77-88 lbs
24-26"
Argentina
The kind of dog that can strike an intimidating pose, the Dogo Argentino — also known as the Argentinian Mastiff or Argentino Dogo — is nevertheless a sweet and good-natured breed at heart that will show extraordinary levels of devotion to whoever looks after it.
In this guide to everything Dogo Argentino-related, you’ll also learn:
The Dogo Argentino breed is an intelligent, strong, protective dog that isn’t just a good family pet; because of its history as a hunting dog, it is used in military and police work. But, because a Dogo Argentino’s temperament is loyal and kind, they can be used for therapy work as well.
If you want to own a Dogo Argentino it’s best that you’ve owned a dog or two before. This is a breed that takes a little more care than most, and which might be challenging for a first-time pet parent.
You do need lawful authority to own a Dogo Argentino in some countries (though not the United States). Unfortunately, people in a few areas use these dogs as fighting dogs, so as a breed the Dogo Argentino is considered dangerous. In several countries, including Denmark, Ukraine, and Singapore, the dog is banned.
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It began with one man in Argentina. Once upon a time, Antonio Nores Martinez wanted to create a dog that could hunt big game. He mixed the Viejo Perro de Pelea Cordobés — the ‘old fighting dog of Cordoba’, a breed that was nearly extinct in the 1920s — with various other breeds of dog.
The Viejo Perro had an instinctive desire to fight but Martinez was dreaming of a dog that could hunt efficiently. He decided to mate the Viejo Perro with a range of breeds including Bull Terriers and Pointers. In 1928 the Dogo Argentino was born, though it was only officially recognised by the American Kennel Club in 2020.
Often mistaken for a Pit Bull, the muscular Dogo Argentino is a tough dog with a head frequently described as ‘massive’. A Dogo Argentino’s weight tends to be in the region of 80 lbs and its body is sturdy. Because the dog was once used to hunt and bring down animals as large as puma, its bite force is mighty — 500 pounds per square inch.
The breed’s coat is always white, with smooth, short hair, and its ears tend to be cut because of a belief that big prey could grab hold of the dog’s larger natural ears in a fight and bring down the dog.
Because it’s a hunting dog, the Dogo Argentino needs a lot of exercise, both physical and mental, with long periods of inactivity likely to make them lash out at things around the house.
This is a breed that needs space to play in the backyard. And, because of its tendency to want to hunt, it will also need a sturdy fence in its way, to prevent it from challenging next door’s chihuahua to a fight.
This isn’t a high-maintenance breed, you may be relieved to hear. Because its hair is short, the dog’s coat doesn’t need much in the way of grooming — just brush it when you get the chance, using a grooming mitt or bristle brush.
It will only need to be bathed once every three months but try to make sure you’re tending to its nails more frequently than this — around the two to three-week mark, ideally. You should, of course, also be keeping the dog’s teeth as clean as possible. While brushing them twice a day like humans do is probably unnecessary, you should aim for once or twice a week at least.
Because this is a breed that’s prone to ear infections, you should pay particular attention to how your Dogo Argentino’s ears are looking: clean them once a week, keeping an eye out for any irregularities. And do think about a wellness plan so that your furry friend is thoroughly inspected and cared for by professionals.
A typical Dogo Argentino lifespan is between 10 and 15 years. Looked after properly, in other words, it’s a dog that could be with you for a decent amount of time. But in those years it has a small chance of being diagnosed with the following illnesses, which are a little more likely to occur than others:
Approximately 10% of Dogo Argentinos are born with congenital deafness and are then unable to hear. This isn’t as serious a problem as it is in Dalmatians — more than a quarter of whom are born deaf — but it’s not a small proportion. And it may be unsurprising, given that experts say that breeds with lighter coats are more likely to be congenitally deaf.
If you want to be on the lookout for the condition so that you can help tailor your dog’s life accordingly, you might want to look out for abnormal amounts of sleep, aggressiveness, jumping when being touched unexpectedly, and unusual vocalizations. All of these could be a sign that your dog is unable to hear what’s going on around them.
This condition, unfortunately, is not one that can be treated. But you can still ensure that your deaf dog has a happy life. Things like vibrating collars can help with everyday life, and it will be as easy to train your dog to learn hand signals as it would be to train a dog that’s able to hear.
There are innumerable symptoms to look out for when it comes to hypothyroidism. If you notice that your dog’s coat is dull and dry; that it’s itching its skin; that it’s got low blood pressure; that it’s losing its hair; or that it’s lethargic, you may be looking at this condition.
It’s a problem that occurs when the thyroid gland, which makes hormones that regulate systems in the body, has a problem that causes an imbalance in these hormones. At its worst, a dog with a hypothyroidism problem can be paralyzed, succumb to hypothermia, or even fall into a coma.
Because the symptoms above can mimic other conditions, your vet may struggle to come to a confident diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Once they do, however, it’s a case of prescribing a hormone replacement. Your dog should be fine but they’re expected to need this treatment for the rest of their life.
When your dog has a raised level of pressure in their eye, they may have glaucoma, a scary and often painful condition that regularly causes blindness. If you have any reason to suspect that your pup has glaucoma, rush them to a vet because this is an urgent situation: if a dog isn’t treated within hours, its chances of further problems increase.
Some of the signs to look out for in your dog are pupils being different sizes; fluttering eyelids; cloudy corneas; redness in the eye; squinting; bulging swollen eyes; and avoidance of light. Medication or surgery may be necessary.
Laryngeal paralysis is a scary condition that can stop your dog’s vocal cords opening and cause it to have real difficulty breathing. It can start on one side and then spread to the other.
As your dog gets older, the condition is likely to get worse. Indeed, laryngeal paralysis is often confused with old age but the difference will be obvious to a trained professional. The surgery they will tend to perform is a tie-back procedure, involving sutures or stitches opening one side of the larynx and tying it into an open position.
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Because the Dogo Argentino is a working dog, it needs a protein-rich diet, perhaps ideally derived from raw food. In its food it will need essential fatty acids, moderate amounts of carbohydrates, plenty of drinking water, and plenty of vitamins and minerals. Beef, chicken (although not raw chicken, of course), lamb, eggs, duck and fish are important components of any well-rounded diet for your furry friend.
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So. What are an Argentine Dogo’s personality traits? This is a loyal and kind dog that, like every dog, ultimately just wants to be friends with its pet parent. You will discover that its devotion to you is second to none. Indeed, the Dogo Argentino can be fiercely protective of its carers, and will display this instinct openly with anyone it considers to be a form of threat.
Because this is a working dog that used to be used by humans in the hunting of prey like wild boar, the Dogo Argentino has a fantastic work ethic. Give it something to do and it will be happily occupied for as long as you like!
You’ll need to train your adorable Dogo Argentino puppy so that it becomes an adorable Dogo Argentino grown-up.
Are Dogo Argentinos dangerous? They can be. This is a breed that benefits from consistent coaching and instruction and needs an authoritative voice to socialize and train it so that it doesn’t become too wilful or disobedient.
Written by Ralph Jones
Published: 08/30/2006, edited: 01/03/2024
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