Is Dogo Argentino A Good Family Dog? How Powerful Dog Argentino is?

Dogo Argentino is a breed of large, muscular, strong, and white-colored dog breed also known as the Argentinian Mastiff developed by Dr. Antonio Nores Martinez for big-game hunting including wild boars and puma or mountain lions. It is a new breed of dog created from the old, extinct Cordoba dog. They are strong, intelligent, and hardworking, which is why they are ready for working and hunting purposes apart from these and can also make great family pets.

They are widely used in big game hunting, tracking, dock diving, police work, narcotics detection, and military work and can also be trained as service dogs. Because of their size, speed, and strength, they have not yet been considered the best option for first-time owners or families with small children. Dogo Argentino is a dog that needs owners who can lead them firmly and consistently without using force or cruelty. Being a working dog, they need mental and physical stimulation otherwise they can be bored and destructive to anyone who comes their way.

Early socialization with other people and pets is also very important to keep your Dogo calm and alert to strangers and other animals. With proper training and socialization with people, Dogo Argentino can make brave, wonderful family companions and guard dogs. If you want to choose Dogo Argentino as a pet this dog will not let you down. They are happy, friendly, and enjoy playing with children. They are a loyal, strong, energetic dog that relies heavily on their owners for support and guidance.

Origin and History of Dogo Argentino

In 1920 medical doctor Antonio Nores Martinez and his brother Agustin developed a breed of dogs called Dogo Argentino. Dr. Martinez is considered the father of Dogo Argentino. The Martinez brothers wanted to build a dog that was an ideal family companion and a good pack hunter and guardian. His goal was to develop a dog that would help him to track wild boars from a long distance and be able to successfully navigate various parts of Argentina. Dogo Argentino was originally raised as a hunting dog and as a compassionate hunter, Martinez wants to use this breed in big hunting. The color of the dog coat is deliberately white which allows hunters to see their dogs better and easier when out hunting.

He begins his work with the now-extinct breed of Cordoba fighting dogs to build a versatile, fast, and powerful canine that uses its scenting abilities and hunting instincts to track and take down wild boars and big game such as pumas. Martinez crossed an old breed called the Cordoba Dog which is now extinct with other breeds such as Pointer, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Great Pyrenees, Boxer, Dogie de Bordeaux, Spaniel Mastiff, Bulldog, and Bull Terrier. The result was strong, confident, and fearless dogs with great stamina. After a few generations, Martinez was successful in producing a litter of dogs possessing stable heredity characteristics.

Dogo Argentino was most probably from dominant fighting dogs, their aggressive characters were bred out to interact and cooperate with other dogs during hunting. Unfortunately, Dogo Argentino gained a bad reputation in Britain, when people began using these dogs in dogfighting, a practice that is still popular in many parts of Southern America. As it is used in dogfighting rings it became very aggressive and dangerous and for that reason is banned in several countries such as Australia, Cayman Island, Singapore, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, and Ukraine.

The people of Argentina appreciated the creation of Martinez because of their courage, resilience, and excellent sense of smell. They were used extensively to protect cattle as they were not afraid to protect their herds of animals from wild boars, pigs, and puma.

In 1973, the Federation of Cyonologique Internationale recognized Dogo Argentino as the first and only breed of Argentina. In 2001, this breed was added to the United Kennel Club list and is currently under the category of American Kennel Club. Even today known as Dogo Argentino because of its tenacity, agility, and strength, this breed continues to function as a guardian, family friend, and hunting dog as well as a regular working dog.

Physical Appearance of Dogo Argentino

The Dogo Argentino is a large, well-muscled, and headstrong breed. Their powerful athleticism is can be observed in their large, sleek, muscular body, that just slightly longer than their height. They have a broad, domed head supported by an elegant nick and have dark and alert eyes. The movement of these dogs is fast, confident, and purposeful. Dogo Argentino’s ears are usually cropped but many Kennel Club prefers natural ears that flop rather than cropped ears that stand straight. Some people suggest that natural ears are not good for big game hunting as the pumas and wild boars can easily catch and tear off those ears that hang down while fighting.

