The Ca de Bou, also known as the Perro de Presa Mallorquin, Mallorca Mastiff or the Majorcan Bulldog, is a

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

bulldog type Bulldogs are a type of dog that were traditionally used for the blood sports of baiting and dog fighting, but today are kept for other purposes, including companion dogs, guard dogs and catch dogs. Bulldogs are typically stocky, powerful, square ...

dogs from

Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...

, the largest of the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

History

The Ca de Bou was historically kept on the island of

for the

blood sport A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves wikt:bloodshed, bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Acti ...

s of

bull-baiting Bull-baiting is a blood sport involving pitting a bull against dogs. History England Crowds in London during the Royal Entry of James VI and I in March 1604 were entertained by bull-baiting. During the time of Queen Anne, bull-baiting was p ...

and

dog fighting Dog fighting is a type of blood sport that turns game and fighting dogs against each other in a physical fight, generally to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment to the spectators. In rural areas, fights are often staged i ...

. The breed likely developed during the period of

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

influence over Majorca between 1270 and 1570 AD, their ancestors were likely

mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephalic) and the ears dro ...

-type dogs used on the island for controlling cattle. By the time of the British occupation of Majorca in the 18th century, both bull-baiting and dog fighting were well established on the island, and the Ca de Bou were favoured by the locals for these blood sports, being renowned for their ferocity and bravery. With the outlawing of bull-baiting and dog fighting on Majorca in the 20th century, the Ca de Bou lost favour and their numbers dwindled to the brink of extinction. The breed was saved by enthusiasts from mainland Spain who began exhibiting it in

conformation show A dog show is an event where dogs are exhibited. A conformation show, also referred to as a ''breed show'', is a kind of dog show in which a judge, familiar with a specific dog breed, evaluates individual purebred dogs for how well the dogs ''c ...

s, eventually it was recognised by the

Real Sociedad Canina de España is the Spanish kennel club. It was founded in Madrid as the on 27 June 1911, and became a legal entity on 12 July 1911; on 1 December 1911 it received the royal patronage of Alfonso XIII, and the word 'Real' was added before the name. It has ...

. The breed is known as the Perro de Presa Mallorquin in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, whilst in English they are known as the Majorcan Bulldog or occasionally the Majorcan Mastiff, Ca de Bou is their

Catalan language Catalan (; autonym: , ), known in the Valencian Community and Carche as ''Valencian'' (autonym: ), is a Western Romance language. It is the official language of Andorra, and an official language of three autonomous communities in eastern Spa ...

name.

Description

The Ca de Bou is a medium-sized extremely muscular breed, it typically stands between , the

breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...

states dogs should stand between and bitches between . The breed standard states dogs should weigh between whilst bitches should weigh between . The breed standard states the breed's short and rough coat is typically brindle, fawn or black in colour. The breed's massive head has an extremely broad and powerful jaw is well suited to gripping a bull or another dog in the fighting pit. The breed has a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years.

Character

It is a peaceful dog who barks little, very affectionate and faithful to his masters, for whom he has an unfailing admiration. He has a balanced character which makes him a pleasant family dog. This breed is now respected as a good guard dog and a loyal family pet. Furthermore, he is a very obedient dog and an excellent guardian, sure of himself, dissuasive with the strangers and without any free aggressiveness. His education must be firm but gentle, it will be necessary to take care to socialize him well towards the canine species to avoid any accident during a possible runaway. He can be sensitive or reactive towards his fellow dogs of the same sex, especially between males. Selective breeding for the show ring has softened the Ca de Bou's temperament, and they are now biddable and affectionate, although they retain the tenacity and alertness of their forbears.

Other names

* Perro Dogo Mallorquín * Perro de presa Mallorquín * Mallorca Mastiff * Mallorca Bulldog

Classification FCI (
Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...
)

Group II * Section 2 : ** n^o 249 The first standard was redacted in 1932. In 1964, The FCI approved his racial prototype and internationally recognize the race.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ca de Bou FCI breeds Bulldog breeds Dog fighting breeds Dog breeds originating in the Balearic Islands Rare dog breeds Catch dogs

History

Description

Character

Other names

See also

References