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The Dogo Argentino (plural Dogos Argentinos) is an Argentinian
breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of large dog of
mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephalic) and the ears dro ...
type. It was bred in the early twentieth century in Córdoba in central Argentina, primarily for
dog-fighting Dog fighting is a type of blood sport that turns game and fighting dogs against each other in a physical fight, generally to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment to the spectators. In rural areas, fights are often staged in ...
, but also for hunting large game such as
peccaries A peccary (also javelina or skunk pig) is a medium-sized, pig-like hoofed mammal of the family Tayassuidae (New World pigs). They are found throughout Central and South America, Trinidad in the Caribbean, and in the southwestern area of North ...
and pumas. The foundation stock included a fighting dog of
bulldog type Bulldogs are a type of dog that were traditionally used for the blood sports of baiting and dog fighting, but today are kept for other purposes, including companion dogs, guard dogs and catch dogs. Bulldogs are typically stocky, powerful, square ...
, a
Bull Terrier The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier. Appearance The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, descri ...
and a Mastín del Pirineo.


History

In the 1920s Antonio Nores Martinez, a young student of Córdoba in central Argentina, set out to create a new breed of
fighting dog Dog fighting is a type of blood sport that turns game and fighting dogs against each other in a physical fight, generally to the death, for the purposes of gambling or entertainment to the spectators. In rural areas, fights are often staged i ...
. He wanted it to have the fighting qualities of the Old Cordoba Fighting Dog, but with greater size and strength. He started with a
Bull Terrier The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier. Appearance The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, descri ...
bitch with considerable fighting ability, which he bred to a spotted fighting dog of
bulldog type Bulldogs are a type of dog that were traditionally used for the blood sports of baiting and dog fighting, but today are kept for other purposes, including companion dogs, guard dogs and catch dogs. Bulldogs are typically stocky, powerful, square ...
. He selected and inter-bred their offspring, selecting for white coat colour and rejecting any animal that was retrognathous (undershot). In the eighth generation he introduced a Mastín del Pirineo bitch; by the twelfth generation his dogs were breeding true. They became well known for their success in the ring. Nores Martinez later introduced
crosses Crosses may refer to: * Cross, the symbol Geography * Crosses, Cher, a French municipality * Crosses, Arkansas, a small community located in the Ozarks of north west Arkansas Language * Crosses, a truce term used in East Anglia and Lincolnshire ...
with a variety of other dogs including the Irish Wolfhound. In 1947 he presented his breed to the Club de Cazadores ('hunter's club') of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
; in 1948 a
breed standard In animal husbandry or animal fancy, a breed standard is a description of the characteristics of a hypothetical or ideal example of a breed. The description may include physical or morphological detail, genetic criteria, or criteria of athletic ...
was published in the magazine ''Diana''. The Dogo was definitively accepted by the
Fédération Cynologique Internationale The Fédération cynologique internationale (FCI) (English: International Canine Federation) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs. It is based in Thuin, Belgium. History The FCI was founded in 1911 under the auspices ...
in 1973.


Appearance

The Dogo Argentino is a large white short-coated dog with black spots on its skin and has a muscular and strong body that rarely has any markings on its coat (any type of marking or spot on the coat is considered a flaw). While it is not accepted in many of the clubs, a Dogo Argentino can have a black or brindle spot on its head known as a 'pirata' and this is accepted by the Federación Cinológica Argentina. Breed Standard Height: for females is and for males is , measured at the withers. The length of the body is just slightly longer than the height. 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 the American Bulldog, but very tall with a solid white coat. The breed has also been described as looking similar to the
American Pit Bull Terrier The American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) is a dog breed recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the American Dog Breeders Association (ADBA), but not the American Kennel Club (AKC). It is a medium-sized, short-haired dog, of a solid build, ...
, even though the American Pit Bull Terrier is far smaller (13.5 to 27 kilograms).


Temperament

Dogos Argentinos are big-game
hunters Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
and are also trained for
search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
, police assistance, service dogs, guide for the blind, competitive obedience,
Schutzhund Schutzhund (/'ʃʊtshʊnt/, German for "protection dog"), currently known competitively as IGP and previously as IPO, is a dog sport that tests a dog's tracking, obedience, and protection skills, and evaluates if a dog has the appropriate tr ...
, and military work. The Dogo Argentino is an intelligent and courageous dog with a strong, natural instinct to protect its home and family. The Dogo Argentino is a very social dog and are happiest when included in all family activities. The dog makes a strong distinction between familiar people and strangers, so it is imperative that it is well trained and socialized at an early age. The Dogo Argentino is a hunter of great courage and endurance, and will work individually or in packs. It has also successfully been used in police protection work. An unsteady temperament is a serious fault. The Dogo Argentino has a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years.


Health

As in the Dalmatian, white
Boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
, and white
Bull Terrier The Bull Terrier is a breed of dog in the terrier family. There is also a miniature version of this breed which is officially known as the Miniature Bull Terrier. Appearance The Bull Terrier's most recognizable feature is its head, descri ...
, the Dogo Argentino may experience pigment-related
deafness Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
. There is possibility of an approximate 10% deafness rate overall with some dogs 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. OFA health testing should be done on all breeding stock to ensure that there are no evident signs of hip dysplasia.


Hunting and legality

While the Dogo Argentino was bred primarily from the
extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
Cordoba fighting dog, it was bred to be a cooperative hunter, i.e. to accompany other
catch dog A catch dog is a specially trained dog that is used to catch large animals in hunting, working livestock, and baiting. As hunters, catch dogs are contrasted with bay dogs who corner prey animals and alert their handler by howling, or baying. ...
s and
bay dog A bay dog (or bailer, in Australian English) is a dog that is specially trained to find, chase, and then bay, or howl, at a safe distance from large animals during a hunt, such as during a wild boar hunt. Bay dogs chase and circle the boar, kee ...
s on the hunt without fighting with the other dogs. The Dogo Argentino is banned or has ownership restrictions in certain countries, including the Cayman Islands, Denmark, Norway,
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Turkey. In the United Kingdom, under the
Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom prohibiting or restricting certain types of dogs and codifying the criminal offence of allowing a dog of any breed to be dangerously out of control. After eleven horr ...
, it is illegal to own a Dogo Argentino without lawful authority.


References

{{Authority control Catch dogs Dog breeds originating in Argentina FCI breeds Hunting dogs