Have made a decision on a pup!

[Cobalt]

After a lot of research (most recently on here after finding the site), talking to breeders and owners, and meeting some dogs my wife and I have come to a decision to go ahead with a plan for a Presa Canario and have selected a breeder and planned breeding. We've been dog owners/lovers(large and small breeds) all our lives and are now at a point (my wife has just retired and I will be soon) where we have the time and energy and desire to seriously take on the challenge of owning one of these beautiful animals. We've planned this for some time now, but delayed it some after rescuing a young female AmStaff in Jan of this year, and subsequently also taking on a foster pitty mix to help out a local SPCA as well. The foster has since returned home, so we're going ahead with our initial plan. We want a companion/guardian breed - the latter because, like so many other places in the world these days, our town isn't what it used to be. My wife will be home alone for awhile yet until I retire myself, and it will be a comfort to us both to own such a dog. Plus we live in an area, and hike extensively, where coyotes have moved in in bunches and they're becoming bolder as time goes on. Wouldn't have to worry about those with walking the AmStaff, but as for intruders she'd just try to lick those to death LOL. So, very much looking forward to our new arrival and all that will come with her, early in the new Year!

Pics of the sire/dam breeding pair (both with multiple show wins and excellent health/temperament rating):

 

[glen]

Congrats on your future pup these dogs are very contagious weve just got our 2nd cc.

 

[Cobalt]

Thanks, no doubt they are! But we'll start with just the one...for now

 

[ruthcatrin]

Very handsome and congrats on your future pup! (and yes, they're highly addictive lol)

 

[QY10]

Congrats on the future pup!

 

[Oscar'sMom]

Beautiful dogs! Congrats!

 

[danielleconn]

Oh I can't wait for pictures...what stunning parents!

 

[Vicki]

Looking forward to puppy pictures! Congratulations!

 

[Cobalt]

Thanks everyone, definitely excited about this plan . Forgot to mention, the sire is 145lbs and the dam 120lbs, and we'll be selecting a female too. A quick pic of our AmStaff playing with a local Presa - a beautiful 9 yr old, even tempered, girl who still likes to play too. Our AmStaff is the same, a very even tempered (but high energy), non-dominant female who we're currently working on obtaining therapy dog certification for.

 

[Joe Flynn]

I can't wait to see pics. What is the standard price range that you have found, and how far will you traveling for'em?

 

[Cobalt]

Still a relatively rare breed (with consequently not a large number of credible kennels), so hard to really nail down a standard price, but I'd say from my own dealings with breeders anywhere from 2 to 4k. But I've also seen even BYB'ers with prices well above that (crazy), along with some larger kennels (not so crazy for some bloodlines/champions).

 

[Joe Flynn]

WOW!! I paid 600 for mine.... Not the best decision I've ever made. I hope I can get her attitude under control before much longer. ...I just love this breed though. I seriously want to get into breeding them, but as you said, it is rare breed. I don't feel there is a responsible market for amateurs with this breed.

 

[Cobalt]

Patience, and consistency with positive reinforcement only Joe. They go through stages with fear, that's natural - it's using that stage to train them correctly what not to fear by taking direction from your lead that's key. Price is not a guarantor of quality/temperament, but the papers and health/temperament testing that a good breeder supplies can go a long way towards that goal. And that costs money. I saw no shortage of inexpensive presas too in various one line classified ads and personally I stayed away from those because that lacked that proven background. No, this is not a breed for amateur BYB'ers, but unfortunately as with so many other dogs they're not hard to find out there. Good luck with the pup, with hard work, time, and patience I'm sure he make a great companion.

 

[Joe Flynn]

I am totally devoted to cultivating the perfect mix of a friendly companion that I can show off and guardian with complete control of mental state. My older one is coming along great. He dose get stubborn though. and it can try my patience. when is it appropriate to yell to try to get there attention in off leash open field training.... .....WOW that first pic at the top of the post is most imPRESAve! Mine looks so much like him just not as well... perfect.

 

[Cobalt]

I would never buy a dog based on appearance alone, but it is an easy part of adhering to a recognized breed standard - I have no idea right now what my pup will "look" like, other than she will undoubtedly meet standard, as per my contract. Oh I certainly love how a Presa looks in general, but the details of colour, etc. don't really bother me. Yelling when training any dog should be avoided - like people some are more sensitive than others and can put them into a fear state, which can eventually lead to fear aggression. This can be even more prevalent in mastiff breeds. But of course if you're out in a large open field and the dog is a distance away, you have to at least make sure he hears you! But transitioning to whistle and hand signals early on in training and if the dog can see you, yelling won't be necessary anyway. It's how I have my pit trained now - all hand signals.

 

[musicdeb]

I would never buy a dog based on appearance alone, but it is an easy part of adhering to a recognized breed standard - I have no idea right now what my pup will "look" like, other than she will undoubtedly meet standard, as per my contract. Oh I certainly love how a Presa looks in general, but the details of colour, etc. don't really bother me. Yelling when training any dog should be avoided - like people some are more sensitive than others and can put them into a fear state, which can eventually lead to fear aggression. This can be even more prevalent in mastiff breeds. But of course if you're out in a large open field and the dog is a distance away, you have to at least make sure he hears you! But transitioning to whistle and hand signals early on in training and if the dog can see you, yelling won't be necessary anyway. It's how I have my pit trained now - all hand signals.

+1

 

[Joe Flynn]

I would never buy a dog based on appearance alone, but it is an easy part of adhering to a recognized breed standard - I have no idea right now what my pup will "look" like, other than she will undoubtedly meet standard, as per my contract. Oh I certainly love how a Presa looks in general, but the details of colour, etc. don't really bother me. Yelling when training any dog should be avoided - like people some are more sensitive than others and can put them into a fear state, which can eventually lead to fear aggression. This can be even more prevalent in mastiff breeds. But of course if you're out in a large open field and the dog is a distance away, you have to at least make sure he hears you! But transitioning to whistle and hand signals early on in training and if the dog can see you, yelling won't be necessary anyway. It's how I have my pit trained now - all hand signals.

I agree too. I see other people yell at there dog and I think "wow they don't know a thing about how to handle their dog". But then after mine do or don't do something repeatedly I find myself wanting to yell them into listening. This of course is never in the house. It is off leash when kids or other dogs are around and mine wont stay or heal (which they do perfect in controlled environments). How do I break through to them? I guess a whistle could work...

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

Cobalt, if you are having your pup cropped make sure that your breeder gets it done for you and that they are healed as you can't do in NL and airlines are getting fussy with them not being entirely healed before being shipped.

 

[Cobalt]

Thanks Mary, have already covered that very thing - will be done by breeder's vet and fully healed before shipping!

 

[Joe Flynn]

Speaking of cropping..... I am interested what real dog people think. There's a lot of people who give me grief b/c my younger presa (Lady) has cropped ears. I really got into on facebook with my gf's mom about it. My argument is we circumcise kids so how is it animal abuse to crop or dock and not child abuse to circumcise or pierce ears. Any thoughts?