118 - August, 2016

Los Perros de la Plaza de Santa AnaLas Palmas, Gran Canaria

In 2004, I traveled to the Spanish Canary Islands and visitedfour of them – Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote andTenerife – not to lie on the beaches for hours or to swim in thealmost-forever blue sea, but to experience the old Spanishculture and unspoiled islands. In the city of Las Palmas on GranCanaria, I visited the Vegueta, the oldest part of the city.

Volcanic Islands The mountainous Canary Islands, which came into beingfrom volcanic eruptions, forman archipelago off thenorthwest coast of mainlandAfrica. One of the islands,Gran Canaria, rises almost13,000 feet above sea level; atsome places between theislands, the sea is 1,000 feetdeep. The Canaries are apopular holiday destination forEuropeans. Their name in Spanish,Islas Canarias, is likelyderived from the Latin nameCanariae Insulae meaningCanine Islands. According toPliny the Elder, a Romanauthor and naturalist, theMauritanian (African) KingJuba II (25 BC to AD 23) named the island Canaria becauseof its “vast multitudes of dogs of very large size.” It is saidthat the aboriginal inhabitants of Gran Canaria, theGuanches, worshipped dogs, mummified them and treated

them as holy animals. The islands were visited by Phoenicians, Greeks andCarthaginians, and in 40 BC by the Romans. Sailors fromSpain, Portugal and Italy visited the islands from the 14thcentury onward, and some attempts were made to colonizethe archipelago. In 1402, French explorer Jean de Béthencourt claimed theisland of Lanzarote for Castile, and by the end of the 15thcentury, all islands of the archipelago were under Spanishauthority. Today, the Canaries are one of Spain’s 17autonomous communities. Spanish authority was not only a political matter; people,

goods, animals – dogs! –were shipped to the islandsand the society wasdeveloped along the lines ofthe Spanish example.

Drastic MeasuresAccording to a document

from 1515, keeping a dog inthe house was forbidden: “Noperson should have a doginside the house or propertyand he should keep it tied upall day, and the pig shepherdscan have a dog on their herdsas long as it is not a Canarydog.” Whether a “Canarydog” was a mastiff, aMolossoid type, a shepherd

dog or a hunting dog was not stated. Dogs were regularly mentioned in documents of the 16th to18th centuries, but the texts usually referred to stray dogs, catchdogs, hunting dogs and dogs that attacked the flocks.

HistoRy

Text and illustrations by RiA HöRteRText in quotations courtesy Manuel Curtó Gracia and Manuel Martín Béthencourt,

authors of Perro de Presa Canario and El Presa Canario

It is said that the aboriginal inhabitants of Gran Canaria, the Guanches, worshipped dogs,

mummified them and treated them as holy animals.

They are frozen in time and sometimes deceptively real. Perpetuated in stone or bronze,looking over water, streets, parks or squares, dog statues can be found all over the world.

Dog Statues of Spain

Four of the eight dogs at the Plaza de Santa Ana

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In 1516, the government announceddrastic measures regarding dogs:“Related to the great damage that dogsinflict upon the cattle, major andminor, and such dogs belong to pitchmanufacturers, muleteers and otherpeople of poor living who take thedogs with them to their rides andhunting and stealing.” Everybodyowning a dog was ordered to kill it.However, “this ordinance does notapply to butchers cutting and weighingmeat, so that each of them can havetwo dogs at the meat market, keepingthem tied up day and night and onlyletting them loose to chase the cattle.”But there were exceptions: “… the twodogs that are kept on the outskirts oftown to kill the stray feral dogs shouldremain so that they can perform thisneeded task, provided that they do not come into town.” Nowhere in the archives is there information about the appearanceof these dogs, but the distinction between those that caused troubleand those that did a good job was obviously important.

Mastiff or Molossoid Types During the conquest and colonizationof the Canary Islands in the 15th, 16thand 17th centuries, dogs became moreand more important. They could driveflocks, guard and watch cattle, huntrabbits, and chase stray dogs. Onlymany years later were dogs used forguarding goods and property. At thattime, “catch dogs” was the general term

on the islands, butthere is still noinformation abouttheir appearance.However, on main-land Europe –especially in Spain– this was certainlynot the case. In hiswork Los Toros En-

cyclopedia, the Spanish writer JoseMaría de Cossío (1892-1977)described this type of dog – Alano –as “very strong and muscular, with abig head, drop ears that are usuallycropped, a flat nose and long tail.” Itcould be the description of severalbreeds now present on the islands –mastiff or Molossoid types, but alsoherding dogs or cattle dogs.

Spanish and Italian painters sucha Velásquez, de Goya and Titianimmortalized dogs of mastiff type intheir paintings from this period. LasMeninas (The Maids of Honour),painted by Velásquez in 1656, showsa room in the Royal Alcazar ofMadrid during the reign of KingFelipe IV of Spain. A large mastiff,probably a forerunner of the Dogo

Canario, is prominently placed.

