Presa Family Reunion!

It’s a Presa Family Reunion!

Tonka and Lola hadn’t seen their family in months, so we drove right on over to see them. At first Indio (their dad on the far left, red brindle) stood guard, like the good Presa Canario that he is. Then Hana (grandma, on the far right, red brindle) and Avva (mom in the middle, fawn) came over to see what was up.

It was a barkfest!

Tonka and Lola kept their cool, showing respect for their elders. Their tails were “windmilling” a million mph… So happy to see more doggies like themselves!

Tonka and Lola are so excited!

Big Mama Hana is the ultimate grandma!

I wonder if they remember each other? Grandma Hana sure seemed to have remembered them – she followed them back and forth and even nuzzled through the fence… She was the one who nurtured them as pups, back in the day… Aww…

Tonka and Lola are 22 weeks old in these photos.

BARF?

Tonka and Lola have started what has become known as the “BARF” diet. Sounds gross, but it’s quite good. Amazingly good, actually. We humans should follow it’s principles, but most of us don’t… anyway “BARF” stands for “Bones And Raw Food”.

Basically, it’s the most natural way of eating. If dogs were out in nature, and still hunted like their cousins the wolves do, what would they eat? Whatever they could get their paws on! That would be the raw meat and bones of small prey, eggs, sprouting vegetation and fallen fruits.

Tonka and Lola have started their Raw Food diet, pictured here are chicken backs. And they LOVE it!

Tonka and Lola love their raw chicken and crunchy veggies! Lola especially likes carrots and hearts of lettuce. Tonka is more of a meat guy. 🙂 Tonka loves his new food so much that when he saw us taking it out of the fridge, he stood guard!

The benefits of a BARF diet: Raw food has “live” enzymes, protein, vitamins and minerals that are “burned” or “killed” when cooked. These nutrients are more easily consumed in their most natural state which leads to better nutrition.

He knows where we keep the chicken!!!

The proof? Shinier and softer coat, stronger immune system, solid musculature, more energy, cleaner teeth and no “dog breath”!

PLUS, the vet always praises them on their health! 🙂

For more information on the Raw Food Diet (BARF) click on the link to the right…

Tonka is 21 weeks old in this photo.

Bathtime!

Bathtime isn’t always fun, but it sure is necessary! Lola does not enjoy getting wet, though she’s an expert in getting dirty… She loves to do some “gardening” at home, roll around in the mud at the park, splash in puddles as we walk down the street and dig a napping hole in the sand at the beach…

She's not loving this one bit... 😀

Big Boy Tonka… He’s a very special doggie… He likes to do all the messy things that his sister, Lola, likes to do… However, he stays perfectly still for his bath. We like to lather them up on a warm, sunny day (lots of those in PR!), rinse off with the cool hose water, towel dry and let them air dry. “Wash and go!”

Tonka's such a good sport!

All done! Now let’s see those beautiful baby milk teeth!

Presa Dad wants to see Tonka's baby teeth...

I guess it’s time for Mama Presa and Presa Dad to shower… After all that shaking, we’re completely wet anyway! 🙂

Tonka and Lola are 21 weeks old in these photos.

Man’s Best Friend

Only one very special photo this week…

Presa Dad came home after a long, hard day, feeling down. He sat on the floor with his back against the wall. Sigh. Tonka lied down next to him and reached out his paw.

Amazing.

"BFF" takes a whole new meaning when you have a Presa Canario.

A true friend reaches for your hand and touches your heart. – Unknown

When the Man waked up he said, “What is Wild Dog doing here?” And the Woman said, “His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.” – Rudyard Kipling

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. – Bern Williams

Tonka’s paw is 20 weeks old in this photo.

A Day in the Life of a Presa Puppy

Puppies, like children, need, crave and thrive on structure. Tonka and Lola have a routine and they like to stick to it! 🙂 They are our alarm every morning at 6am sharp. Not sure how they do that, but I’m impressed every day. Then we go through the day executing several tasks and end up sleeping like babies. All four of us! 🙂

Here’s a sample schedule for our day:

6am               – WAKE UP! (bark bark!)

7-8am           – Walk, Train, Play in the Park

8-9am           – Breakfast

9am – 3pm   – Nap while the humans work

3pm – 5pm   – Play outside while the humans keep working

5pm – 6pm   – Dinnertime!

6-8pm           – Walk, Train, Play in the Park

8pm- 9pm    – Relax in the yard/patio

9pm               – Lights out!

Lola sits patiently on her Place for the next command.

Tonka takes a break in his Place.

The wooden chair feels so good whiles she’s teething.

Tonka loves to sink his teeth into the soft wood.

Tonka and Lola love to playfight in the park!

Lola tackles Tonka in the grassy park.

Tonka and Lola are on their best behavior at dinnertime.

After a full day of puppy activities, Tonka knocks out in a full stretch!

Lola loves to sleep belly up, cute as bug in a rug!

Now that Basic Obedience Training classes have started, we take our schedule very seriously.  This class is no joke! Situated in the Plaza Las Americas parking lot, it’s 2 action-packed hours of learning various exercises then practicing them. Popeye, the class instructor from the FCI is watchful and demanding, but also very nurturing and helpful. Presa Canarios are notorious for being hard-headed and willful, but Tonka and Lola are doing quite well…most of the time! 🙂

Tonka and Lola are 19 weeks old in these photos.

