| Other names | Argentine Dogo Argentinian Mastiff |
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| Nicknames | Dogo | ||||||||||||
| Country of origin | Argentina | ||||||||||||
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| Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||||||||
The Dogo Argentino (also known as the Argentine Dogo) is a large, white, muscular dog that was developed in Argentina primarily for the purpose of big-game hunting and fighting, including wild boar and puma; the breeder, Antonio Nores Martinez, also wanted a dog that would exhibit steadfast bravery and willingly protect its human companion to the death. It was first bred in 1928, from the Cordoba Fighting Dog along with a wide array of other breeds including, but not limited to, the Great Pyrenees, Irish Wolfhound, Boxer, Great Dane, and Pointer.
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The Dogo Argentino is a large white short-coated dog with a smooth muscular body that rarely has any markings (any type of marking or spot on the coat is considered a flaw).[1]
Height: From 23 ½ to 26 inches inches (females) or 24 to 27 inches (males), measured at the withers. Weight: From 80 to 100 pounds. The length of the body is just slightly longer than the height, but female dogs may be somewhat longer in body than male dogs. The length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog's height at the withers. The head has a broad, slightly domed skull and the muzzle is slightly higher at the nose than the stop, when viewed in profile. The tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point. It has been described as looking similar to an American Bulldog or a tall, solid white American Pit Bull Terrier.[2]
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 unilaterally (one deaf ear) and some bilaterally (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.[3][4][5] Hip dysplasia is also a possibility in this breed.
Dogos are big-game hunters and are sometimes trained for search and rescue, police assistance, and military work.[1]
The Dogo Argentino was specifically bred to be fierce hunters, but then to go home to the hunters families and be gentle with the family.
Dogo Argentinos are protective of what they perceive as their territory and will guard it against any intruder. They get along with other dogs as long as they have been properly socialized, but will usually not tolerate another dog trying to assert dominance over them, therefore they might not coexist peacefully with another dominant breed of dog. The dogo has a life expectancy of nine (9) to fifteen (15) years.
While the Dogo Argentino was bred primarily from the extinct Cordoba Fighting Dog, it was bred to be a cooperative hunter; 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 particular areas where dog fighting continues, Dogos Argentinos have been used for fighting although rarely due to their non-aggresive nature.
In the United Kingdom, it is illegal to own Dogos Argentinos without specific exemption from a court per the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991,[6] and dogs of the breed may be seized by the police.[7] The maximum fine for illegal possession of a Dogo Argentino is £5,000 and/or up to six months' imprisonment.[6] Breed-specific legislation varies in the United States, with bans on the breed enacted in Aurora, Colorado and New York City public housing.[8][9] The Australian government has banned the importation of this dog.[10] The dog is also illegal in New Zealand,[11] Norway,[12] Denmark,[13] Iceland, Portugal,[14] Romania,[15] Singapore,[16] and Ukraine.[17] The ban in the UK has received criticism with a spokesperson from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals stating that the law must "focus back on the real problem... the owner".[18]
In the 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.[19] This breed is extinct today but was described as a large and ferocious dog that was a great hunter. He crossed it with the Great Dane, Boxer, Spanish Mastiff, Old English Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Pointer, Irish Wolfhound and Dogue de Bordeaux.[20] Nores Martinez continued to develop the breed via selective breeding to introduce the desired traits.