Hounds and Hunting Dogs Spanish colonists took their dogs – Alanos, Perros de GanadoMajorero (or Bardino Majorero, an old type of shepherd dogoriginating from the island of Fuerteventura) and other mastiff

types – with them to theCanary Islands. In the18th century, these dogsmingled with bulldogsand mastiffs, owned bySpanish immigrants forthe most part, since tradewith England was dis-rupted at that time. It wasonly after abolition of theSpanish Inquisition in1834, during the reign ofQueen Isabella II, thatcontact between GreatBritain and the islandsresumed.

In the 1760s, historianJosé de Viera y Clavijowrote, “The most commondogs found on the islandswere mastiffs, shepherd

dogs, hounds, partridge hunting dogs, Molosser or mastiff typedogs, ancient short-legged hunting dogs known as pachones,waterdogs, bloodhounds, etc.” Rabies came to the islands as well.“In 1764 rabies entered the islands through dogs brought fromSpain and it was passed to others in Tenerife.” “Short-legged hunting dogs” could well be the forerunners ofthe Sabueso Español, a hunting hound for small game whose breedstandard reads: “The length of the body exceeds greatly the heightat the withers” and “Give the impression of being short.” In those days “perro de presa” was a collective term on the

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HistoRy – Dog stAtues of spAin

Return from the Monteria by Manuel Benedito (1875-1963)Note the hunting dogs with erect ears and rose ears. They could well be forerunners of the Galgo Español.

One of the sculptures of Spanish dog breeds on the Plaza de Santa Ana in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria).

This could be the Dogo Canario. (Photo: Marinus Nijhoff)

Galgo Español. The prey lies at its feet. Note the long legs and slender body.

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islands and the mainland for all dogs resembling catch (or holding)dogs. In the 1800s, the perros de presa got a new job: fighting.When dog fights were banned in the 1940s, the popularity of theperro de presa decreased dramatically. By the 1960s, they were asgood as extinct on the islands. It was Manuel Curtó Gracia who, in the 1970s, begangathering data and photographs of the perro de presa. In the late1970s, he wrote up the first breed points. In January 1983 abreed club was recognized by the Spanish KC. Shortly afternational recognition, specialty shows were organized. In 2001,the breed was provisionally recognized by the FCI. The DogoCanario had been saved.

Sighthound Family “The Podenco is atype of dog more closelyrelated to, and no moreprimitive than, the rest ofthe European huntingbreeds.” (Wikipedia)

The other real Canarybreed, the Podenco Ca-nario, is a member of thelarge sighthound familyliving in European andNorth African countriesaround the Medi-terranean. The PodencoCanario (not to beconfused with itsnephew the PodencoIbicenco) lives on all theCanary Islands, especi-ally on the largest, GranCanaria and Tenerife.

There is little documentation about the developmentof the Podenco Canario; almost every dog writer statesthat it’s a dog of Egyptian origin that was probablyimported to the Canary Islands by the Phoenicians, theGreeks, the Carthaginians and the Egyptiansthemselves. The fierce and independent Phoeniciansoccupied the coast of the eastern Mediterranean as aconfederation of maritime traders.

According to most historians, the Podenco Canariois one of the oldest breeds in existence. Depictions ofthis type of hound can be seen in the tombs of thePharaohs and in museums worldwide.

A beautiful painting by Manuel Benedito (1875-1963) shows the Monteria, the hunt on big game. Thenine dogs participating in the hunt are all of a SpanishGalgo type, another sighthound that arrived on theCanary Islands with colonists.

Who is Who?Facing the church on the Plaza de Santa Ana in

Las Palmas, eight dogs sit and lie as if they wereguarding the cathedral. The dogs are mounted on large blocks,probably made of marble but painted dark green. Spain has 12native dog breeds; eight of themare immortalized here. ThePerro de Presa Canario (CanaryDog, Dogo Canario or CanaryMastiff) and the PodencoCanario (Canary Islands Hound,Canary Warren Hound orCanary Podenco) were deve-loped on the Canary Islands;two others developed on theisland of Majorca, east of Spainin the Balearic Sea. The rest

originate frommainland Spain.

One of the eightstatues is easy toidentify: the GalgoEspañol with itsrose ears. The preylies between itslong front legs. The Perro Dogo Mallorquin also hasrose ears, but it can’t be the dog with the long forelegsand slender body. Two recumbent dogs have ratherbig heads and cropped ears; Spain has only one breedwith this feature: the Perro de Presa Canario (CanaryDog, Dogo Canario, Canary Mastiff). Who is theother one?

Five statues are of dogs with hanging ears. TheSabueso Español, Mastín de Pirineo, Mastín Español,Perdiguero de Burgos and Perro de Pastor Mallorquinhave hanging ears. The Sabueso’s ears are long andelegant, twisted in a corkscrew; the Perro de PastorMallorquin and the Burgos ears are somewhat like aLabrador’s, and the two Mastíns have hanging ears

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History – Dog statues of spain

Perro de Presa CanarioThe breed was fully recognized by the FCI in 2011.

