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Breed Characteristics
1 paw - breed exhibits the least amount of this characteristic
5 paws - breed exhibits most amount of this characteristic
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Argentine Dogo
| Other Names | Dogo Argentino, Argentinian Mastiff |
| Nicknames | Dogo |
| Country of Origin | Argentina |
| Weight | 80 - 100 lbs. (40–45.5 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | 24 - 27 inches (61 - 69 cm) |
| Coat | The thick, glossy coat is white and has no undercoat. |
| Colour | White |
| Litter Size | 4-8 puppies, average 6 puppies. |
| Life Span | 9 to 12 years |
| Origin & History | In 1928, Antonio Nores Martinez, a medical doctor, professor and surgeon, set out to breed a big game hunting dog that was also capable of being a loyal pet and guard dog. Antonio Martinez picked the Cordoba Fighting Dog to be the base for the breed. This breed is extinct today, but it was said that as a large and ferocious dog, it was a great hunter. Martinez crossed it with the Great Dane, Boxer, Spanish Mastiff, Old English Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Pointer, Irish Wolfhound and Dogue de Bordeaux. Nores Martinez continued to develop the breed via selective breeding to introduce the desired traits. |
| Personality | Dogos are big-game hunters and are sometimes trained for search and rescue, police assistance, service dogs, and military work. As with all breeds, the Dogo Argentino can be good with children, if properly socialized at early age. Dogo Argentinos have been bred specifically to allow better socialization with other dogs and are well suited for group environments. They get along with other pets in most rural and urban settings ranging from a complete outdoor farm dog to urban housing with a small yard, to crowded apartment buildings. Because aggressive traits are purposely bred out, attacks on humans or other pets are extremely rare. |
Care Requirements
| Health | As in the Dalmatian, white Boxer, and the white Bull Terrier, the dogo may experience pigment-related deafness. There is possibility of an approximate 10% deafness rate overall with some dogos afflicted uniaurally (one deaf ear) and some binaurally (deaf in both ears). Studies have shown that the incidence of deafness is drastically reduced when the only breeding stock used is that with bilaterally normal hearing. Hip dysplasia is also a common health concern. |
| Grooming | The single white coat is very easy to care for. Brush occasionally. Keep nails trimmed. They have no doggy odor. This breed is an average shedder. |
| Exercise | Give this dog plenty of exercise. They need to be taken on a daily, long walk or jog. |
| Other Considerations | This breed will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised and does best with at least an average-sized yard. Be sure to bring the Dogo inside when temperatures drop below freezing. While the Dogo Argentino was bred primarily from the extinct Cordoba Fighting Dog, it was bred to be a cooperative hunter, i.e. to accompany other catch dogs and bay dogs on the hunt without fighting with the other dogs. Aggressive traits inherent in the Cordoban Dog were specifically bred out to enable a stable cooperative nature in a pack. However, in areas where dog fighting continues, the Dogo Argentino has been used for fighting due to its fearless nature and great stamina. The Dogo Argentino is banned in certain countries such as Ukraine, Iceland, Australia and Singapore. In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to own a Dogo Argentino without lawful authority and the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a Dogo Argentino is a fine of £5,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment. Laws vary in the United States, with bans on the breed enacted in Aurora, Colorado (Aurora, Colorado, removed 7 of 10 breeds from the ban list including the Dogo in 2011), as well as the New York City public housing. |