The coat of this breed is short, smooth, and almost completely white but can sometimes be seen with black spots on the head or black patches on either side of an eye. The patches do not cover more than 10% of a dog’s body. The thickness of their coat usually depends on the environment or the climate in which they live. When they live in warmer climates their coats are usually thin, in rare cases, the coat is so thin that its skin can be seen. However, if they live in cold climates their coats tend to overgrow and may sometimes form an undercoat.

The Dogo Argentino is a large-sized dog that can grow to a height of 24 to 27 inches. Males are usually taller than females. Their weight is determined between 40 and 45 kg depending on the sex. Their life expectancy ranges from 10 to 12 years on average. These dogs often resemble the American Bulldogs or the American Pitbull Terriers because of their broader and massive heads.

Personality and Training of Dogo Argentino

Despite expressing a lot of aggression during the hunting, the Dogo Argentino is an extremely loyal breed of dog that can make an excellent watchful dog because of their tendency of being highly territorial. Their loyalty to their families and children is extremely noticeable but at the same time, they can become aggressive and hostile towards anything that considers a threat to them and their families. Being strong, well-muscled, and powerful, Dogo Argentino needs owners who are stronger both mentally and physically. They are considered the most suitable tracking dogs because of their excellent sense of smell.

Dogo Argentino earns a Reputation for being an aggressive and ferocious dog based on its resemblance with the American Pitbull Terrier. A consistent and firm trainer can teach and guide them with firmness and consistency, they can make compassionate family companions. This breed is characterized by its high tenacity, bravery, and loyalty, such features make Dogo a dominant protector, therefore used for protecting herds of cattle.

Since they are born with hunting instinct, still they love their owners and always want to stay closer to them. According to the Dogo Argentino Club of America, they are widely used for tracking and taking down wild boars mountain lions, and pigs in their native Argentina. Depending mostly upon the litter, they can develop extremely aggressive traits, therefore they must be trained and socialized from an early puppy stage by a consistent and experienced owner. They are high-energy level dogs and always wanted to job anything from a leash walk to a traditional role as hunting or home guarding.

Perfect dogs for Family protection

Dogo Argentino is a great family taker or guardian and can protect their families in every possible way because of their extraordinary stamina. Raised as hunting dogs to capture and takedown mountain pigs and lions, they have unmatched strength, which is why they are so widely used today as guard dogs. They are suspicious of strangers and unfamiliar people.

They know better how to protect children and other younger family members. Similarly, like hunting dogs, it is easy for people to understand that they are often very aggressive and dangerous but if they are well socialized and trained, you will not face any problems even if they are close to children. However, you should teach children how to work with this wonderful breed of dog to avoid any dangers.

Dogo Argentino needs Experienced Owners

They are bred like hunting dogs to follow the instructions of their owners. They need an experienced and professional owner who can lead them consistently and firmly. Not the best option for novice or first-time owners. If you can’t control this breed from an early age, they can grow up to be large-headed and distrustful dogs, which is very bad.

As they are very intelligent they can easily follow the orders of their master so they are used for hunting purposes and search and rescue operations. At home, a well-trained Dogo Argentino can become an excellent watchful dog.

Maintainance of Dogo Argentino

Like all other breeds, Dogo Argentino needs a lot of exercises. Since they are strong and very energetic a minimum of at least one hour of exercise is necessary for them to stay strong and healthy. Their grooming and maintenance are easy because of their short, smooth, and soft coat. They needed to be brushed with a natural bristle brush to remove loose hair and dead skin cells. Under normal circumstances, they had to bathe after three months or so when they are dirty.

Their nails should be cut regularly after two to three weeks. Dogo Argentino loves swimming, hiking, retrieving balls, and catching flying discs.

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