The brothers gathered
ten Cordoban bitches as their nucleus and began bringing in the first of
the contributing breeds as studs until the early offspring showed
promise in the desired direction. At a certain point in the program they
had as many as thirty bitches in their care. This undertaking would not
have been possible for two young men still in school had it not been for
the help given them by their family and friends of their father. The
senior Martinez hired a kennel man to care for the dogs while Antonio
and Agustin were in school and the brothers spent all their pocket money
on food for the dogs. They were also helped by food donations given by
their father's friends. Such help was gladly accepted by the brothers in
those early years but the dream and the plan on how to make it a reality
was Antonio's. His was the genius that guided the program and Agustin
was always at his side. Later in life when Antonio became a respected
surgeon, his medical knowledge improved and refined his dream. He wrote
the first standard for the new breed in 1928. Sadly Antonio never lived
to see his dream become reality. He was killed by a man who intended to
rob him during a boar hunt in 1956. Agustin then took over the dream,
working on the new breed, bringing it back from near devastation and
moving the headquarters for the breed from Cordoba to Esquel, located in
Patagonia in southern Argentina. Agustin Nores Martinez was the
Argentine Ambassador to Canada and he used this opportunity of travel to
spread Dogos throughout the world. Big game hunters in Argentina and
it's neighboring countries were using the Dogo on boar and puma. The
Dogo Argentino was fast becoming a legend.
The Dogo Argentino is an endurance hound much like his Irish
Wolfhound ancestor. He is expected to track the wild boar across vast
pampas, corner the animal and attack and hold it for the hunters. He is
capable of dazzling bursts of speed for short distances, but his forte
is covering long distances at a gallop (hence the arched loins to give
impetus at the gallop). Having cornered the boar, he must have enough
strength in reserve to attack and hold a wild boar weighing up to 400
pounds. In a traditional boar hunt the hunter will jump on the boar and
kill it with a knife thrust to the heart while the Dogos are locked on
with a death grip.
In A Brief History of the Argentinean
Bulldog, by Agustin Nores Martinez, as translated from the original
Argentine:
"I feel as a conscience imperative to make
absolutely clear, which is the bulldog's background, the breeds that
took part, what is what we intended to do, and which are the
requirements or conditions that a bulldog must meet to be a typical
example of the breed. This present extension, is a ratification of what
was written in my first book. The fears I point to in the prologue to
the four editions are confirmed a lot of times, when we see young people
who ten years ago had never seen a bulldog, taking the part of "judges"
in exhibitions, and who seemed to dream with "an own bulldog" awarding
specimens which are far away indeed from what a good bulldog must be, as
my brother Antonio and I intended in fifty long years of work and
achievements.
To the enthusiasts and honest judges, who
really want to know what the bulldog must be like is dedicated this knew
(sic) book containing the objective history, step by step about how the
bulldog was achieved and the extensive glossary of the standard that I
make in chapter XV of this book. To the others, those who mix the
bulldog with the Bullterrier to make them of lower height and weight,
fighters against their own kind is not this book addressed, but a piece
of advice: To devote themselves to the breeding of the Bullterrier in
any of it's two varieties - White and Color Bullterrier, or the
Staffordterrier (sic) - breeds which were created for fights, really
noble animals, by the way, of extraordinary courage to fight against on
another and with those dogs, let their low instincts loose if that is
what they want, but, for God's sake!, do not spoil a breed which was
made, after great sacrifices to be useful for mankind.
Since 1937 - more than forty years ago - a
group of enthusiasts have been developing in Patagonia, with real
sacrifice, the hunting instinct of the bulldog and trying to take away
from them the ancestral fighting eagerness."
On the other hand, a few generations of bulldogs fighting between
them will have make (sic) it involutionate, and we have painfully
confirmed it already, to the useless Cordovan fight dog, insociable with
it's own kind, harmful for domestic animals an (sic) useless as hunters
or watching dogs. Happily there is, both in the country and abroad, a
group of judges and enthusiasts, who know what it is and what it must be
a good bulldog, and they use them for big game or they train them as
watch - dogs, with which each generation will gradually improve and
coming nearer and nearer to the goal we intended more than half a
century ago."
