«Previous    Next»
Watchdog's Fierce "Look" Scares Off Intruders
"The way they look is 90 percent of their effectiveness," says Tracy Hennings of Cleveland, Ohio, a breeder of Dogo Canarios, a rare breed of watchdog that originated in the Canary Islands.
  Dogo Canarios are prized for their strong, intimidating look and muscular bodies. Their normal look is a fierce, scary gaze that terrifies intruders.
  "When one of these dogs looks at you, it sends a shiver down your spine and you're not sure if it's going to attack or not," Hennings says.
  Yet, surprisingly, Dogo Canarios are very calm dogs that take watch-dogging very seriously. Biting is their last resort. If "the look" doesn't scare off an intruder, they bark. If that doesn't work, they attack.
  Hennings says they're territorial defenders who bond to everyone in the family. They're very tolerant of children and Hennings herself has small children. "When the kids were babies they could poke the dogs in the ears and nose and the worst the dogs would do is lick them or maybe hit them with their tails," she says.
  They also get along with other animals, says Hennings.
  True Dogo Canarios come in shades of fawn and brindle. All have a black mask.
  Males grow to be about 2 ft. tall and weigh at least 110 lbs. while females are slightly smaller.
  "It's a calm breed that doesn't require an enormous amount of exercise but it's also active enough so that if you decide you want to walk 20 miles, it'll stay with you," she says.
  The relatively new breed was established by Canarians in the 1970's and recognized three years ago by the Federation Cynologique Internationale, the world canine organization. There are only between 2,000 and 2,500 Dogo Canarios in the U.S.
  The dogs sell for between $800 and $1,200.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tracy Hennings, 4049 West 49th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44144 (ph 216 749-2819; email: dogocanario@adelphia.net) or The Dogo Canario Club of America (website: www.dogocanarioclub.org).


  Click here to download page story appeared in.



  Click here to read entire issue




To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
Order the Issue Containing This Story
2005 - Volume #29, Issue #1