In Argentina in the 1920's, 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. The brothers identified which characteristics they wanted in their dog, and then over two decades bred in these attributes from 10 different breeds. These breeds included the wolfhound, the boxer, the British bulldog and bullterrier, the pointer, the Spanish mastiff, the Great Pyrenees and others, and each was chosen for a particular attribute - strength, power, powerful jaws, scenting ability, speed, white coat, endurance etc etc. The Dogo is a natural hunter.
It has the inbred instinct to hunt down and kill wild boar and mountain lions single-handedly. It resembles the wolf in that they both consider other animals food, and will kill and eat them. In their natural habitat, the Dogo is often not offered 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.
So breeders should be particularly careful to whom they pass on the very powerful and fearsome animals. Training such a strong and potentially fierce animal can present particular problems. This is a very intelligent, powerful dog which needs a firm and consistent hand. If the Dogo is to be a working dog, or a hunting or guard dog, then the puppy should be imprinted at a very early stage to regard humans, and other animals, as natural prey. Even if they 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.
So if you own a Dogo, never let him run free in public, or you could have real problems with other animals - or humans! A wonderful animal, bred to perfection to hunt and kill wild and dangerous prey. So next time you come across a Dogo Argentino, before you get too close, remember that he probably sees you as prey.
For more information on the Dogo Argentino and advice about this wonderful dog visit the Mastiff website. Let us send you a very educational course on bringing up and caring for your dog breed mastiff - a perfect introduction for all the family.