The Dogo Argentino was recognized by the Cinologic Federation of
Argentina and the Argentina Rural Society in 1964. The Argentina Kennel
Club, a member of the Federation Cynologique International (FCI)
recognized the breed on July 31, 1973.
Undoubtedly a big game hound, the attributes of the parent breeds
also give versatility. Early on in Argentina the Dogo was used for
obedience, military, police work and as guides for the blind. Our
members throughout the world are using the Dogo in a variety of ways
from boar hunting in the former Yugoslavia, moose hunting in Canada,
tracking, Search and Rescue, to Schutzhund training. Our sister club in
Germany, Deutscher Dogo Argentino Club, founded in 1976 has made
excellent progress in the Schutzhund field with their Dogos. Much has
been said about the Dogo's courage and tenacity in the field, an
honestly inherited trait courtesy of the Bulldog. However, this same
courage and single mindedness of purpose gives rise to a great
sensitivity and kindness towards humans especially the youngest and
those most in need. The following paragraph was written by Dogo
Argentino Club of America member Adrianne Jordan. Mrs. Jordan teaches
mentally/physically challenged, children with the help of her Dogo
Argentino, Carlotta. Carlotta was introduced to the children as a puppy
and has had no special training.
"She is 3 years old now - and very mature and well - behaved. My
students adore her and are very proud of her - somewhat possessive
too, when it comes to sharing her with non-disabled peers! Carlotta
gets more than her share of hugs, petting, and walks at school, and
handles even the roughest of my students with impressive tolerance."
The Dogo craves close physical contact with his people, a Dogo never
lays at your feet, he lays on your feet. He is a reliable family
guardian, interested in all activities and enjoying guests along with
his family. Should the Dogo discern a direct threat to any member of his
family, he will act to protect that person.
The Dogo Argentino is the realization of a dream that began almost 75
years ago. To use the word primitive in any context when describing the
Dogo Argentino would be doing the breed a grave disservice. The Dogo is
a consummate hunter, a superb companion, a wise and elegant guardian, he
is complete.
The Dogo Argentino Club of America (DACA) was founded in 1985. It is
the first parent club organized for the Dogo Argentino in North America.
The Club is dedicated to keeping the abilities of the Dogo Argentino
intact. There simply is no reason for the Dogo Argentino now or in the
future to be divided into two types. A "field" Dogo and a "show" Dogo
are one and the same, they were created to be that way, and our breeders
are determined to keep them that way. Perhaps our feelings on the matter
are best described in the opening paragraph of our standard which first
appeared in print in 1985.
"The Dogo Argentino is bred in his native Argentina to hunt big
game, primarily, boar and mountain lion. He hunts great distances over
rugged terrain and engages the game until the hunter kills it. He is
one breed developed from ten. The many attributes from the parent
breeds are a masterful blend resulting in a large, powerful dog with
great endurance. The Dogo should give the appearance of an elegant,
smoothly muscled, well - balanced dog capable of stepping out of the
ring and into the hunt. Judges are asked by the club sponsoring the
breed to keep this fact uppermost in their mind when evaluating the
merits of the dog."
One of the primary functions of a parent club is the protection of
it's breed. After much thought & consideration for recent laws, the Club
decided to give those who show their Dogos the option of not cropping
the ears. Because the Dogo is much admired for his courage in the hunt
and because he does bear a resemblance to the American Pit Bull, the
Club took this as well as the recent changes in law which no longer
allow for cropping of the ears, in several areas throughout the world,
the standard now reflects the allowance of cropped or uncropped ears.
The Dogo Argentino is a slow maturing breed. Males are not fully
grown until at least three years of age. The females are faster
maturing, reaching full maturity at two years of age. The Dogo's white
coat should be thick and glossy with a "satin-like," feel. They need
only a once a week grooming with a rubber curry to keep the coat and
skin in good condition.
