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The domestic animals in the
Canarian Archipelago before it was conquered by the Castilian Crown,
were part of the aboriginal culture of the inhabitants of the islands.
The dog was part of that culture and had many functions. They were used
to watch over and heard goats and sheep, which were an important part of
the economy for the natives: they were also used as a defense against
the many raids made by invading forces: to guard property: or consumed
as food, in many cases: and were a mythic and religious symbol. For a
mainly pastoral people, as were the natives of the islands, the dog was
a fundamental element in the economy.
There are a number of references
to the dog, and to the goat, the pig and the sheep in popular folklore
and in the writings of various authors mentioning the small, wild dogs,
wolf-like in appearance, "but smaller", which were very primitive and
lives with the natives.
Although there are few
descriptions of its appearance, there are references to this primitive
dog describing it as a medium-sized animal of some similarity to the
Australian Dingo and to others, also medium-sized, but of better build
and wider forehead.
Various authors reach the
conclusion that there were two types of dog which were different,
especially in size: on was small or stocky and the other was bigger in
size and had a wider head.
The invaders and conquerors that
came successively to the islands found the native dogs to be ardent,
brave animals of great stamina.
The many lines of argumentation
regarding the dogs in the Canaries, some more plausible than others, are
positive in that the very existence of the dogs is unquestionable that
is, that there really were dogs in the islands, and that these were the
basis of the crossbreeding which start later with the introduction of
different breeds by the Spanish colonizers.
We can say that the most valuable
historical reference is that made by F.E. Zeuner in his work "Some
Domesticated Animals from the Prehistoric Site of Guayadeque, Gran
Canaria", when he refers to a medium-sized animal, with a wider head,
which brings to mind something molosser in appearance ad, in a w way, a
"gripping" type of dog.
According to the record of the
time, in the centuries following the conquest of the Canaries, and in
particular the XVI and XVII, various breeds of dog, gun dogs, bulldogs
and sheepdogs, were, of course, brought into the islands along with
other domesticated animals.
The references in these records
are of great value; although they do not describe the morphology of the
dog, they do name each dog in accordance with it's function: dogs used
for hunting; to watch and herd livestock and as guard dogs - specifying
in these cases their condition as "gripping or seizing dogs", which
proves their existence indisputably since the times of the conquest.
So, we think it a good idea to
include some of those references, showing the existence of animals with
characteristics like those of the "Dogo", probably the result of the
aforementioned crossbreeding; i.e. the prehispanic dog crossed with the
dog introduced by the new colonizers of the archipelago.
From throughout the 16th century,
and according to the "Cedularios del Cabildo de Tenerife" ( The Island
Government Records Office, Tenerife), we would like to underline the
following:
In agreement with the Island
Government of Tenerife, as from 5th February, 1516, butchers will be
allowed to have, at their service, a pair of ‘gripping dogs’, like the
two trained dogs, property of Don Pedro de Lugo, to get rid of dogs gone
wild, in view of the damage done to livestock herds, as has been seen in
areas of Adeje and Abona.
The Island Government forbids,
from 3rd September, 1515, the ownership of dogs of any breed, with the
exception of pig farmers, who may have one dog, on the condition that
this not be a ‘gripper’. The slaying of wild dogs by Don Pedro de Lugo
with his pair of ‘gripping’ dogs, proved by the presenting of the skins
of the heads of the animals, and fair payment to the privileged man are
on record, as agreed with the Island Government of Tenerife, dated 9th
April, 1518. The Island Government, on 4th December, 1525, makes it
compulsory to register the ownership of ‘gripping’ dogs and mongrels
within six days. The Island Government reiterates, on 5th January, 1526,
that, by agreement and in view of the damage done to livestock herds by
large ‘gripping’ dogs, these dogs should be killed, and that only
livestock owners may keep these dogs in their service, and with the
exception of those dogs used by Don Pedro de Lugo, who had enjoyed the
privilege for many years, of eliminating those dogs gone wild. In spite
of the previous agreement, the Island Government of Tenerife, on 10th
December, 1526, forbids cowhands to own ‘gripping’ dogs and allows only
four specimens of large ‘gripping’ dogs to subdue cattle, and these
controlled by four handlers, each of whom will hold his own dog on a
rope.
