the CEDC/FCI , The IAPC ,a very small club made exclusively of Redstar Kennel owners. They claim to be dedicated to preserving the Presa Canario as a protection dog even though they recognize the FCI standard of the show dog, the Dogo Canario. After breeding and selling hundereds of puppies a small percentage have titled in protection work Their limited success is due to the dedication of their owners and not the superiority of their dogs or breeding program. You also have the UPPCC who is comprised of breeders who use Presas from all backgrounds. In the early 1990`s Bill Jarvis and Travis White brought back Tonio del Jardin Canario and Princessa de Jardin Canario directly from Las Palmas. Tonio and Pricesa were sired out of Rokote del Jardin Canario. Rokote was made famous on Las Palmas and in Spain where he one multiple Championships and the first CAC in Presa Canario history. Rokote was reputed to be very effective in the ring and outside of it. Rokote also sired the 5th Presa Champion of Spain ,Brosco,and very well known Presas ,Carlota and Ebro del Jardin Canario , they were consistant winners of island exhibitions. The purpose of these early exhibitions was to show the world what a Presa Canario was. According to Manuel Curto and Clemente Reyes Santana the predecessors to the JArdin Canario line were product of the crosses of Bull Mastiff, Staffordshire Bullterier, Dane, Neopolitan Mastiff and traditional "Presa" dogs complete with Majorero blood. The CEDC breeders would not allow Rokote to win any Monographic Exhibition ( Anuual show based on Tenerife) because he was a Las Palmas Based dog and was a first generation cross. (Of course all dogs that were displayed were recent crosses) The first Monographic winner was Baron, who was also a 2nd generation cross but based on Manuel Curto breeding Stock. Tonio and Princesa, through Medusa,and 13 other dogs imported by Bill Jarvis after his return to the states have had the most impact on the United States Presa Canario population. Medusa was a famous female in the line of Tonio and Princesa. She was owned by Richard Kelly and Showstopper Kennels and was Purchased from Bill Jarvis and Travis White in Utah. Rob and Ruth Combe were acquaintances of Travis and Bill and purchased Jasmine de Princessa from Bill and later Bill imported Banot de Haridian for them to pair with Jasmine de Princesa. Tonio and Princesa had three litters and Medusa is the only pup out of those litters who had a tendency to throw alot of white. At that time the standard called for up to 30% white. Originally on the islands it was 40%. Medusa dominated the Show ring in the United States for quite a while. Today when you see a pedigreed Presa with it , usually, is a Medusa offspring. When people have bred dogs with Medusa on both sides of the Pedigree all white dogs have occured. Because this line used Staffordshire Bullterier for gameness the white has popped up in certain dogs (genetic throwback). The standard was modified to 20% white and that is generally acepted by all US groups. These are the reasons that all or most of the Tonio/Princesa line dogs are similar in type and temperment. They are known to be very athletic, drivey, excellent family companions, and will not run from a challenge by any dog.
The DCCA uses CEDC based dogs now Called the Dogo Canario. One of the well known dogs that represent this club , as of this writing, is named "Sirena" She is a Presa Canario bitch that was rescued by her new owner and is actually "Cita de Irema Curto". Her name was changed by her Dark Force Kenels (Tracy Hennings) to hide the fact that she is a rescue and she is directly from the kennel of Irema Curto in Tenerife, a person she has openly ridiculed for years ( and yet she breeds with one of his products) . My experience tells me that the CEDC based dogs, who were selected for confirmation only, are not as drivey,more defensive and experience more health problems. This is because of their breeding philosophy of "type" at the expense of health and temperment. Several well known CEDC club "Champions" ( Commonly used studs and bitches.) have been verified to have suffered from severe dysplasia and epilepsy. Verdugo, Uga and Mencey to name a few. http://www.irema-curto.com/article6.htm the CEDC breeding program has resulted in a family of dogs that are estimated to be dysplastic about 40% of the time and have a high percentage of heart problems.
The IAPC uses a variety of dogs and is mainly interested in protection dogs. They have used dogs imported from Germany,the Canary Islands to develop their program. Since it is a working program they are soft on pedigree, soft on type, and attempt to breed for the best working dog, even if this includes using non-Presas to breed promote their kennels. The pedigrees of their foundation dogs are not very deep and origins on most are questionable. All of my comments here are generalizations, we all know that all breeders can produce good dogs and subpar dogs. Decide what you expect out of your dog and research the background and health of prospective Sires and Dams and be a part of the group that best fits your personal philosophy.I would insist on a long pedigree (four generations or longer) verify Canarian bloodline ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PEDIGREE. MANY POPULAR PUPPY MILL STUDS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CANARY ISLANDS, they are simply using mutts as studs. BE CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE SEVERAL LITTERS A YEAR. EVEN mORE CAREFUL WITH MULTIPLE LITTERS A MONTH ! Insist on evidence of health and temperment test of Sire and Dam. The Presa can be very dog aggressive and dominant and are not a dog to put in the yard to ignore. They demand to be an integral part of your life and be a part of the family.
