Breeds / Large
Dogo Argentino puppies
Loyal, courageous and physically powerful, the Dogo Argentino is an affectionate family dog that needs experienced handling and thorough socialisation.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin Argentina
- Adult weight 36.3 to 45.4 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 80 to 100 lb
- Adult height 61 to 67 cm
- Energy level Very high
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Typical lifespan 9 to 15 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
Where these come from:
About the Dogo Argentino
The Dogo Argentino was bred in Argentina to hunt wild boar and puma in packs over hard country, built from an old regional fighting dog crossed with mastiff, pointer and other European stock to add stamina, nose and a cooler head. It is a large, powerfully muscled dog with a plain white short coat, a broad skull and enormous physical drive. With its own family it is affectionate and leans on people, and it is naturally reserved and watchful with strangers.
This is a very high energy breed that needs a couple of hours of real work a day: hiking, swimming, retrieving, tracking or scentwork, inside a securely fenced space. Grooming is a weekly brush, though the thin white skin burns in strong sun. Training must start early and stay consistent, and socialisation around other dogs is the piece owners skip. Dogos are restricted or banned in some countries, so check local law before taking one on.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Dogo Argentino puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Congenital deafness, which is linked to the white coat and detectable by BAER testing
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by x-ray evaluation of breeding stock
- Hypothyroidism, found on a thyroid blood panel
- Sunburn and skin problems on the unpigmented coat, checked at grooming sessions
From Dogo Argentino breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/dogo-argentino/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Dogo Argentino puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Dogo Argentino.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 36.3 to 45.4 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other large breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.