Last Updated: March 31, 2023
The fiery-looking Dogo Argentino is actually an affectionate soul that bonds well with an experienced owner.
Hailed from Argentina, this large working dog surfaced through crossing between some robust bred like Great Dane, Mastiffs, Boxers, and a few others to take on big games such as puma and wild boar.
This athletic dog breed has a rugged muscular stature and exceptional intelligence in tracking and hunting down its prey.
Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2020, Dogo Argentino is slowly but steadily gaining popularity among dog lovers.
Wanna know more about them? Read on to feed your never-ending doggo obsession.
How much does a Dogo Argentino cost?
Being a recently recognized breed, Dogo Argentino is still rare and available in only some selective clubs and with reputed breeders, updated with the dogdom trends.
Also known as Argentinian Mastiffs, Dogo Argentino puppies’ cost generally starts from $1000 – $2,500 and can exceed even $5000, depending on the breeder’s reputation, location, and availability of the purebred.
Besides inquiring about the breed in your nearest kennel club or breeders, visit the websites of Dogo Argentino Kennel Club or Dogo Argentino Club of America to connect with the reliable network of reputed breeders who can meet your search for a purebred.
How to select Dogo Argentino breeders?
Selecting authentic Dogo Argentino breeders can test your patience and time, as finding a purebred is rare and pricey.
But if you connect with a reputed breeder preserving this breed, don’t rush and proceed mindfully before finalizing your precious.
- Check out if the breeder is recognized by the AKC, DACA, or similar reputed canine clubs of your region.
- Visit the breeder to assess the preserving ambiance, health of the pup parents, and their feeding pattern.
- Confidently ask the breeder for your pup’s health certificate and vaccination report so that you get back home with a healthy Dogo Argentino puppy.
When does a Dogo Argentino get full size?
Under proper nutrition, care, and a stress-free environment, a Dogo Argentino grows fast to reach 95% of its size in just 50 weeks, and then the growth rate slows down to support the strong development of bones and muscles.
This feisty working dog breed thrives on a recommended amount of protein diet, preferably raw lean meat to grow faster and healthier.
Once your Dogo Argentino steps into the 17th month, it will stop growing to confirm entering adulthood.
A male Dogo Argentino generally weighs between 88 – 99 pounds on entering healthy adulthood, while a female scales between 71 – 77 pounds.
When it comes to height, the male Dogo Argentino stands high between 24 – 27 inches while the females grow up to 23 – 25 inches.
The best you can do is measure and record your dog’s size every week to ensure if it is growing normally and consult a vet immediately on noticing any unusual growth pattern.
How to care for your Dogo Argentino puppy?
Caring for Dogo Argentino when they are puppies
Raising a Dogo Argentino puppy can be challenging because of its independent nature, especially if you are a first-time owner.
Besides consistent obedience training, early socialization, and pet grooming at home, feeding right is what your puppy needs for its healthy growth without getting obese.
To keep it balanced and nutritious, feed your 8 – 12 week pup 4 meals a day and alter the frequency of feeding till your pup turns one.
Though this working dog thrives on adequate daily exercise, the same routine isn’t applicable for a 2 week old Dogo Argentino puppy.
Just like humans, every dog has different nutritional requirements. Consult a vet to feed your dog right.
Unleashing your energetic pup in the backyard for 30 mins to let it satiate its urge to chase, chew, and fetch balls.
In the early stage, these activities will be enough to keep your energetic pup in shape and happy.
Caring for Dogo Argentino when they grow up
Dogo Argentino grows fast so its caring and grooming needs will change before your pup turns one year old.
A high-quality daily diet and a lot of physical activities are what your full-grown Dogo Argentino needs to survive a complaint-free happy life.
Besides regular walks and outdoor activities of at least 60 mins, you need to pay special attention to your dog’s daily food intake.
Feed your adult Dogo Argentino two light bowls of excellent quality dry dog food mixed with broth or raw lean meat, which they like the most because of their wild hunting instinct.
If you want to give your Dogo a stress-free life, don’t isolate them for too long, as separation will bore this intelligent breed and soon turn them into destructive beasts.
