my friend has a Presa Canario pup (10wks old) i would love to get it and my kids are crazy about it. But i am not sure what to do. I will have 8 sessions with a trainer if i get it. But knowing the rep that this breed has i am afraid it might hurt my kids when it gets bigger, i know any breed of dog could do that. So that if my problem. If anyone that has kids and one of these dogs could let me know what they think i would be very grateful. I have a 11yr old boy and a 5yr and 2yr old girls. they have been wanting to get a dog and this just popped up because my friend is moving and can't have but one dog, i hate to see the dog go to the pound or worse to someone that will use it for fighting. which is what has been done alot with this breed of dogs. so please anyone that has any info i would be very happy to hear from you. thanks
2007-09-20 06:12:55 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
From what I understand, although they can be good dogs this is NOT a breed for an inexperienced or wishy washy owner.
If you are at all worried, I suggest NOT getting the dog. It may be simply to much dog for you.
2007-09-20 06:19:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
a dog is nothing more than that, ever! -no matter the breed... it is only a dog
people will try to convince you that pit bulls demonic creatures sure to destroy your family given the chance, what they know was force fed down their throats since the early 80's, the fact is pits are not man-aggressive (their dog-aggression is well documented -but a totally different trait). They cant be (man-aggressive) their matches place them in a 10'X10' "pit" with 3 people in there with them (the dog owners and a ref) not to mention the intense conditioning the animals go through before the match... with all that teeth gnashing there must be at least one opportunity to take a shot at an unsuspecting person... -but they wont. The dogs you hear about hurting people are no more pit bulls then they are any other breed. A pit bull is a very loyal friend, it will happily give its life for its family with out a moments hesitation guarantying their safety with no regard for its own.
A Dogo Canario (the recognized breed name) is still a dog. A magnificent example of selflessness placed neatly into a 100+ pound body. They will need training, are there any breeds that wouldnt (keeping in mind the children)? My grandmother had a 4 pound chihuahua that might have been the most vicious little terror -EVER, she was never socialized and ridiculously brave.
Bring the puppy with you everywhere you go, it will learn that people arent always a threat, but if the situation arises that dog will lay down its life protecting you and your little ones as if it was just another one of the things to do today.
2007-09-21 17:02:25 · answer #2 · answered by chain_weight 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The simple answer is NO this is not a good choice. I have a Rottweiler and I never recommend this breed to anyone with young children. The Presa Canario would fall under the same reasons. These are breeds of dogs bred for many many years to Guard, Fight, Protect. They have very high fight and prey drives. This and small children just don't go together. Small children scream and run and move quickly. All these things bring out the prey drive in a dog.
Also, these breeds need lots of training for life. I suspect you are busy with 3 children and may not have the time to spend the hundreds, even thousands of hours needed to train a large dominant dog.
If this dog is from a responsible breeder, they will take the pup back and rehome it in a proper home. If it's from a puppy mill or backyard breeder, you don't want it for sure because of both temperament and health issues.
2007-09-20 06:44:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
any dog can hurt a child....from the tiniest to the largest, obviously, the potential damage is greater with a giant breed. I don't know your children, so I would not be willing to advise you either way. Should you decide to take the pup, you will need more than 8 sessions with a trainer. That is great for the basics, but even without kids in the mix, if you have a very large and powerful dog, socialization and training is imperative. I can tell you my experience- I currently have my second french mastiff, he now weighs 120 lbs (almost as much as me, but much stronger than me) he has been in obedience classes since he was 5 months old and is a wonderful boy. Before I had my first child, I had a pit bull. She had her first litter of pups under my sons crib when he was 3 months old, we then got a second pit, a second child, and then a 3rd child. The dogs were wonderful with the kids, but again, they were very well socialized and trained. We were extremely committed to the breed, and as such it was worth the effort to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. All that being said, you will have to decide if your family is able or willing to make similar commitments....this is not the dog for everyone, and there is no shame in deciding that its not the dog for you at this time.
2007-09-20 06:30:29 · answer #4 · answered by Rachal961 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think if you happen to go with this breed, you are going to need to commit to more than just 8 weeks of training, but rather follow thru with more advanced obedience work. It will benefit the dog and your family.
An advantage you have is that the pup is young, but do you know where the pup comes from? Is there a reputable breeder behind the litter who will help you should you take this pup in? If not, then I would not choose this particular pup. Good breeders strive for good temperament and will be a life time of the dog of support to the owner of one of their pups. If the breeder is not there or willing to assist at all, then I would be worried about the breeding and if they bothered to take temperament into consideration at all.
2007-09-20 06:26:11 · answer #5 · answered by Shadow's Melon 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ok, I will probably get a lot of thumbs down on my reply but I feel it needs to be said.
This is a breed of dog that was created for one the purpose of being ready to attack at any time. The name means the "Canarian Dog of Prey" and is sometimes simply called "Presa."
I feel that ounce of prevention is worth the pound of cure especially when it comes to the welfare of my children. I personally would never, ever try to raise one of these with my kids. There just is no going back and 'undoing' if the dog should ever turn on one of the kids. These dogs are a walking liability just looking for the place and time to happen.
No...don't get this dog! If you were single, lived extremely far removed from society so that no other human was at any risk from the dog, then you could go for it. You do have the right to risk your own health and welfare but not the right to risk anyone elses. You wouldn't let your kids ride with a dear friend if you knew that friend sometimes drinks and drives and you didn't know if they had drank today! Or, you wouldn't let your kids play with a gun that you are pretty certain is unloaded!
There just is nothing to make the risk worth taking.
2007-09-20 06:24:00 · answer #6 · answered by gringo4541 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Bad reputation are built because of people's fears.. Bad reputations are enforced because of bad training, bad ownership, and bad breeding. Bad reputations are just that... It doesn't mean that it's true.. You should find out yourself. Read up on the breed, talk to breeders, talk to owners. Learn what it takes to raise one, and whether or not it would work well in your home..
You shouldn't say No to something just because of what other people think, cause other people often have no idea, have no knowledge and talk about things they know nothing at all about..
I can't tell you what the Presa is like, or whether it would make a good pet for your kids.. I don't know.. But I can tell you that w/ the Doberman, people always have their stupid preconceived notions about the dogs, and if you listened to all the idiots out there that pretend to know about Dobermans, No one would own one.. Learn and find out for yourself.. Get first hand knowledge.. Don't rely on the gossip or unfounded opinions of strangers.
2007-09-20 06:40:18 · answer #7 · answered by DP 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Is it really worth the risk?
I've trained for 20+ years and it will make a huge difference although 8 weeks for this type of dog is clearly insufficient.
Small children and large dogs can spell trouble.
It may be your children's fault and not the dog if something happens. It will still be still be the child that will suffer and the dog will probably be put down.
This is a breed for ONLY the most experienced of owners.
Make the safe decision.
2007-09-20 06:38:31 · answer #8 · answered by tnerb52 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
A friend of mine has two adult females, and a few years later had a baby (now 4). The dogs are wonderful with her. Raise the puppy to be well socialized and gentle, get lots of good training (NO harsh methods--just good praise and reward based training only). They are very large and powerful dogs, and young children should NEVER be left unsupervised with ANY dog at ANY time. Think carefully and talk to lots of people.
2007-09-20 06:18:42 · answer #9 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I suggest you do a little research on the breed, see how they rate with children. They are great dogs, but are not for new handlers (not suggesting that you are a newbie).
Also, you may want to see if there is anything, with regards to your insurance, that might be affected.
2007-09-20 06:22:37 · answer #10 · answered by raticals.com 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