Dogo Argentino

The American Kennel Club initially recognized the Dogo Argentino in 2011 as part of the miscellaneous group. However, during 2020, the AKC changed this breed’s designation to the working group. Despite its recent recognition, Dr. Antonio Nores Martinez created this breed almost 100 years earlier in 1928.

Dr. Nores Martinez initially bred this dog for fighting. He combined a local fighting dog known as the Cordoba Dog with Great Danes, Boxers, Bull Terriers, and other strong breeds. Despite its fighting heritage, Dr. Nores Martinez discovered that his creation, with its powerful head and muscular neck and body, excelled at hunting.

In its native Argentina, this dog is known for its fearless pursuit of wild boars, pumas, mountain lions, and other large game animals. Its intelligence and tireless energy also make it a good candidate for agility training and other physically demanding tasks. Dogos have done well as police and military support dogs as well as seeing-eye support animals.

The Dogo Argentino is also a very loyal breed that becomes attached to its family. However, it can be wary of strangers and stray animals. Proper socialization from a young age is important for your Dogo Argentino to grow up into a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted member of the family. However, the Dogo Argentino is one of the most expensive dogs to own in the US today.

3 Pros and Cons of Owning a Dogo Argentino

Evolution and Origins

The Dogo Argentino was originally bred in the early twentieth century by Dr. Nores Martinez, who had embarked on a quest to obtain a breed that would be the perfect family pet, a guard dog, and a hunting companion.

To that end, he obtained the Cordoba, a dog descended from European mastiffs renowned for its excellent hunting ability, yet dreaded for its aggressive behavior.

Enlisting the support of his brother, an attorney, he also made use of the bulldog for formidable jaws, the boxer for nimbleness, the bull terrier for the pet’s signature white coat, the Great Dane for its size, and the Pyrenean mastiff for an unflappable nature.

As proof of the success of his breeding program, Dr Martinez had one of the Dogos take on a puma and a boar, with the dog emerging victorious from both fights.

Size and Weight

The Dogo Argentino is a large and strong dog breed. Males generally range from 88 to 100 pounds and stand between 24 and 26.5 inches tall. Female Dogos are only slightly smaller at 88 to 95 pounds and 24 to 25.5 inches in height.

These dogs should generally be pure white, but the AKC standard does allow for one black or dark patch on their heads. However, this colored area cannot be larger than 10% of the Dogo’s head. This breed has a powerful head and jaws with a muscular neck, a sturdy chest, and a lean body.

When puppies are three months old, they typically weigh between 28 and 34 pounds. The puppies will weigh between 52 and 64 pounds by the time they are six months old. Dogo Argentinos are fully grown by 19 months of age.

Common Health Issues

This breed is generally healthy. However, similar to the white Bull Terrier, the Dalmatian, and other pale-colored breeds, the Dogo Argentino can suffer from deafness. Recent studies indicate that congenital deafness affects approximately 25% of Dogo Argentino puppies, with about 20% deaf in one ear and 5% deaf in both ears. Some dogs are only deaf in one ear, but there is a risk of becoming deaf in both ears.

Dogo Argentinos can also develop glaucoma, which impacts 1.7% of all dogs in North America. Two types of glaucoma can affect Dogos. These are open-angle glaucoma and closed-angle glaucoma. Open-angle glaucoma is characterized by increasing loss of vision as a dog ages. The early signs of open-angle glaucoma are often difficult for most owners to detect.

Closed-angle glaucoma is a much more serious condition. It results from a spike in the pressure within a dog’s eyes. It causes redness, pain, and rapid loss of vision.

Dogo Argentinos may develop laryngeal paralysis when they are older. Noisy breathing can be a symptom of this disease, in which the dog’s vocal cords become paralyzed and hang down in their airway. You should bring your dog to the vet immediately if you notice symptoms, as this condition can cause a dog to need emergency surgery.

To sum up, some of the major health concerns that Dogo Argentinos face include:
• Deafness (sometimes deaf in just one ear, sometimes complete deafness)
• Open-angle glaucoma
• Closed-angle glaucoma
• Laryngeal paralysis

Temperament

Dogos have very brave and friendly personalities. They love feeling like part of the family and spending time with the people they love. When with people they know and trust, Dogos can be very social and happy. However, this breed is not as trusting of strangers, and if not properly trained, may exhibit inappropriate behaviors. This is one of the reasons you’ll want to make sure your dog is well-trained and socialized.

