MyDogBreeds
Argentine Dogo is originated from Argentina but American Pit Bull Terrier is originated from United States. Argentine Dogo may grow 12 cm / 5 inches higher than American Pit Bull Terrier. Argentine Dogo may weigh 15 kg / 34 pounds more than American Pit Bull Terrier. Argentine Dogo may live 3 years less than American Pit Bull Terrier. Both Argentine Dogo and American Pit Bull Terrier has almost same litter size. Both Argentine Dogo and American Pit Bull Terrier requires Low maintenance.
Known also as the Argentinian Mastiff, this large dog breed from Argentina is a descendant of the extinct Fighting Dog of Cordoba. People were looking for a fearless, companionable dog, and a man, Martinez from Argentina, began a selective breeding program to get a breed that wasn’t essentially geared to fighting.
A number of breeds were mixed to achieve the desired characteristics in the Argentine Dogo breed.
It is unfortunate that the dog has been used for fighting and that it comes across as a dangerous dog so that today it is banned in several countries.
The history of the American Pit Bull Terrier might be a confusing one to some dog lovers and certainly to the general public that tends to lump all the “bully” breeds into a category called “pit bull”. This is because of the negative reputation this group of breeds has acquired over the past 30-50 years due to misuse and mis-breeding by the dog fighting industry. This categorization includes the American Pit Bull Terrier, The American Staffordshire Terrier, the Bull Terrier and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
There is major confusion and disagreement on the difference between the American Pit Bull Terrier and the American Staffordshire Terrier. The AKC does not recognize the American Pit Bull Terrier as a separate breed, but its founder and the UKC, ADBA do so. In the 1930’s the American Pit Bull Terrier was a recognized breed and in response to the negativity of pit-fighting, they renamed it as the American Staffordshire Terrier.
The American Pit Bull Terrier was developed to be a little larger in size than the Staffordshire in both height and weight. This breed comes from crossing various Bull and Terrier breed to get a working dog. The Amstaff for the most part is bred to be a show dog and is not usually a “street dog” used in dog fighting rings. The direct ancestors of the APBT are the Old English Bulldogs and the Old English Terriers. These dogs are great family dogs, gentle beyond comparison unless raised to fight. They make great therapy dogs as well as police dogs. They are not by nature cruel, aggressive or attack dogs.
Both professional confirmation breeders and street fight breeds have developed new strains of the American Pit Bull Terrier. A few are worth mentioning here.
One of the oldest strains of the American Pit Bull Terrier they are red in color and that red is a very unique tone. They have a copper colored coat and nose with red nails, red lips and amber or red eyes. These dogs were originally from Ireland and when they came to America they had the red nose. Originally bred for gameness, it is the red color that is sought after now.
These are another old breed, but they have black noses and were initially bred by John P. Colby in the late 1800s. These dogs were known to be indominable fighting dogs and were bred into almost every line of American Pit Bull Terriers that exist today. The line is still maintained by the Colby family.
The Argentine Dogo is a striking looking dog, large, muscular and powerful looking. He stands at about 60 – 68cm and weighs about 35 – 45kg.
He has a pure white coat. The coat is short and smooth. The ears are high set and most times cropped and erect.The Dogo’s tail is long and hangs naturally.
The Argentine Dogo is a companion dog today who can be loving and loyal towards his human family. He is a strong willed dog with a distrust of strangers and other animals.
He will most certainly require training and socialization if you want him to behave well among people and animals. With proper training and socialization, he can make a good family pet.
True to their reputation as fighters, the American Pit Bull Terrier looks like one – powerful, strong and well built. This belies their gentle disposition but too often they are judged by their looks. With a broad, brick shaped head, thick neck and deep chest, they are stocky, muscular and agile. They usually have cropped ears, but the tails are not docked. Their legs are strong and hindquarters especially muscular. These dogs are much stronger than they look. Round soulful eyes are one of the traits that people who keep these dogs as companion animals love about them. They have a scissor bite and one of the strongest jaws of all domesticated canines.
This big, muscular white dog with his short white coat was once a hunting dog so he is active and energetic. He is also intelligent and courageous, loving his human family and wanting to protect them being a strong characteristic of his.
