Argentine Dog

The Argentine Dog is a rather imposing snow-white dog that combines a stern, unapproachable appearance with boundless kindness. With the right training, this dog can perform a lot of useful functions and become not just a pet, but a full-fledged member of the family. What is known about this controversial breed?

History of the breed’s origin

The Argentine Dane boasts an uncommon pedigree. Back in the sixteenth century, the Mastiff breed of dogs appeared on Argentine lands. After that began the process of assimilation of breeds, which eventually led to the emergence of a new breed – Argentine Dane.

Credit must be given to the university professor and avid dog breeder Antonio Nores Martinez, who contributed much to the development of this breed. At the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century there was a period of unprecedented popularity of dog fights. Among the “fighters” the white mastiff, originally from Spain, which was also called the white fighting dog of Cordoba, stood out. Although Martínez was not a fan of such entertainment, he nevertheless saw the potential in these endlessly brave and powerful dogs. It was then that he decided to create a new format of animal – strong, fearless, with a stable psyche and a wide range of uses – from hunting big game, to living with the family.

The professor did a tremendous amount of work on the selection of dogs suitable for breeding. And as a result, Cordoba and Bordeaux Dogs, German Boxers, Irish Wolfhounds, Bulldogs, Mountain White Pyrenees and Bull Terriers participated in the creation of the new breed.

It was possible to form the breed only by the middle of the XX century, and then saw a document with the first standard. Already in 1964 the Argentinean Dane received international recognition and to this day no other breed in Argentina has managed to achieve such results. Is it any wonder that this animal is a symbol of the country.

Its characteristics have surpassed all expectations – such a courageous hunter, with unprecedented composure is still to be found. Today, the Argentine Dane is used not only for hunting, but also as a companion, a service dog, and a guide for the blind.

Characteristics of the Argentine Dog

The breed standard has been amended several times, most recently in 2012. If you describe the general appearance, it is a well-proportioned animal with an athletic article and very beefy muscles. It has a rather voluminous head and strong, powerful jaws that can guarantee a grip from which it is impossible to break free. The bites of the Argentine Dane are very traumatic to the tissues.

Despite being somewhat large, there are almost no giants among this breed.

The skin of the Argentine Dane is dense, thick, elastic, not hiding the impressive muscular frame. According to the standard, the dogs must have a pure white coat, but a small dark spot in the area of the muzzle is allowed. The coat itself is thick and short.

Judging by the physique, these dogs are real athletes. Adult males reach 68 cm at the withers and weigh up to 45 kg, the height of females ranges from 60 to 65 cm and body weight is from 38 to 43 kg.

According to the generally accepted standard Argentinean looks as follows:

• The head, although it looks quite large, is still proportional in relation to the torso. The muzzle of Argentines snub nose, if look in profile, you can see convex-curved outlines.
• The eyes are almond-shaped and can be only two colors – brown or black.
• The neck is powerful, muscular, and has a convex scruff.
• The tail has a decent thickness and length, hanging along the body.
• This breed has black pigmentation on its broad nose bridge and thick, dense lips.
• The ears are small and, when cropped, have a standing triangle shape. The non-trimmed ears are wide, medium in length, rounded at the ends. They are covered with a coat that is much shorter than the one on the body. Ear cropping used to be a compulsory procedure, but today it’s only done at the owners’ request. Many European countries have banned this operation and even the participation of dogs with cropped ears at shows. Ears have white color, but the standard gives some indulgence – a little black pigmentation is allowed, but on condition that it does not spoil aesthetics of the animal.

Features of Argentine Dogs

Having received the appearance of fighting breeds, the Argentine Dane, first of all, is a hunting dog. For this he has all the qualities – he is hardy, has a quick reaction and impetuosity in his movements, his endurance is enough for a long pursuit of game, and his jaws have a truly “dead” grip.

Locals call this breed “Dogo Argentino” and use it to herd large animals in their packs. If we talk about hunting successes, the Argentinean can easily defeat a huge puma weighing 100 kilograms.

Despite taking part in the origin of the breed of fighting dogs, the Argentine dog itself has never been used in this area. And in most cases, they are kind, friendly dogs. Of course, there are exceptions, among the representatives of this breed there are individuals with a characteristic tendency to dominance. But a special education can correct such behavior. These dogs are extremely intelligent, so they are very easy to train.

