meet the... Argentino Dogo

Head

• General Appearance: Somewhat mesaticephalic to somewhat brachycephalic skull type. The head is of a large yet proportionate size. It is broad, deep, and full due to being equipped with well-developed muscles and wrapped in well-fitted skin. The flat and broad skull and muzzle appear as a cube within a cube when viewed from the front, although both should be void of any angular features. The topskull is fairly long and broad, being as wide (measured across the top in front of the ears) as it is long (from stop to occiput). The broad topskull tapers only slightly toward the muzzle. It is fairly steep, with well-developed temporalis muscles that give it an arched appearance in profile and a flat appearance from the front. A median furrow starts at the stop, is accentuated by the temporalis muscles, and disappears toward the occiput. The brows (supraorbital ridges) are fairly well-defined and somewhat prominent. The occiput is concealed by the strong muscling of the topskull and neck. The zygomatic arches are broad, allowing for strong development of the masseter muscles. The head, overall, is clean-cut and without excess skin or wrinkles.
• Expression: Powerful and capable, yet composed and gentle.
• Stop: The stop is distinct and defined without being overly abrupt.
• Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal to the muzzle.
  The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is convergent, with the topskull’s profile appearing concave and the muzzle plane appearing slightly convexed to straight.
• Muzzle: The muzzle is full, deep, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight, or the muzzle may rise slightly toward the nose, giving it the characteristic “convexed” plane. The muzzle, overall, is slightly longer than deep. It tapers only slightly from the deep and broad base toward the blunted and has an abrupt end. Upper and lower jaws are well-developed, approximately equal in length, and have good bone substance, never appearing snipey or weak.
• Lips or Flews: The lips are somewhat thick and broad but clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws. They are never pendulous or hanging below the plane of the lower jawline.
• Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well-opened. It should never appear “pushed-in” or recede behind the vertical plane of the muzzle.
• Cheeks: The cheeks are powerfully (yet smoothly) muscled, never appearing chiseled, flat, or protrusive. They should be free of folds and wrinkles.
• Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level, scissor, or reverse-scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth as a result of routine work are not to be penalized.
• Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, and hazel to medium or dark brown in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes. Any signs of entropion or ectropion are incorrect for this breed.
• Ears: Medium in size, set high and toward the outside edges of the skull. They are triangular in shape, thick at the base, with slightly rounded tips that hang close to the head. Tips reach to approximate mid-cheek level. When alert, the ears may show significant lift at the base. The ears may be natural or surgically cropped. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken. Cropped ears are surgically cut short to an erect triangle.

Body and Tail

• General Description: Substantial, powerful, and supple. The body is never light and racy to lack strength or heavy and cloddy to lack agility and stamina. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
• Neck: Moderate length allows for proud head carriage and movement. It is thick and powerfully muscled, with a slight arch. The neck tapers slightly and smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is fairly clean-cut; however, some loose skin at the throat is permissible without being excessive, throaty, or forming a pendulous dewlap.
• Chest: Deep and broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.
• Topline: Just slightly sloped or level, from slightly prominent withers to croup. The back is broad and strongly muscled, with powerful spinal muscles forming a median furrow down the back. The back is straight and firm yet supple. The loin is short, taut, and slightly arched, yet supportive. The back is never swayed or roached.
• Croup: Broad, powerful, and gently sloped. The height of the croup may be equal to the withers or set just slightly lower.
• Underline: A moderate tuck-up is present. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
• Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, and oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
• Tail: Set moderately high. It is thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. The tail is carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually in a neutral position or just above the level of the topline, but never tucked. When alert, it is held in an upright position but never curled over the back. The tail is of a fairly long length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. The tail may be straight or gently curved.

Forequarters and Hindquarters

• Forequarters: The forequarters are always balanced with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. The shoulder blades are long and approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
• Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
• Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle, of sturdy bone, and parallel to one another.
  Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
• Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
• Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are long, equal in length, strong, of study bone, and well-muscled.
  Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
  Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
• Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
• Stifle Joint: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
• Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.

Coat

• Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
• Coat Type: Short (approximately ½ to 1 inch in length), stiff, close, and uniformly short throughout the body and legs. Shorter and softer on the face and ears. Density may vary according to climate and season, and it may depend on the presence or absence of an undercoat (either variation is equally permissible). If an undercoat is present, the coat will be slightly longer on the neck, forming a very light ruff, and on the tail. No fringe or feather is permissible. If an undercoat is not present, the coat may appear sparse, with pigment spots showing through the coat (equally permissible).
• Coat Color or Pattern: Predominantly white, with preference given to dogs with full patches of color (black) on (or in) the ears and pigmentation around the eyes as an effort to decrease chances of deafness or blindness due to lack of melanocyte saturation during embryonic formation. Ticking and spots of skin pigment that show through the coat are permissible.

Movement

Powerful, agile, enduring, energetic, efficient, and effortless, the characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the centerline of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and a good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.

Temperament

The Argentino Dogo breed is capable of being a tenacious and fierce hunter and protector, yet a loving and affectionate companion and playmate. They were originally developed to hunt in packs, so they are more inclined than many similar breeds to get along well with other dogs. However, they can develop territory and aggression issues toward dogs of the same sex, especially male dogs. They are level-headed, not overly vocal or especially reactive, capable of reading situations well and responding appropriately with friendliness or fierceness. Due to their size and natural protective tendencies, it is imperative that the Dogo be trained and socialized from early puppyhood, learning the difference between friend and foe and accepting his family’s boundaries. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.

Faults

All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.