The Dogo Argentino is a muscular and powerful dog that originated in Argentina. Also known as the Argentinian Mastiff, the Dogo was bred from fighting dogs but with much of the fighting aggression bred out.
Dogos have been used for big game hunting, police and military work, narcotics tracking, and service dogs. Gentle with their families, they will also fiercely protect them at all costs against threats.
Contrary to popular belief, Dogos are people-friendly as long as you don’t represent a threat. They also tolerate children well.
| Weight (pounds) Male: 80-100 Female: 70-90 | Height (inches) Male: 24-27 Female: 24-26 | Lifespan (years) 9-14 | Dog Breed Group Working breed |
Characteristics Ratings
We rate 19 characteristics for each breed, divided into three categories:
Highest Rated – Characteristics for which this breed is rated 4 or 5 stars (on a 5 star scale).
Neutral Rated – Characteristics that rated 3 stars.
Lowest Rated – Characteristics that rated only 1 or 2 stars.
Highest Rated
- Good Family Dog
- Friendly to Strangers
- Likes to Play
- Protective Nature
- Handles Change Easily
- Easy to Train
- High Energy Level
- Tolerates Hot Climate
Neutral Rated
- Kid Friendly
- Good With Other Dogs
- Low Drooling
- Low Amount of Barking
- Good General Health
- High Intelligence
Lowest Rated
- Low Shedding
- Suitable for Small Yards/Apartments
- Good for Novice Owners
- Tolerates Being Left Alone
- Tolerates Cold Climate
General Overview
Properly trained and socialized, Dogos are happy, friendly, and make excellent family dogs. They do well with older children but are not a good choice for families with small children.
While they are loving and affectionate with their families, they have extremely protective natures. They will fiercely defend their homes and families against anything that presents a threat. With their size and strength, this can be a serious problem if they are not socialized and trained early in life.
They are cautious toward strangers but generally friendly if they don’t sense a threat
Male Dogos don’t do well around other male Dogos and fights can easily break out unless both are strictly under control. They also have a strong prey drive and are not friendly to small animals unless raised with them.
Dogos are strong-willed and require a strong leader in their family. They are not recommended for anyone who hasn’t had experience training a large, powerful dog. Any hesitation in this area and they will immediately try to take over as the alpha.
From a grooming standpoint, Dogos are easy to care for and their short coat only needs weekly brushing. However, they do shed quite a bit but are only moderate droolers.
Interestingly, the only color they come in is white.
These are very high-energy dogs that need at least 60 minutes or more of daily and vigorous exercise.
On the plus side, if you give them sufficient exercise and tire them out, they are calm and happy to just lay around the house – or on your lap! If not exercised enough, they can become bored and destructive, something you want to avoid with a dog this powerful.
As previously mentioned, it’s critical to train and socialize your Dogo from an early age. This means the first few months.
This is a dog that will quickly grow stronger than you are. If you wait six months or more to begin training and socialization, it will be difficult or even impossible to train this strong-willed breed.
Although they are stubborn and can be resistant to training, in the hands of an experienced professional they can become gentle and affectionate family dogs that will reward you with loyalty and protection for life.
Dogos are moderately healthy and subject to the normal ailments of large breeds, such as hip dysplasia.
Unfortunately, like many white dogs, deafness runs in this breed. This is called pigment-related deafness and affects other white dogs such as Dalmations, white Boxers, and white Bull Terriers.