Presa Canario in Australia: Is It Legal?

What is a Presa Canario?

A heavy guard dog from the Canary Islands. The breed standard published by the international federation FCI (standard No. 346, revised 2023) lists its use as “Guard dog used for protection of cattle” and describes “A medium-sized molossoid dog, with a rectilinear profile and black mask”, originating from Tenerife and Gran Canaria. It gives a height at the withers of 61 to 66 cm for males and 57 to 62 cm for females, a weight of 45 to 57 kg for males and 40 to 50 kg for females, and colours of brindle, fawn or black, with the mask always black in fawn and brindle dogs. On temperament it says the breed is “Obedient and docile with family members, very devoted to its master, but can be suspicious of strangers.”

None of that changes its legal position here. The Presa Canario is not on the Dogs Australia breed listing (August 2026), so there are no Dogs Australia pedigrees or member breeders for it, and the law below applies whatever a registry overseas says.

What does each law say about the Presa Canario?

Every jurisdiction that names breeds names this one. We read each Act or official page on 12 November 2026; the wording below is quoted as published.

Read 12 November 2026. Spellings are as each source publishes them. The NSW Act names the breed at s 55(1)(c1); the NSW Office of Local Government page lists it instead as an example of “any other dog of a breed, kind or description that cannot be imported into Australia”, which leads to the same result. This is a summary of what the official sources say, not legal advice.

The Commonwealth rule is the starting point. Schedule 1 of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 covers goods whose importation is prohibited absolutely, and the Department of Agriculture's cats and dogs FAQ says these pure breeds cannot be imported into Australia. NSW, Western Australia and Tasmania also link their lists to the import ban, so any other breed added to it would be caught too.

What does a restriction mean for an owner?

Where a dog is already lawfully kept as a restricted or prescribed breed, the conditions are strict and they differ by state. This table sets out what each official source lists; your council can tell you how it applies to a particular dog.

From the pages and Acts linked, read 12 November 2026. Penalties and details change; check the source for your state.

Queensland is different. Since 28 August 2024 the five import-banned breeds have been prohibited dogs under Chapter 4A of the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008, and the Act's former restricted dog permit system was repealed, apart from transitional cases. Section 103B makes owning one without a reasonable excuse an offence; transitional provisions keep a dog that held a restricted dog permit before that date outside the offence while its permit is kept up. Do not read older Queensland guides about permits and enclosures as current rules for new owners.

Declarations and appeals. In NSW the Office of Local Government says the council issues a notice of intention and the owner has 28 days to object. In Victoria, owners can apply to VCAT for a review within 14 days of a declaration, and Agriculture Victoria says the onus is then on the owner to prove the dog is not a restricted breed. In Tasmania an owner may appeal a declaration to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal within 28 days, and the Act puts the onus on the person asserting the dog is not a restricted breed; Western Australia's Dog Act has a similar onus in s 45(2A). If you receive a notice, read it carefully and get legal advice.

What about a dog advertised as a Presa or a mastiff cross with Presa in it?

Several state laws reach further than the pure breed. Western Australia's Dog Act 1976 defines a dangerous dog (restricted breed) to include a dog that “is a mix of 2 or more breeds, one being a breed prescribed by the regulations to be a restricted breed”. In NSW the declaration process covers cross-breeds of a restricted breed. Queensland's Act says that for prohibited dogs “a breed does not include a crossbreed”, but an authorised person who reasonably believes a dog is a prohibited dog can seize it. The advert itself can be the problem: NSW, Western Australia and South Australia each ban advertising a restricted or prescribed dog for sale.

Labels on dogs of unknown history are also unreliable. In a 2009 US study, DNA found the breed an adoption agency had named as a main breed in only 4 of 16 dogs, and in a 2015 study at four US shelters, staff labelled 52% of 120 dogs as pit bull-type while DNA put 21% in that group. Neither study looked at the Presa Canario, but both show why a big head or a brindle coat in a photo is not evidence of breed either way.

What to do instead: if a mastiff-type dog of uncertain breed interests you, ask your council how it would treat the dog before you take it on, and prefer a rescue or council pound that has assessed the dog and gives you an adoption record. Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites and profiles for pets that do not exist, and advises viewing a pet in person or on a video call and being wary of a very cheap price. Our guide to what breed your rescue dog is covers what DNA tests can and cannot tell you.

Which mastiff breeds can you legally own instead?

If it is the size, presence or guarding instinct that draws you, several recognised breeds offer that without the legal risk. Each of these is on the Dogs Australia breed listing and no state or territory list names it, although a council officer can still assess an individual dog and any dog of any breed can be declared dangerous or menacing after an incident.

All four are big, strong dogs that need training, socialisation and a secure yard, so read the guide before you decide. Our guard dog guide explains which protective breeds suit family life, and the Dogue de Bordeaux guide covers another recognised mastiff.

Find a large dog near you

• Large dogs for adoption in Sydney
• Large dogs for adoption in Melbourne
• Large dogs for adoption in Brisbane
• Large dogs for adoption in Perth
• Large dogs for adoption in Adelaide

Before you apply, read adopting a dog in Australia and check your housing with our renting with pets guide. For the full state-by-state restricted list, see Staffy vs pit bull; the same import ban applies to the Dogo Argentino, and the Boxer guide covers a lawful, more compact working breed.