The Dogos’ personality traits make this breed a good dog for families. However, keep in mind that they don’t take well to strangers. If your child will be having friends over regularly, this is an important point to consider.

How to Take Care of a Dogo Argentino

There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when planning to care for a Dogo Argentino. As you plan for how you’ll care for your dog, keep in mind the unique health concerns and temperament of this breed.

The Best Dog Food for the Dogo Argentino

Whether you are selecting food for your adult or puppy Dogo Argentino, it will be important to choose a high-quality option from a trusted brand. Since Dogo Argentinos are a large-breed dog, you should look for a food specifically formulated for larger dogs.

Dogo Argentino puppies will need to eat multiple, smaller meals each day. When the dogs are between 8 and 12 weeks old, they should be fed four meals every day. This can be reduced to three meals a day when the puppies are between 3 and 6 months old. Puppies between the ages of 6 months and 1 year should eat two meals each day, and once your Dogo is 1 year old, you may choose to feed them just once a day or to continue with two meals each day.

Dogo Argentino owners luckily don’t have to worry too much about potential health complications when selecting dog food, since the breed tends to be relatively healthy. Still, it’s natural to want the best for your dog, so it’s not a bad idea to aim for glaucoma prevention when comparing dog food ingredients.

Maintenance and Grooming

Dogo Argentinos have a short, white coat. However, even though their coat is short, they are still relatively heavy shedders. To reduce the amount of hair left around your home, you should try to brush your dog at least once a week to remove dead or loose fur.

While your Dogo may need a bath if it gets dirty, you shouldn’t bathe it too frequently. Doing so can destroy the natural oils in their coat that offer protection for their skin. Trimming your Dogo’s nails, keeping their ears cleaned, and brushing their teeth are also tasks you should do regularly.

Training

As a very intelligent dog, the Dogo is relatively easy to train. They also look to please their owners, which aids in the training process. You should begin training your dog and socializing them from a very early age. This will help ensure they are comfortable with different people and in different situations.

While the Dogo Argentino is relatively easy to train, they do not respond well to training methods that use negative reinforcement or physical punishment. For this reason, you should use training methods that focus on positive reinforcement.

Exercise

Dogo Argentinos were bred to hunt mountain lions, wild boar, and other large game. As a hunting dog, their exercise needs are greater than some other breeds, so you will want to make sure you are willing to give your dog the exercise it needs. Taking it on hunting trips or longer walks, or hikes are some good ways to keep your dog active. You can also let your Dogo out in a fenced-in yard to run and play. If a Dogo does not get enough exercise, it may become stressed and destructive.

Puppies

If you are adopting a Dogo Argentino puppy, there are a few things you should do to get your house ready for the new dog. Start by puppy-proofing the areas of your home that the dog will be able to access. Remove anything that could be hazardous to the dog or that you wouldn’t want to see destroyed by an active puppy.

Next, make sure you have purchased food, a crate, a leash and collar, toys, beds, and other essentials for your dog. This way, you’ll have everything ready when you bring your new pup home.

One more thing you should do before bringing home your new puppy is find a veterinarian. This way, you’ll be able to schedule an appointment to get your dog vaccinated and checked out shortly after you bring him or her home.

Children

Dogo Argentinos can be great dogs around children they know and trust. They are very friendly and loyal to the members of their families, including the children. However, this breed does not do very well with strangers. This means they may not exhibit appropriate behaviors around other children who are not part of their family. This could be an issue for households with children who like to invite their friends over to play.

Dogs Similar to Dogo Argentino

The American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bulldog, and Great Dane and three dog breeds that have some things in common with the Dogo Argentino.

• American Pit Bull Terrier: Like the Dogo Argentino, the American Pit Bull Terrier is a hunting dog breed. Both of these dog breeds are very loyal to their owners. They are also relatively easy to train. Pit Bulls are more social and affectionate than Dogo Argentinos, and they are also a little more likely to bark.
• American Bulldog: American Bulldogs and Dogo Argentinos can both make good guard dogs. Both breeds are also very easy to groom. American Bulldogs are generally more affectionate and tolerant of other dogs than Dogo Argentinos are.
• Great Dane: Great Danes and Dogo Argentinos are both very intelligent dogs that are relatively easy to train. Both of these breeds can be very territorial and are good choices for being watchdogs. Great Danes are much larger than Dogo Argentinos, though. The average weight of a male Great Dane is 160 pounds, while the average weight of a male Dogo Argentino is only 93.5 pounds. Great Danes are also taller, with an average height of 32 inches compared to the 25.5-inch average height of a Dogo.