My Dogo Argentino History and Evolution

Hello Dear Amateur of dogo.

you'll find a brief History of the Dogo, along with the some tips and tricks on how to train him.

The Dogo Argentino (also known as the Argentine Dogo or Argentinian Mastiff) is a large, white, muscular dog that was developed in Argentina for the purpose of big-game hunting, primarily cougar and wild boar. It was first bred in the 1920s or '30s from the Cordoban Fighting Dog; today Dogos Argetinos are used for many purposes besides hunting.

Appearance

The Dogo Argentino is a large white short-coated dog with a smooth muscular body rarely having any markings.^[1] Its height is from about 62 cm (24.3 inches) at the withers for male dogs and 60 cm (23.5 inches) for female dogs to about height is 68.5 cm (27 inches). The length of body is just slightly longer than tall, 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 being similar to the larger, solid white American Pit Bull Terrier.^[2]

[edit]Breeding standards

Officially, the breed should be no more than 20% non-white. The ears should be cropped at a length sufficient to cover the ear canal.

Health

As in the Dalmatian and the white Bull Terrier, the dogo experiences pigment-related deafness. There is an approximately 10% deafness rate overall with some dogos afflicted unilaterally (one deaf ear) and some dogs bilaterally (deaf in both ears).^{[citation needed]} Studies show the incidence of deafness is drastically decreased when only breeding stock with bilaterally normal hearing is used^[3][4][5].

As with all large dogs, hip dysplasia is potential though highly uncommon in lines actively worked. With careful feeding and prudent exercise during the growth stage concerns with CHD are uncommon in this breed.

[edit]Temperament

Described as fearless hunters,^[6] Dogos Argentinos are accomplished big-game hunters and are sometimes trained for search and rescue, police assistance, andmilitary work. Due to their strong prey drive, physical capabilities, and guarding instincts, they are not dogs commonly suited to be family pets, though they are sometimes kept by experienced dog handlers.^[1]

Like all dogs of any size or breed, dogos require obedience training and socialisation; no dog should be left unattended with small children. They 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 socialised, but will usually not tolerate another dog trying to assert dominance over them and might not coexist peacefully with another dominant breed of dog. They 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. Dog aggression per se is absolutely not a desirable trait in the Dogo Argentino, as it is at odds with its intended purpose as a pack hunter. A single "pet" dogo without a working outlet for energy and drive may feel himself to be "king of the mountain" and carry himself accordingly, though the same dog may work perfectly cooperatively with other males while hunting.

Dogos are typically strong-tempered animals not suitable for the novice dog owner; they do best with an experienced handler. Dogos are recent comers to suburban life. Unlike many breeds classified as "working dogs", dogos are not "historically" working dogs, but dogs currently and actively selected for working function and temperament. Pet owners interested in the Dogo Argentino would do well to remember that these are working animals with a serious need for exercise and outlet of hunting driven by way of activities such as tracking, trailing, or sport work.^[1]

[edit]Fighting and legality

The Dogo Argentino was bred primarily from the extinct Cordoba Fighting Dog. It was bred to reduce certain aggressive traits inherent in the Cordoban Fighting Dog, specifically its lack of ability to hunt cooperatively in a pack, as the breed was intended to function as a cooperative pack hunter. In particular areas of the world where dog fighting as a bloodsport remains culturally acceptable, some people have bred them for fighting. Dogos of these lines are extremely aggressive and not suited for big game hunting, unlike the original Dogo Argentino.

In the United Kingdom it is illegal to own Dogos Argentinos without specific exemption from a court per the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991,^[7] and dogs of the breed may be seized by the police.^[8] The maximum fine for illegal possession of a Dogo Argentino is £5,000 and/or up to six months' imprisonment.^[7] Breed-specific legislationvaries in the United States, with bans on the breed enacted in Aurora, Colorado and New York City.^[9][10] The Australian government has banned the importation of this dog.^[11] In neither country was there a population of dogos at the time the breed-specific laws were passed.^{[citation needed]} The dog is also illegal in New Zealand,^[12]Norway,^[13] 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]

[edit]History

An Argentine Dogo puppy

In the 1930s in Argentina, Antonio Nores Martinez set out to breed the ultimate big game hunting dog, a dog not only capable of taking on dangerous game such as wild boar and cougars, but a dog also capable of being a loyal pet and family guardian.

Martinez picked the Cordoba Fighting Dog to be the base for the breed. This breed is extinct today but was described as a large and ferocious dog that was both a great hunter and fighter. He crossed it with Great Dane, Boxer, Spanish Mastiff, Old English Bulldog, Bull Terrier, Great Pyrenees, Pointer, Irish Wolfhound and Dogue de Bordeaux.^[1] Martinez kept improving the resulting breed via selective breeding to introduce the desired traits. The first standard for the Dogo Argentino was written in 1928.

[edit]In popular culture

A Dogo Argentino was the star of Carlos Sorín's 2005 movie Bombon. It was a surprise hit on the art-house cinema circuit and was a parable about a middle-aged man who discovered that society placed a higher value on his prize-winning, pedigree dog than himself.^[19]