How to groom a Dogo Argentino?
Thankfully, the breed is not so hard to groom as hard to find.
The Dogo Argentino has a smooth white coating of short hair that is easy to groom and maintain compared to other big dogs with a double-layered coat.
Once your Dogo is back after tiring fieldwork, grab a brush to detangle and clean its coat from dirt and dander.
Daily brushing also helps restore and maintain the coat’s shine by distributing natural oils throughout.
The best thing about this breed is they lack the typical dog odor, which might be due to their short hair and hence requires occasional bathing only when you think is needed.
The short hair of Dogo Argentino also makes their skin sensitive to UV rays causing them sunburn.
So, be mindful of your Dogo’s sun exposure and limit the duration or change the training timing to make things safe and comfortable for your dog.
Apart from grooming their coat, make sure to brush their teeth regularly and groom their nails as and when needed.
How much exercise does a Dogo Argentino need?
A Dogo Argentino’s exercise needs are higher and need consistency to ensure its holistic wellbeing.
When Dogo pup turns one, it will need 60 mins of daily outdoor exercise, including different activities and games to keep things entertaining for your intelligent furry mate.
Besides daily long runs and walks, this muscular breed thrives on various agility sports like weight pulling, fetch, and high-impact activities like going on a hike, which is a great way to strengthen the chest muscle of these mighty hunting dogs.
Low-impact workout like swimming is what a Dogo Argentino loves doing and it helps strengthen its leg muscles and joints, to keep your dog safe from arthritis.
Keeping in mind its preying drive, always put on a leash around your Dogo Argentino to restrain its urge from chasing smaller games when you take your pet out for a walk.
Keep them focused more on exercise and daily training so that they become a healthy well-behaved dog.
Does Dogo Argentino shed a lot?
This muscular breed with a short white coat surprisingly sheds moderately to heavy throughout the year.
So if you are planning to add a Dogo Argentino to your life, get ready to experience some furry mess all around the year, especially during the falls when they shed heavily.
Though you cannot prevent your Dogo from shedding, you can save your home and car from the hairy mess by grooming your dog daily and bathing it once every 3 months.
However, if your Dogo Argentino sheds excessively, then it’s time you visit a vet to get your dog some timely help.
Are Dogo Argentino hypoallergenic?
No breed is entirely hypoallergenic neither is the Dogo Argentino.
Though their short white coat may appear clean and safe for owners with pet allergies, it is the hidden dander between the hair strands that trigger your allergy flares.
While you cannot stop your outgoing Dogo from enjoying the best of its time in the field, you can groom your dog daily to keep off dirt and dander from matting its smooth coat and staying safe from an allergic reaction.
So stop looking for a fully hypoallergenic breed and adapt cleanliness for happily parenting your Dogo Argentino.
Understanding Dogo Argentino Temperament
To understand your Dogo Argentino temperament, you need to be close and affectionate with your furry partner.
These robust hunting dogs can be loving and watchful around you or aloof with strangers and other pets.
As hunting dogs, they are naturally reserved and get comfortable slowly with your consistent effort and early socialization during their puppyhood.
If you are looking for a loving and watchful family dog who can dare to defend its territory at any cost, this is your dream dog.
With consistent training under your supervision, a Dogo Argentino can be your ultimate furry companion who is loyal, possessive, and can accompany you on extreme adventures like hunting and hiking.
These fiery beasts are also very friendly and protective towards children but can be intolerant toward smaller pets like cats, chameleons, and guineapig due to their high prey drive.
Because of their strong-willed nature, we don’t recommend this breed for first-time owners, as taming this intelligent breed can be quite challenging.
When it comes to barking, these watchdog barks only to alert you at times or seek your attention if felt ignored.
How intelligent are Dogo Argentino?
While no one doubts the hunting and protective abilities of a Dogo Argentino, the ultimate question is this dog intelligent?
So before we decode this mystery, you must know that they used to hunt in packs, a trait of smart teamwork.
When it comes to intelligence ranking, the Dogo Argentino scores 3 out of 5, securing its position as one smartest breeds in dogdom.
