Presa Canaria - Lovely Dog, Wrong Owner!!!

Hi all

Big worries for step-son's dog.

My Step-son decided to buy a Presa, (omg i hear you say). She is now 6months old & showing signs of aggression. I have read up on the breed & there is no way he should have decided to buy her. It states re breed character that; they are very dominant dogs & need a owner who is the pack leader etc etc, totally the opp of what he is.

By all accounts today she has bit the Postman & when my step-son's Mum went to get dog in she bit her as well, along with her other son.

I was not there so can only go on what i have been told. I am so worried that she will end up really hurting someone through no fault of her own & then either re-homed to start the cycle again or put to sleep. She is so lovely & could be a great dog in the right hands. She has come to my house on various occasions & plays with my JR no problem, she even lets him take chews & bones away from her.

Does anyone know of anywhere that perhaps specialise in this breed for training purposes.... However my step-son has shown the dog he is scared of her as when he gives her a biscuit or the like he will pull his hand back very quickly, which of course is the wrong thing to do.

I feel that she would probably be better off in a home with people who know the breed but also will treat her as one of the family & not just shut her outside.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Many thanks

I don't have experience of the breed, so I'm sorry I can't be of too much help here really.

What sort of training do you (or your son) do with her?

This dog and your son as its owner is already at risk under the DDA. If he is afraid of her at 6 months old, this fear will only increase.

I would strongly suggest that you approach one of the Mastiff rescues for advice, but I would say this combination of novice, fearful owner and strong breed is a recipe for disaster.

I would certainly advise rehoming the dog.

Do you know if the postman reported it?
A presa bite has got to hurt..

Hi

Thanks for repiles so far. I would like to point out that I am not the owner of the dog the owner is my partners son who lives with his mother & younger brother & that is where dog is.

I do not know if police has made a visit & as i was not there when this happened so do not know the circumstances around it. I am just looking for some advice as my concerns are with the dog.

If you can search online and get some contact details for the Mastiff Rescues, and maybe also some good training classes, then perhaps you can pass these on to your partner's son...?

Ultimately it will be up to them to then take the next step and act on the info - but it's great that you're trying to help and you are clearly right to be concerned.

Perhaps there is a way of making your partner's son see that if the dog bites, the dog is then at risk of being PTS - so if he loves the dog, he needs to get some help ASAP.

Best of luck - do let us know how you get on

Another thought - maybe someone can recommend a good trainer for the area you all live in? Whereabouts is your partner's son living?

I sincerely hope for a good outcome that the dog can and should be re-homed with someone who understands the breed and is experienced.

Echo above comments, very likely police will get involved if the bite was anything more than a nip.

Iron Mountain Dog Rescue is very proactive with training for large powerful breeds and might be a good point of contact for help and advice. They also run training seminars etc... it might be worth contacting them? Bear with them though, they are a rescue and are always very busy!

Sorry for this worry, firstly

Secondly, your son doesn't need to be pack leader or dominant over her, but what he does need is to understand how dogs learn, how they think and how to be both fair and give boundaries. A Presa needs someone who will be their "leader" yes but not in the sense of the old alpha idea. If that makes sense. Parent is perhaps a good analogy

Has the dog been correctly socialised at all? As any dog, if socialised, from chihuahua to great dane, will be ever so much less likely to bite strangers.. have a read here..

http://www.apbc.org.uk/articles/dog-aggression-FAQs

http://www.apbc.org.uk/node/369

Whatever happens, she must not be punished for this behaviour because it can simply cause conflict, which is dangerous, if she is not given guidance and training and helped to udnerstand her environment with correct and good sensible socialisation.

It does sound as if she'd be better off in another home. As I think it was SB said, the combination of strong dog, nervous owner etc is not a good one really. However I know often owners won't alter their situation until its too late, so the other option might be to get in a reputable behaviour counsellor in. Their role is not just to "mend" but also to assess, advise etc and if you have no luck you may find that a professional may do - or, they may be able to turn the situatio around, if not, with sensible advice

Best of luck - it's hard when you are not in control of the situation but can only watch from the sidelines, as it were.

The breed traits of the Presa according to a behaviourist from Wood Green rescue are:

agile, tough in nature, very strong guarder, (this could be where the problem has arisen with the postman), independent, protective. The independent part is always a bit one to consider - they can start to make their own decisoins and this could lead to disaster, but good quality training and advice now might turn this around, or else help the next owner.
Whatever happens, they must not wait, they must act asap.

Have rabbited on enough now - good luck

Wys
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