Looking at the agreements reached
by the Island Government of Fuerteventura during the 17th century, we
came across some of great relevance:
On 25th August, 1617, the Island
Government allows any person, without risk of punishment, to kill all
‘gripping’ dogs, owned by neighbors, and which are loose and unchained.
A year later, on 19th February in the town of Betancuria, the Island
Government recommends that the population not let ‘gripping’ dogs loose,
to avoid damage to livestock. According to the agreement reached on 21st
October, 1624, each inhabitant can have a maximum of one gun dog or
‘gripping’. In view of the danger to livestock entailed, it was decided,
on 16th August, 1630, that no inhabitant should have more than one gun
dog, which should be chained up; the rest will be put down; in case of
failure to comply with the law, offenders will be sentenced to ten days
in prison and fined the sum of six hundred "maravedíes" (a coin of the
time). Possession of a ‘gripping’ dog should be reported to the
authorities.
These regulations reached an
extreme on 22nd March, 1632, when they imposed a license to be issued by
the Governor for the ownership of a ‘gripping’ dog, on pain of six
"reales" ( a coin of the time).
In January, 1645, in the
aforementioned town of Betancuria, which was, at that time, the seat of
the Island Government of Fuerteventura, it was made compulsory to keep
dogs, and in particular ‘grippers’ and gun dogs, tied up.
The list of references to
‘gripping’ dogs found in historical documents in the archipelago in the
centuries following the conquest would be endless, but there is, at no
time, in those cold, precise official documents, a description of the
morphology of this dog; neither is there any distinction made between
breeds, they are simply referred to as ‘grippers’.
We cannot, therefore, establish a
hypothesis about the breed or variety referred to as these ‘grippers’
dogs, nor experiment nor speculate about whether it is one type or
another. Neither can we check in drawings from the references listed,
whether these dogs in the Canaries fitted the description of a
particular kind of mastiff, dogo or alano, but it seems evident that
they were extremely useful animals for the inhabitants of islands, whose
economy, essentially peasant and rural, was based not only on
agriculture, but also on livestock of seasonal pasturage, and later, on
cattle used for plowing, so important to cereal growers.
Under such circumstances, the
dog’s living and sustenance would have been, without a doubt, an
extremely hard and even cruel process of natural selection, which, in
reference to ‘gripping’ type dogs, would be taken to the limit.
The Canarian Archipelago, made up
of a chain of volcanic islands and about 500 km. in length, lies between
27° - 29° latitude North and 13° - 18° longitude West, very near the
north-western edge of Africa. The proximity of the almost uninhabited,
desert continent and the differences in culture and economy have meant a
certain isolation, which has been offset by full integration with the
western world in Europe, through its relationship with Spain since the
15th century.
Once the slow, hard conquest of
the archipelago was over, the dividing up and allotting of land started
at the same time as colonists began arriving from mainland Spain and
many other parts of Europe. The process of settling the islands had
barely begun when the Canary Islands became an almost obligatory
stopover for Spanish ships sailing to America from the ports of Cadiz
and Seville. The inclusion of the archipelago in shipping routes and its
being a colonial settlement would mark its future, as very soon it would
draw pioneers from many parts.
This strategic position in the
Atlantic, which was vital to Spanish ships en route to America, was also
a priority for Dutch and, more especially, English corsairs.
Relations with England were
established quite soon and, although there were less friendly times as a
result of the almost constant state of war existing between Spain and
England, in particular the numerous pirate attacks on island coasts,
such as those carried out by Drake on La Palma in 1585, by Raleigh on
Lanzarote and La Gomera in 1617, by Blake on Tenerife in 1657, and even
the attack by Nelson himself on Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797, a number
of English traders settled in the islands from early on, from where they
exported local crops and imported all kinds of manufactured goods. In
this trade there was particular control over wines produced in the
islands, especially the malmsey, which was the highest in quality.
