Dogo Argentino Care

The Dogo Argentino: large, muscular, energetic, and extremely protective. Though these dogs are fairly rare, they're beloved by owners around the globe--and one of their best qualities is that Dogos don't need a huge amount of care. They require a good bit of exercise and early training/socialization, but little maintenance otherwise. Below you'll find plenty of information on caring for a Dogo Argentino: puppy development, exercise needs, diet and nutrition, and more. For answers to all your questions about Dogo Argentino care and maintenance, keep reading!

Dogo Argentinos are muscular, athletic, and quite high-energy, so daily exercise--and a good bit of it--is an absolute must for these dogs. They have plenty of stamina, so they'll need exercises (like walking or jogging) that work on their conditioning--but they're also very brawny, so they'll need additional activities (like weight-pulling or tug-of-war) that work out all that Dogo Argentino muscle.

And how much daily exercise does a Dogo need? The typical adult Dogo, depending on its age and overall activity level, will need an hour per day at the very least; 90 minutes daily is actually a preferred target. You can begin exercising a Dogo puppy at three months old by taking it on short (10- to 15-minute) walks, then increasing the walks' duration as the puppy grows.

There are, of course, some precautions to be taken when exercising your Dogo. First, puppies younger than a year old shouldn't participate in activities that include a lot of jumping and running, as doing so can injure their still-developing bones and joints. Second--and this goes for all Dogos, regardless of age--they'll need to be leashed when in public. Ideally, a Dogo owner will have trained and socialized their dog since puppyhood, so the Dogo will know proper behavior around others; even so, dogs of this breed have high prey drives and are fiercely protective and territorial.Even a well-trained Dogo might instinctively chase other animals and be aggressive towards others, so the dog will need to be carefully controlled. Also, Dogos don't do well in extreme cold, so it's best not to exercise these dogs in frigid temperatures.

Safeguards aside, it's extremely important to exercise a Dogo Argentino every single day. These dogs are very task-oriented, so a bored or restless Dogo will create its own "task"--namely, tearing everything in the house to shreds. Consistent exercise will help avoid these and other disobedient tendencies. A few Dogo Argentino exercise ideas:

• Walking/Jogging: Two 30-minute walks (or 20-minute jogs) is a good target
• Fetch: A Dogo will chase a ball or stick for hours
• Weight Pulling: Attach a rope to a heavy object like a spare tire, and the other end of the rope to a harness for the dog
• Tug-of-War: Good indoor activity; use a rope or old towel
• Hiking: Great bonding activity; Dogos are good on a variety of terrain

When indoors, it's a good idea to give your Dogo access to one or more balls or chew-toys that will allow the dog to release any pent-up energy. It's also recommended that you establish a consistent daily exercise schedule for your Dogo, such as walks or jogs after breakfast and dinner and a play period in the afternoon.

Care for these dogs in terms of shedding and drooling is low to moderate overall. Dogo Argentino shedding, though year-round, is pretty light; these dogs do drool more often than a lot of breeds, but the drooling isn't extreme.

Dogos have short-single-layered coats that shed a bit all times of the year. The amount of shed hairs isn't that large, and the hairs are short--but since the Dogo coat is white, the hairs may show up on floors, clothes, and furniture quite easily. Breed owners will probably need to put vacuums and lint rollers to use from time to time.

As to drooling: the Dogo is a Mastiff type with lips that can hang a bit--which means they often drool in anticipation of food, when excited, and after drinking water. Owners may need to keep an old rag or towel handy to clean up excess slobber. If your Dogo's drooling is excessive, you can tie a bandanna or old towel around the dog's neck to prevent its neck and chest from getting dirty or stinky from saliva.

Dogo Argentinos, as muscular dogs with plenty of energy, need food that's high in animal proteins and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids; they need a balanced, complete diet, in other words. This means that Dogo Argentino food will need to be a premium brand of dry food, because this type contains the necessary nutrients your Dogo needs on a daily basis. High-quality foods are more difficult to obtain--they're normally found only in pet stores--and they're obviously more expensive, but they're much better for your Dogo than cheap dog food. Inexpensive, store-brand, or "generic" dog foods usually contain lots of empty "filler" ingredients that don't have nearly enough proteins, carbs, and other nutrients that a Dogo Argentino needs. Premium food, therefore, is a must for this breed.

The good news is that your Dogo won't need to eat as much premium food to be satisfied--but the bad news is that it'll still eat quite a lot. Depending on its age, size, and activity level, the typical adult Dogo needs about 3½ cups per day of premium dry food, divided into two meals. Puppies, again depending on their age, need a bit less: about 2½ cups per day, divided into three meals (not two) until they're six months old. It's a good idea to feed a young Dogo puppy food for its first nine months, then you can transition to adult food by mixing the two types for a few days. It's also recommended that you establish a consistent daily exercise schedule for your Dogo so the dog gets used to eating at the same time every day. For more info on feeding a Dogo Argentino from puppyhood through maturity, see the following guidelines:

*--Around this time, transition to adult food by first mixing a bit of adult formula with the puppy formula. Over the course of a week, with each meal add more adult food to the mix until the dog is eating it entirely.

It's best to try and stick to the above-listed portions. While your Dogo could probably eat much more than those amounts, the portions are ample enough for these dogs. And though Dogos aren't especially prone to obesity, they can certainly gain excess weight if overfed--and a fat Dogo Argentino will have joint, breathing, and digestive issues, not to mention a shortened lifespan. You can control your Dogo's weight in several ways: by establishing consistent feeding and exercise schedules; by not feeding the dog table scraps; and perhaps most important, by not "free-feeding" the dog. (Free-feeding is leaving food in a dog's bowl all the time so it can eat anytime it wants.) It's highly recommended that you put your Dogo's bowl down only at mealtimes, then pick it up 15-20 minutes after the dog begins eating.

If you're worried your Dogo is overweight, give the dog this simple Ribs Test: run a hand along its side, and if you can't feel any ribs, it's diet time. Decrease your Dogo's daily food consumption by one-fourth, and add an extra walk or play period to its daily exercise schedule.

Opinions differ over what's the best dog food for a Dogo Argentino. Some owners feed their Dogos a "fresh/raw" diet of lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other natural foods; many people, though, find such a diet too expensive and inconvenient for their dogs. In any case, the most popular and sensible choice is premium dry food. The food will need to be high-quality because it'll contain much-needed nutrients that cheap foods simply lack.