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Dogo Argentino

The breeds · working

AKC Working · UKC Guardian · FCI standard 292

Dogo Argentino.

FCI 292: UTILIZATION 'Big-game hunting dog'; Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossian, Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs), Section 2.1 Molossian, Dogue type; 'without working trial'. History: created in Cordoba by Dr. Antonio Nores Martinez from the Old Fighting Dog of Cordoba crossed with, at first, Bulldog, Great Dane, Pyrenean Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Boxer, Pointer, Dogue de Bordeaux and Irish Wolfhound; breed stabilized by 1947; recognized by the Federacion Cinologica Argentina in 1964 and by FCI in 1973. 'Its strength, tenacity, sense of smell and bravery make it the best in the pack of dogs to hunt wild boars, peccaries, pumas and other predators of agriculture and livestock.' UKC: developed from 1928 by Dr. Martinez from the Old Fighting Dog of Cordoba crossed with Mastiffs, Bulldogs and Bull Terriers; 'a talent for hunting big game, including wild boars and pumas', strong guarding instincts; 'still used as a hunting dog, a guardian of property, a family companion, and an all-around working dog'; UKC recognition Jan 1 2001; 'should be evaluated as a hunting dog', faults penalized by how much they interfere with work. AKC page: 'a pack-hunting dog, bred for the pursuit of big-game such as wild boar and puma'; 'developed to find, chase and catch dangerous game'; needs a good nose, great lung capacity and an agile, muscular build. Wikipedia: bred in the early twentieth century in Cordoba, primarily for hunting large game; Nores Martinez wanted the fighting qualities of the Old Cordoba Fighting Dog with greater size and strength; the foundation dog is described as a fighting dog of bulldog type. Modern Molosser (breeder's article): the breed's creator aimed to rid farms of crop destruction by wild boar; wild boar are the primary prey. Legal status, as Wikipedia states it: ownership is illegal or restricted in some countries, including Australia, Austria (Lower Austria, Vienna, Vorarlberg), the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Norway, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Wikipedia's government citations were not opened..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
80–105LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 80 to 105 lb; breed bitches 80 to 100 lb.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 23.6 to 27 in · bitches 23 to 25.6 in

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

Span covers UKC, FCI and AKC page figures. FCI ideal is a range, so center is blank. UKC prints two minimums for females (23 and 23.5 in).

Weight

dogs 80 to 105 lb · bitches 80 to 100 lb

Breed clubAKC

AKC page range counts for both sexes. No UKC weight.

Coat

FCI 292: uniform, short, smooth, 1.5 to 2 cm, density varies by climate; entirely white, one black or dark patch on the skull (may also sit on one ear or around one eye) not over 10% of the head; spots on the body hair and long hair are disqualifying. UKC: short, thick, glossy, stiff, coarse; white, one dark marking on the head up to 10% of the head, light ticking allowed; long coat and a solid patch elsewhere disqualify; a field-conditioned coat or working scars should never be faulted. AKC page: short, plain, smooth, completely white; dark patch near the eye permitted if it covers no more than 10% of the head.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 292, 2011

Shedding

Shedding 4 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

4 of 5 · FCI 292: coat uniform, short, smooth, average length 1.5 to 2 cm, density and thickness vary with climate; entirely white. UKC: short and thick with a glossy sheen, stiff, coarse, uniform length; skin pigmentation may show through. AKC page: short, plain, smooth, completely white coat.

DerivedFCI-Standard N° 292, 2011

Derived from a short dense single coat (4). No measured data. White-coated, pigment-light skin is noted by UKC; no source states a sun-exposure finding.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

AKC page bands: energy level 5 of 5, mental stimulation needs 4 of 5, playfulness 4 of 5, trainability 5 of 5. AKC about text: strong prey drive, 'plenty of training and exercise' and an experienced owner. FCI 292 temperament: agile, strong, robust, especially brave.

Breed clubAKC

AKC bands are registry-page ratings, not minutes; no exercise_need_min row because no source prints a duration.

Energy

5 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

1 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming

AKC page bands: coat grooming frequency 1 of 5, shedding level 4 of 5, drooling 3 of 5. Short smooth coat per all three standards.