The Argentine Dogo is social, strong, loyal and devoted and just wants to be part of his human family and all their activities. It is important that he is trained and socialized at an early age because then he is obedient and relaxed around people and pets in the home.
For those who live with the American Pit Bull Terrier there is no better dog. The APBT loves people and loves children. They think they are lap dogs, and they certainly are watch dogs. They love their people but their barks at strangers at home are not because they are protecting their people but rather they are greeting the strangers into their home. Unfortunately, they will not greet another dog in the same way. However, when their people are seriously threatened they will give their lives to defend them.
These are strong, confident dogs who want to please their people. They love children and make great family dogs but require a strong owner and a strong pack leader. The need to be under control around other dogs and because of their strength, need a strong owner. It is their aggression towards other animals that must be controlled.
The Argentine Dogo can live to be between 10 and 12 years of age if he is looked after well, however about 10% of Argentine Dogos suffer from pigment-related deafness in one or both ears.
A dog can lose it’s hearing because of an ear infection. That is why it is so important to watch your pets ears and make sure that the ears aren’t red and that your pet isn't continually scratching his ears.
The most common cause of congenital deafness with a dog is pigment-related. Dogs with white coats are often affected by deafness and you commonly see deafness in dogs with white pigmented skin because they carry the piebald gene – the white coat and often blue eyes. Without a particular stem cell, the white dog’s body isn’t able to make a special layer of hearing cells.
There is a high rate of hip dysplasia with these dogs and more than 40% of Argentine Dogos have malformed hips. This isn’t a dog ailment to take lightly as it can lead to pain, discomfort and even lameness for your pet.
Skin diseases such as red, itchy allergies are also common with these dogs as well as eye diseases.
Though the American Pit Bull Terrier is healthier than most large dogs, they do have an issue with hip dysplasia. Breeders have been working to breed this out of the APBT and their work in this area has helped with the other issues with the patella, heart and thyroid. The APBT can have skin allergies and Demodex Mange. This condition can be either deadly or just a localized skin issue. Immunizations and testing is essential for this breed. When not immunized, American Pit Bull Terrier puppies have a greater incidence of parvovirus than other breeds. They also might have cataracts and congenital heart disease.
With his short coat, the Argentine Dogo is a low maintenance dog, requiring a good brush twice a week. Its a pure white dog, and wiping him down with a damp cloth can keep his coat looking dazzling white and clean.
Grooming your dog like this gives you a good chance to also check your pet for fleas and ticks and to ensure the skin is free from infection or dryness. You will find that he sheds a bit more in the hotter seasons, but during the colder months it will be wise to bring your pet indoors.
Other areas to consistently check with your dog are his nails – to keep them trimmed, to clean his teeth 2 or 3 times a week with proper canine toothbrush and toothpaste and to check his ears for infection.
How you feed your American Pit Bull Terrier puppy is important to her health as an adult and long life. The adult dog should be fed one and a half to two and a half cups of high quality food twice a day. Puppies should be fed more often as they grow. DO not feed your APBT soft or canned dog food. Their food should be dry. Be careful not to feed too much as you do not want an obese American Pit Bull Terrier.
As previously mentioned this is a healthy breed with problems with:
These are usually inherited, and the pup may show signs early, or they could be developed later in life. They can be removed.
Hip dysplasia as in many larger, stronger breeds this can be a major problem. Breeds should test for it and APBT breeders are attempting to breed it out of the APBT.
This is a congenital issue that breeders are also breeding against and if they have it your American Bit Bull Terrier was likely born with it.
Many APBT are allergic to grasses or out outside allergens. Shots or medication can deal with these.
This is an athletic, joyful breed that loves to play, love sports and loves any activity that bonds it with its family. Some of the many sports the American Pit Bull Terrier likes to participate in include: agility, obedience competition, weight pulling, lure coursing and fly ball. He also needs backyard exercise and daily walks.
When walking your American Pit Bull Terrier, make sure she is on a leash as the breed has a tendency to be aggressive with other dogs coming into their space. The APBT loves to work. They are good therapy dogs, search and rescue dogs, even service dogs.