Perro de presa mallorquin origin, appearance, disposition
Dog from Majorca – a historical outline
Perro de presa mallorquin has its origins in antiquity, when shipping in the Mediterranean basin began to develop from east to west. Among the goods exchanged between the inhabitants of different regions of the area, there were also domestic animals, including, of course, dogs. At that time, they were used to guard the goods against robbers and pirates.
The most popular were mastiffs from the Iberian Peninsula, which were used there to fight bulls and dogs and to help hunters. After the conquest of the Balearic Islands by James I the Conqueror in 1230, the dogs were transported there. In the 17th century, the archipelago, including Majorca, was taken over by the British Crown and new inhabitants from the British Isles began to settle on the islands. They brought their own fighting and guard dogs, including English Bulldogs, which began to be uncontrolledly associated with Mastiffs.
In the 18th century, dog fights with bulls became more popular and became a favorite pastime for settlers. English bulldog hybrids with local dogs were used for them, and soon the intentional breeding of such hybrids began for the purposes of fights, because dogs were dying en masse during them. The new crossword was called ca de bou – a bull dog, and the population valued them as much as bullfighters. Therefore, after their death in a fight with bulls, these dogs were bred with honors due to people, and they were also given expensive tombstones.
Fortunately, in the 19th century, these barbaric pastimes were banned by law in Spain. However, this resulted in a lack of demand for ca de bou and the breed began to decline. She was in danger of extinction, although in 1923 the first dog was registered in the Spanish pedigree book, and the breed’s debut at the show took place in Barcelona in 1928. After a year, cao de bou was shown again at this show, and then it was lost. It was not until the 1950s that the breed was reconstructed, which was officially recognized by the FCI in 1965. In Poland, the first individuals were found in 1994 (breeding Osanna).
Perro de presa mallorquin – description of the appearance
The Majorca Dog is a typical Molossian with an elongated body, medium height and massive build. It is characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism, expressed in the appearance of the head. It has a much larger circumference in dogs than in bitches. The skull of a Majorcan Great Dane is large and wide, and its circumference is greater than its height at the withers. When you look at the dog from the front, you cannot see the back. The stop is clearly defined, the superciliary arches form a distinct frontal furrow. Jaws strong, teeth large, white, full dentition. A feature of the breed is undershot bite – a remnant of the English bulldog. It cannot be larger than 1 cm. Teeth with a closed mouth completely invisible. The length of the conical muzzle is 1/3 the length of the skull. Broad nose, black.
Eyes large, oval, slightly slanting, set deep and wide, desirable as dark as possible for a given color. The ears are small, rose petal-shaped, set high, the inside of the ear is visible. The tail is set low, thick at the base, tapering towards the end. Lowered in repose, raised in action to the spine line and slightly curved.
Coat: short and hard hair (such as a Weimaraner). Brindle, fawn and black colors, in this order valued the most. Brindle and fawn colors should be as dark as possible. On the front feet, chest and muzzle, white markings are allowed, which together cannot cover more than 30%. body surface. A black mask is allowed for brindle and fawn colors.
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Height at the withers and weight: Males 55 – 58 cm, 35 – 38 kg. Female 52 – 55 cm, 30 – 34 kg.
Disqualifying defects:
- Aggression, timidity
- Overshot bite
- Clear (as has, for example, the aforementioned weimaraner) or yellow irises of the eyes
- Duplicated ears or tail
- More than 30 percent. white markings, white markings in places other than those specified in the pattern (paws, muzzle, chest)
- Patches of a different color.
A medium sized dog should have the following dimensions:
- Weight – 36 kg
- The height of the rump – 58 cm
- Height at the withers – 56 cm
- Chest circumference – 78 cm
- Head circumference – 59.5 cm
- Body length from the back of the head to the tail – 73 cm
- The length of the head from the back of the head to the nose – 22 cm
- The length of the muzzle – 8 cm.
If you are looking for more information, Also check out this article on the Great Great Dane.
Dog from Mallorca – character, upbringing, maintenance, breeding
The disposition and character of the perro de presa mallorquin
The Dog from Majorca is a calm and balanced dog by nature, but at the same time very brave. He has a free attitude towards people, he is faithful and devoted to his family. A perfect watchman, self-confident, he can scare an intruder with piercing eyesight. He treats children and other pets in a caring manner. Quiet, not barking on a daily basis, but barking at strangers in the absence of the hosts. He is always ready to defend his family.
Even though he looks phlegmatic, the Majorca Great Dane needs physical activity and one longer walk a day. The remaining walks may be shorter. Early socialization is very important. Puppies that have good experiences with other animals behave in a calm manner towards foreign dogs in adulthood. If not skilfully led, he can get into a fight if provoked, and then the consequences can be dire for his opponent. Therefore, it is not suitable as the first dog for people who have no experience in laying, especially a dog with such physical strength.
For this reason, it is also important to buy perro de presa mallorquin puppies from proven kennels, registered in the Polish Kennel Club. The Purebred Dog Breeding Regulations stipulate that only individuals who have passed mental tests may be allowed to breed. As this breed is on the list of aggressive breeds, before starting the planned breeding, you should check with the appropriate municipal office about the required permits in order to avoid unpleasant situations.
Nutrition, care, health
Perro de presa mallorquin should be fed a good producer’s food, intended for large (not giant) breeds. This food is balanced and contains all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It can also receive natural raw (BARF) or cooked food. Such, however, must be supplemented with vitamins and minerals, especially in puppyhood and adolescence, when the skeleton and teeth are formed. The dog must have access to the water bowl at all times.
Cao de bou care is not complicated. It is enough to brush the dog systematically, wipe the hair with a chamois leather, and bathe only when necessary – for example, when our pet appears in the dirt. Dogs’ claws and teeth are occasionally trimmed and when needed, although this breed is unlikely to develop tartar.
It is a basically healthy breed. However, before being allowed to breed, regardless of meeting all the conditions of the Breeding Regulations of Purebred Dogs (show marks or breeding inspection, mental tests), good breeders screen their dogs for hip dysplasia, even though there is no formal requirement to do so. This disease is highly heritable and it is always better to examine the breeding bitch and the stud dog. In this respect, the opinions of breeders are unambiguous.
The price of a puppy is several thousand zlotys. You should beware of buying puppies from pseudo-kennels, the price of which is three times lower than that of the union ones, but where the parent pair was selected at random, without testing and research, and often without deworming and basic vaccinations. Hence the later opinions about the aggressiveness of dogs of this breed.
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