English firms from Bristol, such as Hikman, Castelin and Lok, or Thomas
Colin and Eduard Fallier, represented the old, and peaceable, presence
of that nation in our islands.
The Canaries, as one of the
archipelagos in the Macaronesia, could not escape the curiosity of
travelers and explorers who landed on the islands in search of the
secrets of the Neolithic culture which had existed in the archipelago
until the 15th century.
The observation and study of the
islands, the theories about their origins, which were linked to the myth
of Atlantis at that time, their singular nature and geography all led to
a series of tales, descriptions and travel memoirs, which, since the
18th century, have been published in Europe, although particularly in
England, as the country with most bonds with the archipelago. There was
a well established English colony in the archipelago, which, in spite of
distance, maintained strong ties with England through trade.
The large British colony, based
mainly on Gran Canaria and Tenerife, was a stable part of the
population, although with some singular and different characteristics.
Their culture, customs and religion contrasted with that of the Canarian
population, especially with that of the popular classes, who lacked
almost everything.
They were not only active in
trade, but also in agriculture. The British acquired large pieces of
rural land and built their homes in urban groups, with architectural
styles, which were really British, but adapted to their adopted country.
The British citizens based in the
colony returned to their country regularly and kept their environment on
the islands within the essentially British style and tradition. From
their country, to which they could travel directly from the Canarian
Archipelago, they brought their culture, their possessions, animals to
guard their property, their pets, their customs and their traditions.
Looking back into the rich history
of English cynofiles we find that in that country dogs were bred for all
their uses; as guard dogs, gun dogs, herd dogs and as pets, and that,
from early times, great care was taken with the training of dogs to
fight other dogs and other animals, such as bears, bulls, lions and
badgers. This was a popular sport for many.
In the first centuries after the
Spanish conquest of the islands, the English dog considered the
archetypal fighter was called the old English bulldog, which was a
medium-sized, compact animal with a powerful build and with all the
requirements for relentless pursuit.
This dog had inherited the best of
the traditional bandage and of the Spanish ‘gripping’ dogs, also known
as the Spanish bulldog, which was sometimes used to liven the blood of
the English dogs.
This kind of dog, which was ideal
as a guard dog, was part of the English environment in the Canaries.
Later, moving on in time to the end of the 18th century and the
beginning of the 19th century, another kind of fighting dog appeared in
England as a result of crossing the old English bulldog and the old
English terrier, and which was called the bull and terrier. The result
of this cross was smaller in size, lighter, faster and hot-tempered, and
was better suited to the sports of that country.
The bull and terrier was the basis
of all the fighting breeds, known as pit dogs, such as the Pit Bull
Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the white Bull Terrier.
All of these dogs, which were
medium or small in size, of strong constitution and easy to transport,
were brought to the Canaries to fulfill the requirements of the English
colony - essentially, to guard British homes, factories and land, but
also to carry on the sporting traditions of hunting and dog fighting,
introduced to the islands by the English.
The appearance of these emerging
English breeds led to inevitable crossbreeding with ‘gripping’ type dogs
already existing on the islands, in view of the fact that the
archipelago was isolated, under strict control and, at that time,
scarcely inhabited.
At the same time as the ‘gripping’
dogs we have already spoken about, on the Canaries there had always been
a dog used to herd goats in particular, and which was commonly bred on
the island of Fuerteventura. Later, it spread to the other islands,
where it was named, and is still known as "majorero" or "Dog of
Fuerteventura", after the island of its origin. It had a brindle-striped
coat, was coarse and of incorruptible character.
The crosses between ‘gripping’
dogs and "majoreros" produced a medium sized animal, which was coarse
and hard-working, and which was known in the country as the dog of the
land.