One more week!

Ok, so Tonka is very strong, smart and stubborn. He is, after all, a Presa Canario. After much work and patience on our part to keep his ear bandages in place, at least they lasted a week. So, back to the vet we went for the last time. The doctor was so patient and happy to see Tonka again. Not because he had to redo the bandages, but because he has a soft spot in his heart for Tonka. 🙂

We went for a short walk to explore the rugged terrain near Barceloneta after seeing the vet.

Ah… fresh ocean air… seamist splashing on your face… the sun shining down… relax…

It looks like they’re kissing but they’re actullay tugging on a rope!

The rope is tied to the window bars… I hope they don’t pull them off!

Of course, we stopped by the beach near Barceloneta to explore a new area. We love adventure! There’s this spot that looks like it came right out of a Sci-Fi movie – a crater like formation right on the water! We took a slow, easy walk on the rugged terrain and took in the fresh, salty ocean breeze and wonderful sunshine.

Then we went home for some yummy dinner and playtime!

Another dog day in paradise!

Tonka and Lola are 18 weeks old in these photos.

Recovery Time

Tonka’s recovery was not easy… The poor little guy went through a lot of pain, Lola was lonely and nobody got any sleep. His ears drooped a bit during the second week of recovery. The vet said it was normal and placed the bandages on again. This time a bit more securely and they lasted a little longer. The hard-headed guy kept trying to find ways to take them off…

Presa Mama has too much fun on the iPhone waiting for Tonka’s vet appointment to wrap up.

Tonka’s surgery looks nice…at a price…

No matter where we go, Tonka and Lola are happy to hang out!

Moral of the story: provide plenty of toys!!!

At 17 weeks old, they still fit on the bench together… kind of!

Recuperating from surgery, Tonka enjoys the view from the old fortress.

Once Tonka felt well enough we headed out to Old San Juan to wander around Fort El Morro and rest in the shade of Plaza Colon. It’s always so nice to spend time with my Presa Babies! 🙂

Tonka and Lola are 17 weeks old in these photos.

Tonka’s New Friends

Tonka and Lola took turns going to the park with PresaMama one afternoon. The idea was to bond with a leisurely stroll but….. the energetic kids at the playground had a different idea:

PLAY! PLAY! PLAY!

Three-year-old Neni liked to pet and sit next to her huge, gentle friend.

At only 10 years old, *** asked a lot of good questions about Tonka, including how to take care of him and how he compares to other breeds.

This is Tonka’s fave place to jump! Only twice though – I didn’t want to deal with any injuries!

Eight-year-old *** became and expert dog walker by the time we left the park!

Tonka greets his friend on the way to the park almost every day.

 

I was so impressed with how gentle they were with the little ones. It’s as if they know the difference between adults and kids! We played chase all around the park and through the basketball court… climbed on the jungle gym… Tonka even jumped off a couple of times! He only went down the slide once, though. Not his cup of tea, I imagine.

Two of the kids even learned how to properly walk Tonka on leash. Wow, they learn so fast – both doggie and kiddo!

The Perro de Presa Canario is truly a noble breed.

Tonka is 16 weeks old in these photos.

Reunited and It Feels So Good!

Time to take those bandages off and BE FREEEEEEEE!!!!!

Tonka and Lola were finally reunited and inseparable!

They truly did everything together this week!

This is how we climb piles of debris in the park together.

This is how we “down and relax” after our walk.

This is how we sit before coming inside. 🙂

This is how we eat together.

This is how we play on the beach.

This is how we explore all those smells on the beach.

This is how we nap in our crate after we explore and play on the beach.

Tonka and Lola are 16 weeks old in these photos.

Big Boy Tonka is Home!

The surgery went well and we were happy to have Tonka back home!

Bedtime is so lonely without her little brother…

Lola chews on the coveted prize, but there’s no Tonka to share it with… 😦

Poor little guy just wanted to be around us all the time… Even if just at our feet…

Tonka and Lola finally see each other! … But only through the gate… 😦

Tonka anxiously chews on his toy as he recuperates.

Presa Mama and Lola walked alone everyday to enjoy the park.

However, Tonka and Lola had to be kept apart for fear that she’d hurt his tender, healing ears. Not on purpose, of course. They just play so brutally harsh we didn’t want to take any chances. She might easily chew on the bandages, bite his ears, knock him over, etc. etc.

Just in case there’s ever any doubt as to whether or not animals have feelings: Tonka and Lola were miserable, lonely, forlorn, grumpy and irritable while they were apart. They lost their appetite a bit, too, so we had to be vigilant that they ate. 

The hardest part was watching Tonka suffer and being completely helpless to ease his pain and anxiety. We gave him all the meds the vet prescribed, including painkillers. Sleepless nights ensued for eveybody, furry-four-footers and humans. Tonka and Presa Dad stayed in the back room with quiet, mini fridge, TV and air conditioning. Presa Mama and Lola had the rest of the house with only each other for entertainment – and the park!

It was an incredible bonding experience for both pairs: Tonka and Presa Dad, Lola and Presa Mama. However, it’s not one we’d like to repeat!

Tonka and Lola are 15 weeks old in these photos.