Because of their white color, the Dogo's skin is more sensitive than
that of the colored breeds. They can sunburn, so shade should be
available when the Dogo is outside for long periods of time. Use only
gentle shampoos or those made for white coats when bathing the Dogo.
The breed is not hyperactive, but young Dogos are inquisitive and
keep themselves busy investigating everything around them. Adolescent
Dogos, particularly males, have a tendency to be show-offs. A favorite
feat is to lounge on a couch or chair, then suddenly slide "bonelessly,"
to the floor while nearby humans grab frantically for a leg or tail to
prevent disaster. The pup then lies on the floor in a rumpled heap and
grins up at the breathless humans!
The mature Dogo does need regular exercise to maintain the muscle
structure that is the hallmark of the breed.
Being a rare breed in North America does not exempt the Dogo
Argentino from genetic problems. However, because of the careful work of
the Nores Martinez brothers, the Dogo does not have a serious problem as
yet. The one genetic fault that "comes with" the breed because it is a
white coated dog, is deafness. The Dogo Argentino Club of America
monitors all litters whelped to DACA registered parents. The percentage
of deaf puppies is 10 percent overall, the same percentage as that of
our sister club in Germany. All Dogo Argentino puppies sold by DACA
members are accompanied by a statement from the breeders' veterinarian
attesting to the fact that the puppy can hear OR a BAER test print out.
The Dogo Argentino is a wonderful family dog. They are very
intelligent and house train easily. A warm body and soft couch will keep
a Dogo quiet for hours. They are clean house dogs that need little coat
care. Dogos love children with a passion. At the sight of a child, a
Dogo will light-up like a child on Christmas morning. They are as gentle
and loving with their children and family as they are tenacious with
their prey.
Obedience training is fun for the Dogo. They are natural heelers and
respond wonderfully to positive reinforcement and motivation training.
They enjoy working and pleasing their owners. On the other hand, Dogos
don't seem to understand force training and will sometimes appear
stubborn in response to a force training method, or a forceful attitude.
They have a very steady temperament and seem to adjust themselves
quickly to different situations. In working with Dogos in obedience, you
must always keep in mind that the Dogo is a hound. Like other hounds,
you are constantly working to keep their attention on you and not the
exciting smells around them. They will air and ground scent and this can
be very distracting to the dog when working. Therefore, you must teach
them that there is a time to work and a time to hunt, which can be a
test of patience to both handler and dog.
Obedience title statistics from the American Kennel Club confirm the
difference between the hound and working breed groups. From 1980 to 1990
there were 4,001 Companion Dog (CD) titles, and 697 Companion Dog
Excellent (CDX) titles earned by members of the Hound Group. On the
other hand, dogs in the Working Group earned 24,455 CD titles, and 5,223
CDX titles in the same period.
The DACA is the parent club of the Dogo Argentino in the United
States. It is comprised of members that were drawn to the Dogo partially
for its beauty, elegance and versatility, and partially for its
intriguing creation. Imagine a boy with a dream so big, and a brother so
devoted to his brother's dream that he would dedicate his life to its
creation. The whole family, aunts, uncles, parents, and family friends
all did what they could to help these boys. What love, devotion and
determination went into this breed. Starting with one and combining
until ten breeds were involved, (most U.S. breeders, unfortunately,
would not even comprehend this discipline).
It took fifty years of their lives to create the magnificent, big
game hunter that we know today as the Dogo Argentino. Breeders today
should take a close look at this kind of devotion. Breeding for a
purpose, to make a breed the best it can be in order to fulfill its
purpose, should be the goal of all breeders.
Unfortunately many of our U.S. breeders today worry about the
"marketing" of their breed rather than the purpose or betterment of
their breed. We need to remember the purpose for which each breed was
created or developed, and strive to preserve or improve on that.
Breeders should always consider each breeding with a goal of achieving a
perfect specimen.
I pray that as the Dogos are introduced into our great country,
fanciers and breeders alike will keep the Nores Martinez brothers wishes
and dedication close to heart, for the development of the Dogo Argentino
was truly a miraculous creation.
