Perro Majorero

Majorero
Other names
  • Bardino
  • Majorero Canario
  • Perro Majorero
OriginSpain
DistributionCanary Islands
Traits
Height Males 56-63 cm
Females 53-61 cm
Weight Males 30–45 kg
Females 25–35 kg: 576 
Kennel club standards
Real Sociedad Canina de España standard
Notesrecognised in Spanish legislation
Dog (domestic dog)

The Majorero, also called Bardino or Perro Majorero, is a Spanish breed of herding and guardian dog originating in the island of Fuerteventura in the autonomous region of the Canary Islands. It was recognised by the Real Sociedad Canina de España – the national kennel club of Spain – in April 1994, and by the national government by royal decree in May 2001. The word majorero is a demonym for the people of Fuerteventura.

It is one of five recognised breeds of dog in the Canaries, the others being the Lobito Herreño, the Pastor Garafiano, the Podenco Canario and the Presa Canario.

History

Like many other aspects of the life of the islands, the presence of the Majorero is not recorded in historical documents; efforts to conserve the breed began in the 1970s.: 575  Its modern history begins with a single-breed dog show held in 1979 in Gran Tarajal [es] in the municipality of Tuineje on the south-east coast of Fuerteventura, which attracted cynologists and breeders from Spain and elsewhere.

The Majorero was recognised by the Real Sociedad Canina de España – the national kennel club of Spain – in April 1994, and by the Spanish national government by royal decree in May 2001.: 85  The word majorero is a demonym for the people of Fuerteventura, related to the caves where ancient peoples lived.

The breed society, the Asociación para la Conservación del Perro Majorero, was authorised by the government of the Canary Islands on the basis of Real Decreto 558/2001, dated 25 May 2001; it is the successor to an earlier society, the Asociación Protectora del Perro Majorero o Bardino, Toto, which had been approved in 1989.: 85 

It is estimated that the dogs number a few hundred in all;: 576  the breed is not among those listed in 2026 by the Real Sociedad Canina de España as 'vulnerable'.

Characteristics

The Majorero is of medium size: heights at the withers vary from 53 to 61 cm for bitches and 56 to 63 cm for dogs; the corresponding ranges for body weights are 25 to 35 kg and 30 to 45 kg respectively.: 576 

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Miguel Fernández Rodríguez, Mariano Gómez Fernández, Juan Vicente Delgado Bermejo, Silvia Adán Belmonte, Miguel Jiménez Cabras (editors) (2009). Guía de campo de las razas autóctonas españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino. ISBN 9788449109461.
  2. 1 2 Miguel Arias Cañete (25 Mayo 2001). Real Decreto 558/2001, de 25 de mayo, por el que se regula el reconocimiento oficial de las organizaciones o asociaciones de criadores de perros de raza pura (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial del Estado. 142 (14 June 2001). Madrid: Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Reference: BOE-A-2001-11347.
  3. ↑ Razas Españolas (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 28 August 2025.
  4. 1 2 Antonio Cardona Sosa (2007). El perro majorero autóctono de Canarias (in Spanish). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Anroan Ediciones. ISBN 9788496577923.
  5. ↑ Raza equino asnal Majorera: Datos Generales (in Spanish). Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente. Archived 10 March 2026.
  6. ↑ [s.n.] (14 January 2026). Relacion de organizaciones y asociaciones de criadores de perros de raza pura (in Spanish). Madrid: Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. Accessed August 2026.
  7. ↑ Quiénes Somos (in Spanish). Puerto del Rosario: Asociación para la Conservación del Perro Majorero. Archived 3 September 2018.
  8. ↑ Razas españolas consideradas vulnerables (del 1 de mayo de 2025 al 30 de abril de 2026) (in Spanish). Madrid: Real Sociedad Canina de España. Archived 12 November 2025.
  9. ↑ Perro Majorero (in Spanish). Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Gobierno de Canarias: Consejería de Agricultura, Ganadería, Pesca y Soberanía Alimentaria. Archived 13 April 2026.