The progressive blending of
Canarian and English dogs, already mentioned, laid the genetic
foundations for the ‘gripping’ dog that time formed through the 19th
century until the beginning of the present century, from when we can
confirm its existence through graphic documents.
From the early years of this
century we have had graphic documents, which show, for the first time,
the existence of the ‘gripping’ dog in the Canaries.
Some of these old photographs,
which we have been able to include in this book, show dogs that lived in
the first half of the century, i.e. before the almost total extinction
and later recovery of the breed. Well, in all of these photographs we
can see animals with a common genetic background, although they are
morphologically different. They are all the product of the foundations
laid in the previous century, especially of the breeding and
crossbreeding described in the previous chapter; i.e. the Canarian
‘grippers’ with the "majoreros", and the product of this cross, known as
the dog of the land, with the English bull and terrier dogs, product of
the old bulldog and its variations.
This blend had beneficial
consequences for the morphological-structural aspects of the ‘gripping’
dog and improved its condition as such. However, as there was no clear
concept of the breed, people were only concerned with its functional
qualities and so, there was not enough genetic control and the
appearance of the population became heterogeneous in time.
We came across specimens that were
very bulldog in appearance, stocky, compact, short in the face and whose
coats often have large areas of white. Others are longer in the body,
slimmer, with more of the "majorero" in them, emphasized by the striped
brindle coats across the range, longer, more wiry and rougher hair.
Still others, with less genetic variability, where both bloodlines are
equally represented, producing medium sized specimens, which are large,
but not excessively so, longer in the body, and often brindle coated,
but with white paws and collars.
Naturally, this blend of breeds
has made its mark on the personality and character of the dogs, and the
‘gripping’ dog is not only splendidly equipped for fighting and baiting,
but also has all the requirements, as a cattle dog, to drive and work
cattle and, of course, as a guard dog in all kinds of security and
defense work.
In the first thirty years or so of
this century, dog fighting was legal in this country and was very common
practice in the islands, but once forbidden, as a result of the Spanish
Civil War in 1936, they became even more popular, albeit clandestinely,
and this prohibition caused the population of the ‘gripping’ dog to fall
drastically.
The fights took place in the
country or in urban areas of very low cultural level, and never matched
the more sporting or sophisticated events brought to the islands by the
English. However, they were not dark, murky spectacles, despite being
hard, nor were they sinister or malicious on account of the betting,
which was really almost non-existent.
The build of its adversaries
contributed a great deal to this reduced situation. The ‘gripping’ dog
of the Canary Islands is a multifunctional dog, it is not essentially a
"gladiator"; i.e. the bull instinct of its ancestors, that made the dogs
fight to the very end, is not so deeply etched on its genes. The
Canarian Dogo always tries to get a good grip with the bite and will try
to improve it and hold tight for a long time, which reminds us of the
old bulldog. This is why the English crossed this dog with the terrier
to achieve combats with more action, more blood and which would last
longer.
However, it was in the first half
of this century when the Canarian Dogo became really widespread, when
its prestige as a dog of great courage crossed our frontiers as a result
of the trend in the Canaries to emigrate, especially to South America.
A clear example of this influence
can be seen in the dog used by the Nores Martínez brothers as the base
of the Argentinean Dogo. We are talking about the old "Cordoba fighting
dog". At the same time, the exportation of specimens to mainland Spain
to take part in hunts, as a gripping dog, also added to its prestige.
For all of these reasons, we can
affirm that, for cynofile enthusiasts, the existence of the Canarian
‘gripping’ dog was always clear. It was, perhaps, shrouded in a certain
air of myth, as the exploits of the ardent ‘gripping’ dogs from the
Canary Islands, in gripping and in fighting, created an aura of legend.
Dog fighting was what always came to the minds of enthusiasts whenever
the Canarian Dogo came up in conversation, even when the enthusiast did
not really know anything about the dogs or the geographical location of
the archipelago.
Manuel Martin Bethencourt, CEPRC
Sędzia i Hodowca.
"El
Presa Canario"
Mota - 1991 rok |