The left one is uncropped.(Photo: Chienchiotsavendre)

Gos d’Atura Català or Catalan SheepdogThis intelligent breed is used for herding and as a pet. (Photo: Royal Canin)

Podenco Ibicenco or Ibizan Hound The breed has two coat types:

short and wire-haired

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that are relatively small compared to the body. I had to wait some time before I could take photos; the Plaza wasfull of tourists all day, admiring eight large dogs. But who, exactly,is who?

Token of Gratitude The romantic explanation as to why these statues were placedin front of the cathedral is that they were donated to the city ofLas Palmas by the captain of a French ship that ran into seriousproblems on its way to Africa, and had to drop anchor at LasPalmas. The local government looked after the captain and crewso well during their long stay that, as a token of gratitude, thecaptain (or his company?) donated this sculpture group ofSpanish dogs. Another story is more realistic. The oldest of the coalingcompanies on Gran Canaria is Miller & Co., founded by ThomasMiller from Scotland, who transformed Las Palmas into one of thebusiest shipping ports in the world. It is said that James Miller, oneof Thomas’s children, survived the cholera epidemic of 1851. Yearslater, Ann Miller from London wrote a letter to Nicolas Diaz-Saavedra Navarro (1901-74), the mayor of Las Palmas in the1930s, mentioning that the mid-1890s donation of “cast-iron dogs”(sic) was a token of gratitude from the Miller family because ofJames Miller’s recovery. Unfortunately, she had no written proof. The only certainty is that the group was placed in the mid-1890swhen Felipe Massieu was mayor of Las Palma. In 1897, the well-known French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (The Carnival of theAnimals) wrote to a friend that, “… iron dogs in different positionswere placed on one of the squares.” Not everybody was pleased with the sculpture group; havingdogs on the Plaza de Santa Ana facing the cathedral was consideredinappropriate. Nevertheless Los Perros de la Plaza deSanta Ana are now mentioned in every travel guide.

The Sculptor Most sources mention Henri Alfred MarieJacquemart (1824-96), a French sculptor; others citeBritish artist Adrian Jones (1845-1938). Jacquemart as

well as Jones specialized in animal sculpture; some of thestatues are signed “AJ,” initials of both artists. After lookingat other works by both artists, I am convinced that Jacquemartsculpted these dogs de Santa Ana. Copies of some of the statuesin Las Palmas can be found elsewhere in the world – at Sothebyfine art auctions, for example, at an auction in Fairfield, Conn.,or as garden ornaments. The statues were die-cast in bronze at the French Val d’Osne

Foundry in Paris. Four of thestatues carry their inscriptions.The bronze was eventuallypainted, in dark green, as aprotection against the elements.Imagine transporting the dogsfrom Paris to the harbor of LasPalmas, undoubtedly on a shipsailing from the northern coast ofFrance to the Plaza Mayor ofSanta Ana, with Las PalmasCathedral in the background.

We have tried to find the names of all photographers. Unfortunately, wedid not always succeed. Please send a message to the authorwww.riahorter.com if you think you are the owner of copyright.

A retired bookseller and publisher, Ria Hörter is a dog writer from TheNetherlands. She is the contributing editor of the leading Dutch NationalDog Magazine “Onze Hond” (“Our Dogs”) and works for the DutchKennel Club and the Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of the Netherlands ofwhich she was one of the founders. She was nominated twice and a finalistin the 2009 Annual Writing Competition of the Dog Writers Associationof America, for her articles in Dogs in Canada. On April 12, 2014 she was awarded the Dutch Cynology Gold Emblemof Honour. The award was presented by the Dutch Kennel Club.

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HistoRy – Dog stAtues of spAin

Twelve Native Dog Breeds from Spain

Galgo Español (Spanish Greyhound) – rose earsGos d’Atura Català (Catalan Sheepdog) – beardMastín de Pirineo (Pyrenean Mastiff) – hanging earsMastín Español (Spanish Mastiff) – hanging earsPerdiguero de Burgos (Spanish Pointer, Burgos Pointer) –hanging earsPerro de Agua Español (Spanish Water Dog) – curls all over Perro de Pastor Mallorquin (Ca de Bestiar) – hanging earsPerro de Presa Canario (Canary Dog, Dogo Canario, CanaryMastiff) – cropped ears in the past, now also uncroppedPerro Dogo Mallorquin (Ca de Bou, Mallorquin Mastiff,Majorca Mastiff) – rose earsPodenco Canario (Canary Islands Hound, Canary WarrenHound, Canary Podenco) – prick earsPodenco Ibicenco (Ibizan Hound) – ears pointing forward orsideways, or folded backward Sabueso Español (Spanish Scenthound, Spanish Hound) –hanging ears

A Sabueso Español - Note the long, elegant ears (Photo: Marinus Nijhoff)

Older photograph of one of the dogswith cropped ears. Later, the dogs

were painted dark green.

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