Breed clubAKC

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

FCI 292: UTILIZATION 'Big-game hunting dog'; Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossian, Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs), Section 2.1 Molossian, Dogue type; 'without working trial'. History: created in Cordoba by Dr. Antonio Nores Martinez from the Old Fighting Dog of Cordoba crossed with, at first, Bulldog, Great Dane, Pyrenean Mastiff, Bull Terrier, Boxer, Pointer, Dogue de Bordeaux and Irish Wolfhound; breed stabilized by 1947; recognized by the Federacion Cinologica Argentina in 1964 and by FCI in 1973. 'Its strength, tenacity, sense of smell and bravery make it the best in the pack of dogs to hunt wild boars, peccaries, pumas and other predators of agriculture and livestock.' UKC: developed from 1928 by Dr. Martinez from the Old Fighting Dog of Cordoba crossed with Mastiffs, Bulldogs and Bull Terriers; 'a talent for hunting big game, including wild boars and pumas', strong guarding instincts; 'still used as a hunting dog, a guardian of property, a family companion, and an all-around working dog'; UKC recognition Jan 1 2001; 'should be evaluated as a hunting dog', faults penalized by how much they interfere with work. AKC page: 'a pack-hunting dog, bred for the pursuit of big-game such as wild boar and puma'; 'developed to find, chase and catch dangerous game'; needs a good nose, great lung capacity and an agile, muscular build. Wikipedia: bred in the early twentieth century in Cordoba, primarily for hunting large game; Nores Martinez wanted the fighting qualities of the Old Cordoba Fighting Dog with greater size and strength; the foundation dog is described as a fighting dog of bulldog type. Modern Molosser (breeder's article): the breed's creator aimed to rid farms of crop destruction by wild boar; wild boar are the primary prey. Legal status, as Wikipedia states it: ownership is illegal or restricted in some countries, including Australia, Austria (Lower Austria, Vienna, Vorarlberg), the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Norway, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Wikipedia's government citations were not opened.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 292, 2011

FCI, UKC and AKC agree on boar and puma. The legal list is Wikipedia's alone; the cited government pages were not read, so check current law before relying on it.

Primary game

FCI 292: wild boars, peccaries, pumas and other predators of agriculture and livestock in Argentina. UKC: big game, including wild boars and pumas. AKC page: big game such as wild boar and puma. Wikipedia: large game such as peccaries, wild boar and pumas. Modern Molosser: wild boar are the primary prey (feral hogs in the US).

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 292, 2011

Also used on

UKC: guardian of property, family companion, all-around working dog; has been used successfully in police protection work. Wikipedia: may occasionally be trained for police or military work. Modern Molosser: US hunters use the breed on feral hogs. FCI 292 lists no other use.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

Search pattern

FCI 292 temperament: 'silent, never barking on the trail', keen nose and excellent flair; the breed is called 'the best in the pack of dogs' for boar, peccary and puma. UKC: hunters of great courage and endurance that 'will work individually or in packs'. AKC page: a pack-hunting dog; developed to find, chase and catch. Modern Molosser: in Argentina the dogs hunted in a pack alongside dogs with other farm jobs, with handlers on foot or horseback; US hunters use ATVs and GPS collars and often protective cut gear (cut collar over the jugular); the dog attacks head on and scars show on forelegs and face; broken canines are expected over years of boar work. Wikipedia: good nose, speed and stamina.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 292, 2011

Silent on the trail is FCI's own line. The pack, horseback and GPS lines are one breeder's account in a breed magazine (editorial). No source reads a cry or a hold-and-bay description beyond 'catch'; the sources do not state whether the Dogo bays.

Field trial standard

FCI 292: 'without working trial'. UKC: no hunting test named; the standard says the Dogo 'should be evaluated as a hunting dog'. AKC page: the Modern Molosser article says the breed entered the AKC Working Group on January 1 2020; no AKC hunting event for the breed was read.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 292, 2011

No hunting-test or title program was found in any source read.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

36.8% · 456 OFA hip evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 8 2026; 36.8% dysplastic (mild 25.2, moderate 9.0, severe 2.6), 61.6% normal

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA's own breed statistics. OFA-evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, with normal results over-represented. Hips rank 21 in the OFA table.

Elbow dysplasia

7.8% · 230 OFA elbow evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 8 2026; 7.8% abnormal (grade 1 6.1, grade 2 1.7, grade 3 0.0), 92.2% normal

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA's own breed statistics. OFA-evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, with normal results over-represented. Elbows rank 59.

Most common disorders

Wikipedia: like many breeds, the Dogo has a genetic predisposition to congenital deafness, and is predisposed to the laryngeal paralysis/polyneuropathy complex. UKC: unilateral or bilateral deafness is a disqualification. FCI 292: deafness is a disqualifying fault; serious faults include entropion and ectropion. Dogs Trust: no row for this breed.

Breed clubWikipedia

Deafness is stated here only as the sources state it: a Wikipedia predisposition line and two standards' disqualifications. No source read gives a percentage or links it to coat colour; the breed is white. Wikipedia's neurology claim cites a textbook not opened.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 5; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 5; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 5; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 4; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 4; Coat Grooming Frequency 1; Drooling Level 3; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 4; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 5 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Argentinian Mastiff, Argentine Dogo

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