Dog Breeds > A > Argentine Dogo

Argentine Dogo
The Argentine Dogo (or Argentinian Mastiff) is a large, white, muscular dog that was developed in Argentina for big game hunting.

Appearance (UKC)
The Argentine Dogo is a large, white, short-coated dog with a smooth, muscular body, displaying both power and athletic ability. The length of body is just slightly longer than tall, but bitches may be somewhat longer in body than 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 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 hang naturally, close to the skull. The relatively short tail is set low, thick at the base and tapers to a point. The Argentine Dogo should be evaluated as a hunting dog, and exaggerations or faults should be penalized in proportion to how much they interfere with the dog's ability to work.

History
In the 1920s in Argentina, Antonio Nores Martinez started breeding a dog intended to not only be a pet and family guardian, but also a hunting dog capable of taking on big game such as wild boar, and even jaguars and cougars.

Martinez picked the Fighting Dog of Cordoba to be the base for the breed. The breed is extinct today but was described as a large and ferocious dog that was both a great hunter and fighter. It is believed that the Fighting Dog of Cordoba was developed from Spanish Mastiff, Bull Terrier, old English Bulldog, and early Boxer stock.

With Fighting Dog of Cordoba as the base, he then 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.

Working
Argentine Dogos are very accomplished hunters, and are widely used today, mainly in South America. They are considered to be a working dog, not only for hunting but also as a tracker, as a guard dog, and for general police work including narcotics detection. They are even occasionally used as a seeing-eye dog.

Fighting
Dogfighters have picked up on the dogs' capability as a fierce fighter. Dogos have an aggressive temperament and can be dangerous when irritable, particularly around children. Due to this, Argentine Dogos are banned in both Australia and Great Britain. The dog is one of the four restricted species of dog specifically mentioned in the United Kingdom's Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

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