The UPPCC tends to be made of small hobby breeders and the DCCA and their associates are more mass quantity-commercial oriented breeders. When somebody uses "titles" to promote their breeding stock make sure you read exactly what that title means, many "titles" are made up by small organizations and are just smokescreens to make their dogs appear to be something they are not, if someone starts to mention or brags about titles find out what they are. ie " My stud has multiple titles" you ask "what are they" ? Then find out what specifically what was required to earn the "title" . Joe Brown, myself , and Richard Kelly were succesful in gaining recognition for the Perro de Presa Canario in historic name and coat color by the UKC. Cindy Cooke of the UKC, Joe Brown, Richard Kelly and I (David Espinoza) wrote the UKC standard for the Perro de Presa Canario along with other input. We tried to stay in line with the original breed standard of 1989 which allowed the Black coat and the traditional white markings on belly,chest, and feet. The white blaze on the face or head is allowable as well.The Black coat and white markings of the Perro de Presa Canario are a historic reality and they were eliminated in the FCI standard in 2001, fortunately the Black coat and historical pattterns remain an integral part of the UKC standard. The Presa can now participate in all UKC events.which include Obedience trials, Agility trials,Weight pulls, Conformation events, and a new personal protection event. Joe Brown, Sam Nelson, and myself resigned from the UPPCC when the other members of the board decided to drop the breeder requirements that we had agreed upon at the formation of the club. They removed mandatory hip and temperment tests and made them "optiona"l for breeding dogs. Some of us disagreed with this decision and resigned. Decide on what you want to do with your dog and pick your puppy accordingly. See that the parents have the drive and ability to do the activity that you have decided to participate in. The more drivey the dog, the easier to train. Many Breeders are not limited to any one type of Presa Canario from any single program.The plan is to unite the best of the best to achive our breeding goals. In the UPPCC you will find Manuel Curto based dogs, CEDC based dogs, Tonio-Princesa (Del Jardin Canario, Las Palmas) based dogs, and mixes of these breeding philosophies. Choosing a breeder is alot of work when considering a Presa Canario.
Do your homework, talk to as many breeders as possible and get a feel for them and take the plunge. There are many non affiliated breeders in the US who are doing there own thing, a word of caution. Do not spend your money on dogs that have no Island dogs both sides of their pedigree or no health ,temperment screening. Be careful. There are those who are still crossing in Bulldogs, Neos, and other stuff to make their own brand of expensive, profitable mutt. THRE IS NO WAY TO RECREATE THE TYPE OF NEO or DANE, etc of 70 years ago with their counterparts today. The Dane was once one of the best huters/catchers of its day. The Neo was once a working dog with strength, speed and hard temperament. Get familiar with the Perro de Presa Canario , its standard, and pedigrees and keep yourself from making an awful mistake. Make a choice that you will be glad to live with for 8 to 12 years. I can send you some valuable research links and tools in another e-mail. Remeber, large kennels with multiple breeding males and females are often in it for the money. Be careful and verify all information. There is alot more to breeding dogs than throwing a male and female together and putting ads in the paper. You can by a mutt at the pound for 60.00 why pay thousands for one because they are called "Presas" by the "breeder" ?
1. Insist on Hip X-ray on Sire and Dam. Some lines are running 40% Dysplastic. You don`t want a crippled dog.
2. Insist on a pedigree with legitimate presas on both sides, preferably back to the islands. ( Your paying for a Presa you may as well get one)
3. AVOID PUPPY MILLS There is no way an operation having several litters a month can properly imprint,train,socialize, or place 30 to 40 puppies. Do not support these operations.
4. Do not be impressed by fancy websites and pictures of dogs playing tug of war with bite sleeves, most puppies will play tug with sleeves, if you are looking for a real protection or competition dog ask to see titles or video of the parents in real life protection scenarios. Very few dogs have what it takes to face this kind of pressure, almost all will play tug of war with a sleeve.
VERIFY EVERYTHING Hips, health and tempement, of sires and dams of perspective puppies. Do not take anybodies word , or "I`ll get that for ya" or the "the hips were tested in europe, or spain , or on the Islands"
Insist on a Penn Hip or OFA rating, or at minimum, copies of the Xrays takin in the US of sire and Dam with LEGIBLE DATE AND NAME OF SUBJECT DOG.
5. AVOID PUPPY MILLS AGAIN . Find a good ol Ma and PA hobby breeder, or a breeder that will dempnstrate the abilities of his dogs. Obtain pedigree information and VERIFY Island lineage. Remeber if puppies are raised in a home environment they are generally better socialized than with high volume breeders who cant spend time with them. Your odds of success will skyrocket if you find a good hobby breeder. Its Quality not Quantity, there is only one reason to have several breeders and multiple litters on the ground at one time its called MONEY.
Good Luck !
David Espinoza
602-218-5147