The Ca Mè Mallorquí is a Spanish

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable 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 seve ...

pointing dog Pointing dogs, sometimes called bird dogs, are a type of gundog typically used in finding game. Gundogs are traditionally divided into three classes: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds. The name ''pointer'' comes from the dog's inst ...

originating in the Mediterranean island of

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...

, in the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago forms a Provinces of Spain, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain, ...

. It was traditionally used as a

in hunting. It was officially recognised by the national government of Spain in 2004, but is not recognised by either the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The (; FCI; ) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs and purebred registries. The FCI is based in Thuin, Belgium and has 98 members and contract partners (one from each country). History The FCI was founded in 1911 un ...

or 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 ...

History

The Ca Mè Mallorquí is native to the island of

in the

, and is one of several very similar breeds of

native to Spain, including the Pachón Navarro and the Perdiguero de Burgos. The breed was much used by Majorcan hunters throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and, as a result of the writings of a number of visiting sportsmen, also gained some degree of international reputation during that period. Though predominantly found on Majorca, it was also common on the island of

Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...

in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Breed numbers declined throughout the twentieth century due to the increased use of imported pointing breeds such as the

English Pointer The Pointer, sometimes called the English Pointer, is a medium-sized breed of pointing dog developed in England. Pointers are used to find game for hunters, and are considered by gundog enthusiasts to be one of the finest breeds of its type; h ...

and

German Shorthaired Pointer The German Shorthaired Pointer or is a German breed of continental pointing dog of Braque type. It originated in the nineteenth century in what is now Germany. It is of medium size, and is an all-purpose gun dog suitable for hunting and retrie ...

, and by the end of the century the Ca Mè was almost extinct. A

breed club Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members ...

, the , was formed in 1995, and in 2002 was recognised by the department of agriculture and fisheries of the Government of the Balearic Islands, which also published 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 phenotype, physical or morphology (biology), morphological detail, genotype, g ...

and established a

stud-book A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders w ...

for the Ca Mè. The Ca Mè was officially recognised by the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, the Spanish ministry of agriculture, in 2004; together with the

Alano Español The Alano Español or Spanish Bulldog is a Spanish breed of medium to large sized dog of alaunt or bulldog type. It has at various times been used as a war dog, for bullfighting, for the management of cattle, for hunting and as a guard dog. In ...

, the Pastor Garafiano, the

Ratonero Mallorquín The Andalusian Terrier
Fédération Cynologique Internationale, 2024. Retrieved Sep 7th 2024.

and the Ratonero Valenciano, it was added to the list of indigenous Spanish breeds of dog. In 2019 the breed was estimated to number several hundred, not all of which were registered in the

Description

The Ca Mè Mallorquí is of medium size. Dogs usually stand between at the

withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

, and weigh between ; bitches are slightly smaller, typically some less in height and less in weight. The legs are long and well-muscled, the chest is wide and deep, and the tail and neck are relatively short. The muzzle is straight, with fine

dewlaps A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin or similar flesh that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. More loosely, it can be various similar structures in the neck area, such as those caused by a double chin or the submandibul ...

; the ears are set high, are rounded and of medium size, and hang close to the head. The coat is dense, short and smooth. It may be any of a wide variety of colours including: solid black or brown; bi-coloured black-and-white, brown-and-white, orange-and-white or lemon-and-white, with mottling or ticking; or tri-coloured.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ca Me Mallorqui Gundogs Pointers Dog breeds originating in the Balearic Islands