Presa Bulldog

While the Presa Bulldog hasn't had a lot of time to develop an origin story yet (due to coming about in the early 2000's), his parent breeds certainly have. In order to learn more about what makes this hybrid special and why he may have been created, we need to take a look at the Bulldog and the Perro de Presa Canario individually. Their history and creation stories will give us a sneak peak into what people may have been looking for when they decided to combine the two in order to get the Presa Bulldog. Let's start with the Perro de Presa Canario.  It is thought that this breed's history dates clear back to the 15th and 16th centuries, and that they may have descended from the mastiff-type breeds that were brought over to the Canary islands by the Spanish explorers. Most likely, the dogs that were included in the making of the Presa Canario were Iberian Presa (Mastiff type) along with Bulldog breeds. One of the final breeds to be added into the Presa Canario mix was the Bardino Majorero, which is a type of sheepdog, who contributed to the intelligence and courage of the breed. With combinations such as these, the Presa Canario was created to work as a guardian of family farms against stray or wild dogs, as well as a wrangler for livestock.  As can be imagined, that type of power and intimidation wasn't going to be set to live peacefully on the farm. People began to play the Presa Canario in dog-fighting events which inevitably caused the population of these dogs to decrease significantly over just a few years. It wasn't until the fights were prohibited and the Presa Canario was once again designated to only farm work, that they began to make a comeback. In the 1970's people began to take more interest in the Presa Canario as the idea of a strong, confident, loyal, and calm breed was very appealing as a guard dog for family homes. The breed has been popular ever since and was accepted into the American Kennel Club in 1996. The Bulldog is another breed that has been around for a very long time, at the very least 500 years. While you may picture the small dogs that we know today running around along the old-time streets of little villages in England, the earlier Bulldogs were actually very tall with a habit of being extremely ferocious. Such ferocity and height were necessary for the Bulldog to accomplish the task he was created for; bull baiting. This sport was not only for entertainment among the people, but also had a very important purpose. The Bulldog would grab the bull by the nose in order to hold him in place for situations such as castration or breeding. As can be imagined, such a job was not for a weak dog, so the Bulldog was strong, fierce, and fearless. While the Bulldog's appearance remained unchanged for many years, it was eventually altered due to a different form of entertainment that arose; dog shows. As the popularity of dog showing grew, the Bulldog shrunk. He was bred and rebred until the traits of short legs,  a massive head, and a thick, stocky body were obtained. Along with his appearance, the Bulldog's personality was altered as well. Gone was the intense ferocity and fearlessness of the past, now Bulldogs were kind and courageous with a laid-back yet dignified nature. Eventually, the Bulldog made his way to the United States where the American Kennel Club accepted him as an official breed in 1886. He was a successful show dog and loyal family companion then and remains that way to this very day.