But, if you are considering adoption, you must put some extra effort to enhance the natural intelligence of this powerful hunting dog.
To ensure your Dogo grows smart, you must start early obedience training and socialization since it’s puppy weeks, which will help your dog become confident and comfortable.
Once your Dogo Argentino pup starts getting comfortable with you, you will be surprised to see how fast it learns and pick up new commands, and is always eager to please you at any cost.
However, there is also a catch to tame such intelligent dogs because they are bored soon with repetitive tasks, and so you need to learn unique dog training tips and tricks to keep them entertained.
How easy is it to train Dogo Argentino?
The early you start, the easier it will be for you to train the intelligent and skilled Dogo Argentino.
Yes, this is the one universal rule applicable to training any dog breed, no matter if they are the highest order of intelligent dogs or a slow learner.
These powerful hunting dogs are easy to train with a consistent routine and are sharp at picking new commands and obeying instructions within a few weeks of learning.
But there is one catch while training the Dogo – don’t ever try getting rude and always handle your Dogo’s strong-willed temperament compassionately. Extreme strictness can spoil their mood of learning and turn them ignorant towards your presence and instruction.
Besides 60 minutes of daily high and low impact field activities for your grown-up Dogo Argentino, you must also include some brain-storming games in their routine activities to keep your Dogo happy and healthy.
With time, Dogo Argentino gets extremely attached to its human pack and can suffer separation anxiety if isolated for a longer duration.
So, don’t forget to accompany your precious for its holistic wellbeing.
What type of hunting is best for Dogo Argentino?
Dogo Argentino loves hunting down big games like puma, wild boar, bear, deer, and even mountain lions.
Such high-impact activities and hunting will keep your Dogo high on energy, happy and help hone its preying skills.
So if you are considering adding this dog breed to your family, you have to take them on hunting and hiking trips at least once a month, besides regular activities to keep your Dogo in shape and offer it a stress-free life.
Though this dog can adjust to city life, lack of enough space and outdoor activities can be detrimental to their wellbeing.
This is why we recommend this breed for countryside dwellers or homes with spacious lawns to offer an ideal ambiance for this outgoing breed to live a healthy life.
Owning a Dogo Argentino in the countryside offers great relief to the owners in keeping their territory and farm safe from wild predators.
Dogo Argentino Lifespan
This muscular and athletic dog breed can survive a blissful lifespan of 10 – 12 years depending on various factors including its home ambiance, training, diet, and grooming routine.
As mentioned earlier, Dogo Argentino was bred to take on big games like wild boar and deers which means they need plenty of daily exercise and training routine to stay fit and active their entire life.
They can be at times highly territorial but are never a threat to their human family.
So, if you are willing to own a well-behaving Dogo Argentino, make sure to offer them a loving human family and your maximum attention.
Common Health Issues Associated With Dogo Argentino
Although they have a tough stature, Dogo Argentinos are prone to certain diseases, the most common of which is deafness.
According to a report published by PubMed, this dog breed suffers from Congenital Sensorineural Deafness (CSD) which is genetic. In fact, ¼ th of this dog breed population in the USA are born deaf or develop it later in their lifespan.
Since this hearing impairment is considered hereditary in this breed so while obtaining this dog breed confirm every health report with the breeder to stay safe.
Other health problems likely to trouble a Dogo Argentino are skin problems due to their light-colored skin and thin coating.
Such skin structure makes them sensitive to irritants and sunlight. Hip dysplasia is another common disorder to affect this breed.
Final Thoughts
Raising a Dogo Argentino is indeed high-maintenance but worth the effort when you see this feisty working-dog turning into a loving and alert family dog.
They have a strong prey drive and need lots of exercise to lead a healthy and happy life so avoid getting this breed if you do not have enough time and space. They are not meant for city life.
Since they shed moderately all year round, you will need to keep a pet vacuum cleaner handy and brush their coat regularly to avoid matting.
We hope your confusion about this muscular breed is clear and you can now make a better decision if you should really bring Dogo Argentino home.
