Is a presa canario the right dog for me?

[⋆ Claire M⋆]

They're as dangerous as you bring them up to be.

Your experience with Newfoundlands isn't really helpful - because, although they are large, they're not really a ''guard'' breed, although the size of them might deter someone. They just don't have that sort of intensity. However, your experience with Dobermans might be helpful - those two breeds are very different, but they're both breeds that require a confident & responsible owner, and if you managed that with a Dobe, I'm sure you can with a Presa Canario.

Presa Canario's are mastiffs - therefore, if not raised properly, they do have the tendency to become dominant & in turn, potentially dangerous due to their size and strength alone. You'll have to make sure you properly socialize a Presa Canario with other dogs (all shapes & sizes) to avoid any problems - and you'll also have to socialize well with other people, children of all ages... You should do this from young puppyhood (8 weeks+). It might also be a good idea to enroll in obedience classes, too. Exercise is important - as with any breed, without exercise, problems are inevitably going to occur.

I'd, personally, wait until your child is a little bit older. With such a young child, I doubt you'll have enough time to focus primarily on the dogs training and socialization, and you can't be sloppy with that kind of thing - socialization at a young age, is basically what shapes a dog and shapes how it will behave around other dogs/animals and people. So, you really do need lots of time, if you're going to be raising a dog. I would never, ever, decide to raise a baby & a dog at the same time... Nightmare! Raising a puppy is hard enough, sometimes, so I think it'd be pretty stressful attempting to do this all at once. Also, a young dog/puppy is going to be bouncy, and a dog the size of a Presa, jumping on a baby, would probably hurt, don't you think?

Give it some time - the more time the better. That also gives you time to do lots of research on the breed & decide whether it really is the one for you. It also gives you time to raise your daughter without having the hassle of raising a puppy simultaneously! :-)