The Argentine Dogo is a large, white, muscular dog  developed in Argentina for big game hunting.  They are large, powerful and athletic. The length of body is slightly longer than tall, with bitches in body proportionally than dogs. The length of the front leg is approximately equal to one-half of the dog's height at the withers. Head is powerful with a broad, slightly domed skull and a powerful muzzle that is slightly higher at the nose than the stop, when viewed in profile. Ears may be cropped or natural. The shortish tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point.

History
The Argentine Dogo was developed the 1920s in Argentina by Antonio Nores Martinez with the purpose of breeding an allround family and large game hunting dog. He picked the now extinvt Cordoba Fighting Dog to be the base for the breed and crossed in Great Dane, Boxer, Spanish Mastiff, Old English Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Pointer, Irish Wolfhound and Dogue de Bordeaux. Martinez kept improving the breed via selective breeding to introduce the traits that were desired. The first standard for the breed was written in 1928.

Hunting/Working
Argentine Dogos are accomplished hunters, and are widely used today, mainly in South America and Texas. They are first and foremost a hunting dog, but are also used as a tracker, as a guard dog and for general police work including narcotics detection. They are even occasionally used as a guide dog.

Fighting
The Dogo Argentio was bred specifically to remove the aggression problems of the Cordoba Fighting Dog, a breed which could never have been used in a pack.  The Argentine dogo is very social in comparison.

Their appearnce attracted them to dog fighting groups, though largely unsucessfully due to their placid nature, which is somewhat mismatched with their appearnce. Dogos can develop an aggressive or dominant temperament if not socialised with other dogs at an early age, particularly with other dogs of the same sex, but are easily trained by an experienced handler.

BSL
Under Breed Specific Legislation, Argentine Dogos are banned in Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain. In addition, it is one of the four restricted species of dog specifically mentioned in the United Kingdom's Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.  It is unfortunate this breed has been classified as dangerous, as this likely has come more from its appearance which implies aggression and danger, than actual liklihood of same.

Temperament
Dogos are known for being extremely loyal and affectionate with their families and crave attention from their owners. They are very tolerant of children, and will take a lot of punishment from them due to theirs high pain tolerance derived from selective breeding to be a big game hunter. They are protective of what they perceive as their territory and will guard it without fear against any intruder. They get along with other dogs, as long as they have been properly socialised but will not cower from another dominant dog.


<< Previous Appenzell Mountain Dog (Appenzeller) | Back to Dog Breeds | Next >> Australian Cattle Dog