It should be noted that, thanks to its formidable appearance and the presence of combative “relatives”, these dogs banned for keeping in some countries – England (although this country is considered the birthplace of the dog fights and it came out a lot of fighting breeds), Ireland, New Zealand, Australia.

The character of Argentine dogs

If we talk about the inconsistency of appearance and character, it fully corresponds to this breed. Harsh on the outside, in fact “Dogo argentino” are very cheerful and positive dogs. This is confirmed by the numerous positive reviews of people who have a family of such a four-legged friend.

If we discard the prejudice that a powerful dog is necessarily a bad dog, and assess the dog objectively, it turns out that this is an intelligent creature, and in addition, intelligent and good-natured.

Among his positive qualities we can note the fact that he always thinks before acting, without reason does not use force and does not bark just for fun. In hunting he is as daring as a lion, in family he is boundlessly loyal. He can get along with other pets, but only outside his territory. Therefore, in order to avoid misunderstandings, it’s better to walk with a leash.

But it is impossible to keep an Argentine Dog in the house and other animals, since the dog still has both the hunting instinct and the sense of dominance. He is great with all family members, including children. It has no tendency to show jealousy.

It is best to keep such a large pet in a house with a large area where the dog could move freely. But it can quite comfortably stay in the apartment, but in this case you should give the animal daily physical activity.

Training of the Argentine Dog

If it looks like the representative of this breed can be a ruthless killer, it can only happen in case of the master’s rough treatment of the dog, beatings, hunger strikes and other cruel methods of education, or purposeful training of the dog on humans. But such methods also work on other peace-loving breeds, with far less physical dominance.

With the right approach during training, it is sometimes enough to use only a stern tone. If the dog feels a positive attitude and sees care, it will grow up to be a good and faithful friend.

Because of the expressed sense of dominance, even at the sheng age, it is necessary to show firmness and show the baby who is the master in the house. Otherwise, the dog will successfully appropriate this role to itself.

For the dog to be socialized, he can be taken around the city, taken on public transport, trips to the countryside. This will help the Argentine Dane puppy to get used to the surrounding world and its other inhabitants, as well as prevent the development of aggression.

Argentine Dogs are very smart and shrewd. It is enough to give them a command once and they almost immediately understand what they want. Therefore, if the pet two or three times correctly fulfilled the command, it is not necessary to bother him with the same request. It is better to repeat what you learned the next time. As in the training of other breeds, an individual approach and patience will be needed in this case.

Read more about dog training.

Caring for this breed of dog

As already mentioned, Argentines can live both in the house and in the apartment and the main thing is, as often as possible, to occupy their free time with active fun, training and just walks. They love to play with various implements, including not minding to run after a ball. A fenced-in area outside the house is less of a problem – a pet let loose on the playground can “blow off steam” on its own.

If this is not done, the dog can find something to occupy himself, and these activities will not always be to the liking of the owners. As for the care, the short hair of Argentines is not very demanding. It’s enough during the seasonal molt to remove the dead hairs with a special brush made of rubber.

Claws of dogs should be trimmed short and it is recommended to do it regularly. The eyes are washed at least once a week, and you can also pay attention to the ears by cleaning them. Argentine Dogs do not need frequent bathing, they must be washed only in case of heavy soiling.

The Argentine dog itself does not react to various temperature changes, including a cold snap. But they are not suitable for aviary housing, as they are prone to colds.

It is necessary to feed a dog mainly with meat, but it must be given raw, by-products can also be included in the ration, but only in a boiled form.

Vegetables and greens must be in the menu of dogs, the only exceptions are potatoes, fresh cabbage and yams. Salt the food for Argentine dogs is necessary.

Argentines can be given porridges, boiled vermicelli, only in limited quantities, not making it a staple food. But dairy products can be given daily.

Read more about how to care for the dog.

Pictures of the Argentine Dane

Video about Argentine Dane

Argentine Dane price

It is impossible to call the Argentine Dane breed widespread in Russia, but still in large cities there are kennels that are engaged in breeding of these dogs.

The average cost of a PET-class puppy (with defects, not for breeding) ranges from $1000 – $1200. BRID class puppies, that is, fully compliant with the standard and suitable for breeding, can be purchased for $2500 to $3000. SHOW class Argentinean costs above $3000. The latter option can safely be purchased if you plan to show career dog. Also, such a dog can become the ancestor of a new line.