Argentine Dogo
阿根廷杜告犬
Updated 2026-09-09
At a glance
The Dogo Argentino is a large, all-white big-game hunting dog created in the 1920s by Dr Antonio Nores Martínez in Córdoba, Argentina, from the old Córdoba fighting dog crossed with several pure breeds to make a pack hunter of wild boar and puma. The FCI standard asks for a silent, keen-nosed, agile, brave dog that must never be aggressive toward people and gives its love without reservation; the AKC rates it loyal, courageous and athletic, with very high energy and heavy shedding. Deafness is the breed's best-known inherited problem, and in Hong Kong the Dogo Argentino is one of the breeds classed as a 'fighting dog' under the Dangerous Dogs Regulation (Cap. 167D).
Facts
| Size | Large |
|---|---|
| Height | 61–67cm |
| Weight | 36–45kg |
| Life expectancy | 9–15years |
| Breed group | AKC: working FCI: 2 |
| Role | Working |
| Coat | Short coat |
| Shedding | 4/ 5 |
| Exercise | 90–180min/day |
| Can be left alone | up to 3 hours |
| Companionship need | 5/ 5 |
| Trainability | 5/ 5 |
| Barking | 3/ 5 |
| Good with children | 3/ 5 |
| Good with other dogs | 3/ 5 |
| Heat tolerance | 4/ 5 |
| Cold tolerance | 2/ 5 |
Health
This page is general information compiled from published sources. It is not veterinary, legal or purchase advice. Dogs vary within a breed — talk to a vet or a reputable breeder about the dog in front of you.
Health notes are not veterinary advice. Conditions listed are those reported for the breed, not a diagnosis of any dog. Always consult a veterinarian.
Congenital deafness
Deafness is the breed's best-known inherited problem: the parent club requires breeders to BAER-test all breeding stock and every litter. Ask your breeder for the puppy's BAER result.
Hip dysplasia
The parent club recommends that all breeders screen breeding stock for hip dysplasia through OFA or PennHIP. Ask your vet about hip screening and about keeping your dog lean and fit.
Heart conditions
The parent club recommends that breeders test breeding stock for cardiac disease. Ask your vet about heart checks at routine visits.
Behaviour
A silent hunter that must never be aggressive to people
The FCI standard says the Dogo should be silent — never barking on the trail — with a keen nose, agile, strong, robust and especially brave, and that it should never be aggressive toward humans, a point the standard says will be severely observed; it must give its love without conditions or reservations. The AKC adds that it was developed to find, chase and catch dangerous game and gives an impression of explosive power and energy.
Very high energy, very protective
On the AKC trait chart the Dogo Argentino scores 5/5 for energy, trainability, affection with family and watchdog/protective nature, 4/5 for openness to strangers, mental-stimulation needs and shedding, and 3/5 for compatibility with children and other dogs. In Hong Kong, keeping a fighting-dog breed is subject to the Dangerous Dogs Regulation — check the legal requirements before acquiring one.
Training and barking
AKC trait chart: trainability 5/5, barking level 3/5. Individual dogs vary; early socialisation and reward-based training are recommended for every breed.
Official guidance
Summaries of official documents are ours; the source is linked. Breed standards, laws and licensing rules change — check the issuing body for the current version.
American Kennel Club — Dogo Argentino
Breed overview, breed-trait chart, history, official standard summary and health notes from the AKC and the national parent club.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
FCI nomenclature — Dogo Argentino (standard no. 292, group 2)
FCI breed nomenclature entry with the official breed standard PDF in English, French, German and Spanish.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
Hong Kong e-Legislation — Dangerous Dogs Regulation (Cap. 167D)
The Hong Kong regulation that classes the Dogo Argentino (with the Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa and Fila Braziliero and their crosses) as a fighting dog, with restrictions on breeding, import and how the dog must be kept and controlled in public.
Read the sourceAccessed 2026-09-09
Sources
- [1]Dogo Argentino — Dog Breed Information — American Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [2]Dogo Argentino — FCI standard no. 292 — Fédération Cynologique Internationale (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [3]How do I help my dog adjust to spending time alone? — The Royal Kennel Club (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [4]Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016 (Hall, Carter & O'Neill, Scientific Reports 10:9128) — Nature / Scientific Reports (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [5]Dogo Argentino Club of America — Parent Club Health Statement (November 2020) — Dogo Argentino Club of America (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [6]FCI-Standard No. 292 — Dogo Argentino, 02.08.2012 — Fédération Cynologique Internationale (Accessed 2026-09-09)
- [7]Cap. 167D Dangerous Dogs Regulation — Hong Kong e-Legislation (Department of Justice) (Accessed 2026-09-09)
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Breed data compiled by PocketPaw from the sources credited on each entry. Text and layout © 2026 NextPath Solutions Limited. Please link to a page rather than copying it.