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
- Shedding Heavy, brush often
- Typical lifespan 9 to 15 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
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. This is a large, powerfully muscled dog with a plain white short coat, a broad skull and enormous physical drive. With their own family they are affectionate and lean on people, and they are naturally reserved and watchful with strangers.
Dogos have very high energy and need 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.
The law in your country
This breed or type is restricted in some places. Check the current rules where you live before you commit to a puppy.
Australia
The Dogo Argentino is on the list of pure breeds that cannot be imported into Australia under Department of Home Affairs legislation. The Department of Agriculture says the import of mixed breed dogs, including mixes involving these breeds, is not restricted. Source.
United Kingdom
The Dogo Argentino is one of the banned types of dog in the UK, alongside the Pit Bull Terrier, Fila Brasileiro and XL Bully. It is against the law to sell, give away, abandon or breed from one, and a dog can only be kept with a valid Certificate of Exemption, which requires them to be neutered, microchipped, kept on a lead and muzzled in public, and kept somewhere secure. Whether a dog counts as a banned type depends on what they look like rather than their breed or name. From 1 November 2026 a child under 12 must not be left in close contact with a banned dog in a private place, such as a home or garden, without adult supervision. Source.
New Zealand
The Dogo Argentino is listed as a type of dog in Schedule 4 of the Dog Control Act 1996. A dog that belongs wholly or mainly to that type cannot be imported, and the local council must classify them as menacing, which means they must be muzzled in any public place and the council can require them to be neutered. Source.
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 them 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 they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their 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
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.
Kit sizes: crate 48 inch (48 x 30 x 32 in, 122 x 76 x 81 cm) for an adult of up to 45.4 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other large breeds
More on the Dogo Argentino
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- gov.uk for the legal status notes
- Health notes from Dogo Argentino breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/dogo-argentino/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: joseltr, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.