Dogo Argentino
The Dogo Argentino is a big-game hunting dog from the province of Córdoba in Argentina. It was created by the surgeon Antonio Nores Martínez and was a settled breed by 1947.
What do you know about the Dogo?
Its creator crossed in eight breeds. Which of these tall hounds was one of them?
Another breed in the mix. Where does this one come from?
Photo: Canarian, CC BY-SA 4.0 What was the Dogo Argentino bred to hunt?
A big dog from next door. Where is this one from?
Photo: patrizia2010 (Flickr), CC BY 2.0
Where does the Dogo Argentino come from?
Córdoba, in central Argentina. Its maker was Dr. Antonio Nores Martínez (1907 to 1956), a surgeon. He started from the Old Fighting Dog of Córdoba, a powerful local dog bred from bulldogs and bull terriers, and over several generations kept only all-white dogs with heavy heads and long muzzles.
By 1947 the breed was fixed in look and character, and that year its first standard was presented at the Hunters’ Club in Buenos Aires. The Argentine kennel club and the Sociedad Rural Argentina recognised it in 1964, and the international kennel federation accepted it in 1973. Antonio’s brother, Dr. Agustín Nores Martínez, carried that work on.
What breeds make up a Dogo Argentino?
The Old Fighting Dog of Córdoba, crossed first with eight breeds. Its standard names them in this order:
What was it bred for?
Hunting in packs. The standard says its strength, tenacity, sense of smell and bravery make it the best dog in the pack for wild boar, peccaries, pumas and other predators of farms and livestock across Argentina. It should hunt silently, never barking on the trail, and it should never be aggressive towards people.
How do you recognise a Dogo Argentino?
- Colour: entirely white. One dark patch is allowed, on the head, an ear or around an eye, no bigger than a tenth of the head.
- Coat: short, smooth and even, 1.5 to 2 cm long.
- Size: males stand 60 to 68 cm at the shoulder, females 60 to 65 cm. Males weigh about 40 to 45 kg, females about 40 to 43 kg.
- Build: athletic and muscular, slightly longer than it is tall, with a muzzle as long as its skull.
Which dogs are like the Dogo?
Other big working dogs, and two of the breeds in its recipe. Every breed is in the atlas of dog breeds by country.
Facts from the Dogo Argentino’s official breed standard (No. 292, 10 November 2011).