Origins of de Ca de Bou breed are lost in the shadows of the past. There are already quotations about King Jaime I ,The Conqueror, who brought some hold dogs, mastiffs and Spanish prey dogs. The Knights of the Order of Malta brought these dogs, which were settled in Majorca later.
In time, those dogs and their descendents were used in Majorca for different tasks. For instance, since the XIII Century, the guild of butchers or cutters used the breed as assistant of the slaughterman or the butcher fastening the animal by its ear or lips. Even the guild´s coat of arms is a prey dog holding a bull.
Another task was as a guardian of country states of Majorcan estates, proving its excellent instinct of guard.
At the same time, our hold dog was used for hunting deer and wild boars, mainly in an enormous estate in the municipal term of Artâ (Majorca) known with the name of Sa Devesa, as it is quoted in a lot of documents.
These dogs were also used by bandits during the XV, XVI and XVII Centuries as an intimidatory arm in order to commit their raids and robberies in the cross roads. As a response, the "Jurats" or law watchers used them to capture the bandits.
These dogs were decisive many times in skirmishes against the berber pirates who raced the shores of Majorca. It is famous the battle that took place in Soller (North Majorca) by Captain Angelats with his barely two hundred men against the attack of seventeen hundred Turkish pirates. Thanks to the bandits from Soller and their fierce prey dogs, horror was spread among the Turkish ranks, scattering in all directions, but not before having fallen lots of them victim of the dogs jaws. For this feat the bandits were awarded the royal forgiveness.
At the beginning of 1800 the Ca de Bou became famous by taking part in bull spectacles and in fights not only with other dogs but even with wild animals like leopards, hyenas and others,
Fortunately, nowadays such kind of shows are completely eradicated and banned, being the dog our present-day friend, a perfect and balanced domestic animal, a guardian, noble and tame with the family. But, we cannot forget that those activities were frequent and totally common at that time. It is an intimate part of its story and we cannot hide it, however much we insist.