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Dogo Argentino

The Dogo Argentino was created in Córdoba, Argentina, from 1928 by Antonio Nores Martínez, who set out to build a pack-hunting dog capable of taking wild boar and puma.

He used the fighting Cordoba dog as a base and outcrossed to Great Dane, Boxer, Pointer, Irish Wolfhound and others, and he documented the programme carefully.

It stands 60 to 68 centimetres, weighs 40 to 45 kilograms and lives nine to fifteen years, always pure white with a short coat. It is a genuine big-game hunting dog: powerful, brave and high in prey drive. It is also banned outright in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand and restricted in a number of other countries.

Origin
Córdoba, Argentina, from 1928
Size
60–68 cm; 40–45 kg
Lifespan
9–15 years
Coat
Always pure white, short and close
Legal status
Banned in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; restricted elsewhere
Health
Deafness in around 10% of dogs; hip dysplasia; sunburn

Related: Boxer · Great Dane · Irish wolfhound

2 dogo argentino photos, newest first

Dogo Argentino feed
  • Ginger II, a dogo argentino

    Ginger II

    Ginger II was promoted to scientist monitoring a bubbling but harmless experiment; unfortunately, a ribbon spool rolls across the entire set.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Ginger II, a dogo argentino

    Ginger II

    Ginger II after approximately four seconds of exercise.

    GentleFinch · 2 weeks ago

Living with a dogo argentino

Check the law first. The Dogo is a prohibited breed under the UK Dangerous Dogs Act and is banned in Australia and New Zealand, with restrictions in several other countries. Acquiring one where it is banned means the dog will be seized.

Deafness affects roughly one dog in ten, a consequence of the pure white coat and the lack of pigment in the inner ear. BAER test any puppy. A deaf dog of this size and drive is a substantially harder proposition.

The white coat sunburns; shade and dog-safe sunscreen matter in strong sun.

This is a high-drive hunting breed and needs an experienced owner, serious training, containment and continuous socialisation — particularly around other dogs, where the prey and fight drive is real.

Ask for hip scores.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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