In Argentina the two Martinez brothers decided to breed a dog which would be equally skilled at hunting and killing wild boar, puma and mountain lions, and also defending the owner and his family, his property and his flocks. This dog was the Dogo Argentino.
They took as their starting point the Cordoba fighting dog, then the most prized hunting dog in Argentina - the Cordoba was a cross between the Spanish mastiff and the fighting bulldog.
Over a period of nearly 30 years, starting in the 1920’s, the brothers gradually blended in 10 other breeds to produce the Dogo Argentino with the characteristics they identified as being right for their type.
They knew which breeds were blessed with the particular attributes they required – these included the Pointer, the Spanish mastiff, the British bulldog and bullterrier, the wolfhound, the boxer etc etc.
The Dogo Argentino was bred to be a hunter of prey. As a natural hunter, the Dogo regards other animals – including humans – as prey, just like the wolf does.
It has the inbred instinct to hunt down and kill wild boar and mountain lions single-handedly. In his natural habitat, the Dogo is often not offered normal dog food, but is expected to eat his share of whatever prey he manages to catch.
These dogs have a fierce loyalty to their owners and his family, and will defend them even to the death. This trait can obviously be a problem when the dog falls into the hands of an undesirable or unscrupulous person.
This is a very intelligent, powerful dog which needs a firm and consistent hand.
Training such a strong and potentially fierce animal can present particular problems.
Obedience training is absolutely essential for the young puppy, and most trainers and breeders choose to imprint the young Dogo as early as 6 weeks, so that the young dog will regard humans as prey, or food, essential if they are to be used as guard dogs in any capacity.
Even if the puppies are not imprinted, they will still show natural aggression towards humans as towards any other animal when they perceive a potential threat to their dominance, territory or food.
The Dogo Argentino is a wonderful animal, bred to perfection to hunt and kill wild and dangerous prey. This is not a dog bred to be a fireside companion, or even a family pet – he is bred purely to hunt prey and protect home and flocks.
So if you own a Dogo, never let him run free in public, or you could have real problems with other animals – or humans!
Other related pages:
dogo argentino
dogo
argentine dogo
dogo argentino breeders
dogos
mastiff
There is a real problem with buying an adult dogo argentino, since they do not transfer ownership at all well. They are bred to be fiercely loyal and protective to their owner, and switching owners or handlers will never be easy.
