What You Should Know Before Adopting a Dogo Argentino Puppy
The Dogo Argentino is an exceptionally unique breed in some regards and quite “normal” and recognizable in others. The end result for us, the dog lovers, is a very healthy, social, and friendly breed, that’s also a true physical athlete in every sense of the word. Does the Dogo Argentino make for a good family pet, however?
It most definitely does! Below we’ll go over the 7 main things you need to consider before getting a Dogo Argentino.
What are the key characteristics that make Dogo Argentino special?
The Dogo Argentino can be described best with two words – Brawn & Brains.
This is a highly intelligent working and hunting breed that also has exceptional physicality.
Funnily enough, it’s exactly the qualities that make the Dogo Argentino such a perfect working and hunting dog that also make it a great family pet. Healthy, social, gentle, and obedient, this new dog breed offers a lot of great qualities for its future human families.
The 7 things you should know before getting a Dogo Argentino
1. This is a very social and friendly breed
As a hunting and working dog breed, the Dogo Argentino is used to being around people and following verbal commands. In fact, not only is this dog breed used to be around us, it loves it!
Like many other working dog breeds, the Dogo Argentino loves attention and the company of its two-legged pack members. The AKC (American Kennel Club) describes this breed as “Cheerful, humble, and friendly” and that’s a 100% true description.
Does this mean that the Dogo Argentino is OK with strangers and with other dogs?
Yes and no.
Like all other dog breeds, the Dogo Argentino requires a bit of socialization at an early age. This means introducing your pup to both strangers and other pets on a regular basis – preferably even daily. This socialization is what teaches young pups that people and animals from outside of its “pack” are not to be feared and should be viewed as friends as well.
If you give your Dogo Argentino this basic type of socialization, you’ll get a perfectly social or friendly dog. If not, the Dogo Argentino’s protective nature toward their family may result in a dog that’s fearful and untrusting of strangers.
But, again, that’s normal for all dog breeds.
2. A highly-intelligent Dogo-of-all-Trades and a master of quite a few of them
While the Dogo Argentino is typically classified as a “working dog”, this breed is much more than that. Originally, the Dogo Argentino was developed by the two Argentinian brothers Antonio Nores Martinez and Agustin Martinez in the early-to-mid 1900s as a hunting dog.
Antonio and Agustin wanted a Mastiff breed that was big, powerful, and quick enough to help them hunt the big game of the Argentina plains such as pumas and boars.
And the Dogo Argentino breed performed that role splendidly. A mix between the now-extinct Cordoba breed, Bull Mastiff, Pointers, a Great Dane, and the Great Pyrenees, the Dogo Argentino outperforms these breeds in many regards.
After its inception as a hunting breed, the Dogo Argentino has been used for a lot of different roles too:
- A working dog breed
- A guard dog
- A guide dog for the blind
- A police dog
- A military dog
- A family pet
And it’s still being used as a hunting dog in and outside of Argentina
And the best thing?
The breed has been great at all these roles so far!
The main two reasons why the Dogo Argentino excels at all these roles are its sublime physical characteristics and its very high intelligence. And it’s that second characteristic that also makes it such a fantastic family pet.
With a Dogo Argentino, you can get a dog breed that’s very adept at learning tricks, voice commands, and following orders. This is a dog breed that can not only be easily trained, but it’s also a dog that can outright perform tasks around the house if you train it right!
That being said, all intelligent dogs are prone to boredom if they don’t get enough mental stimulation and the Dogo Argentino is no exception. If you neglect your Dogo’s psychological needs you can end up with a stubborn, disobedient, anxious, and even depressed dog.
So, get those dog toys and start having fun with your Dogo!
3. The Dogo Argentino requires a lot of exercises and outdoor time
As we mentioned, the Dogo Argentino is a true physical specimen! These dogs are the perfect balance of power and agility. The very cornerstone of their breeding standard is that they should have plenty of bone and muscle mass but maintain peak athleticism at the same time.
This balance is one thing that so many other dog breeds lack because they are over-specialized in one area only. The Greyhound and Saluki breeds, for example, are absurdly fast and agile but they are also as fragile as a dry twig.
On the other hand, massive working breeds like the Newfoundland are extremely powerful but are so massive and heavy that they literally squash their own joints by walking and need swimming exercises to stay healthy.
The Dogo Argentino has none of these problems. This dog is perfectly bred for power, speed, mass, and agility.
Of course, this also means that the Dogo Argentino needs lots of exercise! If you’re not ready to give your Dogo at least a couple of full hours of super active outdoor exercises every day, you should probably avoid this breed.
4. The grooming needs of this breed are very minimal
One area where the Dogo Argentino requires very little effort is grooming. This breed has a very short coat, it sheds very little, and is very easy to brush off when it gets dirty.
So, if you don’t want a high-maintenance breed that needs to be groomed for what feels like an hour every day, the Dogo Argentino is a good choice.
5. The Dogo Argentino is great with children
When people hear that a dog is a “hunting breed”, they tend to get scared. After all, how can you let a hunter and a predator next to your newborn child?
You absolutely can!
The friendly, social, intelligent, and obedient nature of the Dogo Argentino makes it a very good breed for families with kids and babies. As long as the dog is trained well enough – and every dog should be trained on how to behave around children – there should be no problems whatsoever.
On the contrary – Dogo Argentinos love to be around children and kids typically love them too!
6. This is a very healthy breed
Probably the biggest advantage of the Dogo Argentino is that it’s an exceptionally healthy breed. Two reasons can be identified for that:
Partly because of how physically balanced it is
Partly because it’s a new breed and hasn’t been overbred due to mass demand yet
Regardless, with the Dogo Argentino being so healthy, you can rest assured that you’ll have as few issues through the years as possible. The only common health defect of this breed is the occasional deafness (in ~10% of puppies) but that’s something that’s easily recognizable early and you can simply not get a deaf dog.
Or do! Deaf Dogos are good Dogos too!
Of course, it should go without saying that you should always bring your Dogo to routine vet checkups once or twice a year and you should keep a good eye on your dog’s health. Also, when you get your dog, make sure that you ask for a health certificate!
7. If you want a true Dogo Argentino you’ll have to look for reputable breeders only
Because this breed is so new and because its breed standard is very specific, getting a true Dogo Argentino from a reputable breeder is a must.
This isn’t to say that you can’t find good dogs in shelters and rescues, but the probability that you’ll find a purebred Dogo Argentino there is just low. The Dogo Argentino wasn’t recognized as an official breed by the AKC until 2020 – that’s how new they are!
So, focus on reputable breeders for the best results. Many puppy mills tend to overbreed dogs and accidentally create health and genetic defects which is never good.
Who are Dogo Argentino “right” for?
As a very physically active and highly intelligent breed, the Dogo Argentinos are ideal for outdoorsy types of people. The kind of folks who love spending time in the park, who love playing with their dogs and teaching them tricks, and who love to travel to new hiking paths and parks every weekend.
If you are a more indoorsy type of person, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that – you should just go for another dog breed instead.
How to prepare for getting a Dogo Argentino?
Three words – clear your schedule!
The Dogo Argentino requires time and attention, much more so than other breeds. Two long walks, daily hours-long visits to the park, and lots of playtime at home. If you already have a big family, things will be easier as there will be enough people to play with the dog.
If not, you’d better open up some time, talk with other dog owners, pet sitters, or dog walkers to help you out, and stock up on lots of dog toys!
