Ca de Bou : Strong and Powerful Dog

The Perro de Presa Mallorquin is a typical Molossian type dog. One can easily differentiate between male and female dog as male tends to have more massive head than female. This breed is prized for its courageousness and boldness.

A well trained breed remains calm and composed inside home. This breed is naturally quiet and barks only when the situation demands. The dog has been used as guard dog and watchdog since inception. This dog will definitely respect you but you have to establish leadership over the dog.

They adore family children but same cannot be said for neighbor’s kids.  Start its training in the puppyhood and teach it obedience and manners in a gentle way. Never tolerate any bad behavior from your dog else it gets difficult to alleviate them when they get adult and strong headed.

The dog needs at least an average sized yard to thrive peacefully. Keep in mind that an untrained or improperly trained Perro de Presa Mallorquin can be proved fatal to your family. Because of its dreadful nature, this breed is banned in many countries.

• Perro de Presa Canario – The Canary Mastiff
• Lagotto Romagnolo
• Yorkshire Terrier
• Berger Picard

Ca de Bou Origin

This breed is the result of exchange of culture, science from one country to other. The term “exchange of culture” also involves exchange of animals particularly dogs. Guard dogs became the most popular dog in Mediterranean region because people needed some strong animal to protect their property and ships from pirates and robbers.

Among all the guard dogs, Mastiff dog from Spain became incredibly famous for its ability to fight bulls, hunt animals and guard properties. When British arrived in Spain, they brought with themselves bull and guard dogs and cross mated them with native mastiff type dogs of Iberian Peninsula. This gave the birth of Perro de Presa Mallorquin breed.

Ca de Bou Characteristics

• The dog hails from Spain and is particularly a guard dog.
• It also makes vigilant watchdog.
• The dog is self-assured, brave, quiet and loyal in nature.
• The lifespan of this breed is 10-12 years.
• The height of the dog is 55-58 cm.
• The weight of the dog is 35-38 kg.
• The dog comes in brindle, black and fawn colors.
• The average price of the dog is $800 – $1000 USD.
• The dog is suitable to live in apartment because of its quiet nature but as the breed is of giant size, it needs space or say a small sized yard to thrive in.
• The dog is not a frequent barker.
• Guard dogs are not the best option for kids. You need to be careful when kids interact with dogs.
• It is territorial in nature and not suitable for house with animals.
• The dog needs mild exercise on daily basis.
• It is not a hypoallergenic breed.
• The dog requires once a week grooming. It sheds moderately.
• It requires experience owner for training.

Appearance

Perro de Presa Mallorquin breed looks similar to other Molosser type of dog breeds. It has muscular body which is solidly built. The male breed tends to have large circumference of head than female breed. The head of the dog is square shaped with well-defined cheek bones and abruptly stop of the muzzle.

The eyes of the dog are large and expressive. It has small ears of rose shaped. The dog has symmetrical folds in its facial skin and near the jaw. The neck region also sports loose skin. The tail of the dog is thick at the base and gets thin towards the end.

• Size and Weight

The ideal size of the male breed is 55-58 cm and female breed is 52-55 cm. The male dog weighs around 35-38 kg and female dogs weigh around 30-34 kg.

• Coat and Color

The dog is single coated. Its coat sports small hair which is coarse to touch. Its skin is thick and lies close to its body. The dog comes in brindle, black and fawn colors. Few dogs may also sport black mask.

Ca de Bou Temperament

1. Personality – This breed is impressive to look with its serious expression on face. It is an independent mind breed which is definitely not an attention seeker. Inside home, they have a laid back attitude. This dog will not follow you wherever you go. It is reserved in nature and loves peaceful environment. It will even not mind sleeping below your legs for hours and not moving even his eyelids. But as soon as it suspects danger or dreadful situation it will come to action in less than a second. The dog is extremely protective of its family and will not care about its own life when at guard duty.
2. Behavior – It tends to be dominant with anyone that is not its family. The dog will never accept new people and will always be susceptive or distrustful of them. It is confident, fearless and alert The dog will bark to let you know of approaching stranger else it will remain peaceful and quiet. It cannot tolerate the sight of another animal at home, so make sure you do not domesticate animal at its later age. However, you can introduce new pet to this dog when it is still a puppy. They are tolerant of home kids, but wary of neighbors.
3. Activities Requirement – The dog is not meant for vigorous exercise plus it is not interested in doing extremely intensive physical workout. This breed should be given half an hour walk on daily basis to refresh their mind and body.
4. Training – The dog requires strict training but that doesn’t mean to correct the dog physically when it shows less interest in training. You need to be firm with an air of gentleness in your voice. Proper socialization and obedience training should be started as soon as you bring the dog to home.

Feeding

Feed it natural vegetables like carrots, beetroots, and other ground vegetables. Boil the green leafy vegetables and chicken. Mix both the ingredients well and give the dog to eat. Make sure to remove the bones from meat before boiling because that can make the bones hard and indigestible. Curd is also good for dogs.

Lifespan

The life expectancy of the dog is 10-12 years.

• Child Friendly Dog Breeds
• Pug
• American Water Spaniel
• Afghan Hound

Health Issues

The dog is not hypoallergenic. This breed can suffer from large dog problems like skeletal issue if not given proper nutrition and exercise. Other health issues include hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, arthritis etc.

Grooming

The dog is easy to groom. Once a week, brushing is advisable to remove dead hairs and debris. Other grooming needs like brushing its teeth, cleaning its ears and trimming its nails are similar to other dog breeds.

Habitat

The dog can live in apartment but an average sized yard is more appropriate. It can survive in any kind of climate including Siberian chilly weather.

Pet Names

1. Tommy
2. Jimmy
3. Robinson
4. Ninja
5. Chirpy

Things To Consider Before Buying

Pros

1. The dog makes exceptional watchdog and guard dog.
2. The grooming needs of the dog are low and simple.
3. It is a healthy breed and is less likely to suffer from major health issues.

Cons

1. The dog requires strong leadership. It is not meant for novice owners.
2. Training the dog is not easy as it tends to be independent minded and dominant.
3. The dog is not hypoallergenic.