So let's get real about Dogos...

[Noah]

Alright, this is a question as to how Dogos apply to "American" hunting style...

Most of us would use them as a catch dog, some as a running catch dog, and even fewer will use it as it was bred for... an actual, independant do it all dog....

Argentinians evidently run these sum beeches loose in a pack.... without a vest.....  The possibility exists that these same Argentines are looking for the same thing that other RCD breeders are looking for, in that.... a dog that will catch and "lay up" beside a bad boar, thereby "trying" to avoid un-necessary damage....

I see all these pictures of people that run Dogos from proven lines of overseas dogs and don't run anything but a 2" nylon collar.....  I understand that a dog can move/hunt better without the protective gear... but I can only ask myself "what are these dogs being asked to do?"  

"Hunt, Find, and Catch" is what I believe their specific trait is known for... in as much... why then.. would anyone in their right mind run a catch dog without some sort of protection?


"Bucho", a Los Medanos bred dog sent to me by La Historia Dogos, is thus far, a phenomenal catch dog.... he is the "mental epitomy" of what I would consider the perfect catch dog....  He had never seen a hog, until I recieved him... once introduced, he did his job and, just as quickly, shut it down and went back to "chill" mode...  He doesn't care about cattle.... horses.... kids.... deer... small hogs .... put a big hog in front of him however... and he will not relax until that hog is handled....  SERIOUS genetics going on here... BUT... He heals very slowly thus far... not looking forward to his first major injury....

I'm interested in how much "brain" these dogs might actually have... do they have enough "self preservation" bred in to know when to back off or are they a "go untill you blow" type of dog?  

ushog, I know, hunts an all dogo team.... but from what I've seen, he has the sense to run a vest...

So... Aside from my bullcrap observations.... how do yall view the Dogo pertaining to "American Hog Dogging Style"

[BigAinaBuilt]

Here in Hawaii guys are running them as "drop the tailgate & get er done" dogs and also there is a strong belief in not vesting a dog here for mutiple reasons. I had an interest in the Dogo when I was in High school but opted to go with the bull instead as they're alot easier to come by and at fractions of the price.

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

I have to and they are very differant "types". I love the versility of the Dogo and they have the size and speed to handle a big boar with style.

I run an Austrailian style breast plate on my big Dogo and run the small one with just a cut collar.

[raider54]

Noah, I have listened to countless numbers of people tell me how dumb Dogos are and I tell you after hunting with several now and I mean top quality Dogos and my own Dogo/Ab dogs, there are two things that stick out in my mind.

1. they go beyond SMART!

2. They are so laid back and easy to handle

I dont think they are Hog Lunatic Crazy like Pits and they definately start slower, thats not fair, I should have said they mature alot slower than the bully breeds. There are a bunch of haters on this site and for them I would say dont buy one then! As for me I will probably never own another CD thats not at least half DOGO!!!!!

[USHOG]

I put vests on every Dogo I have if they are hunting hogs. To me it is safer and cheaper to run vests.

[make-em-squeel]

Stating the problems with dogos as used for the "american hunting" style is in my opinion this: They were not bred to be used as lead in cd's, they are bred more or less as a real gritty cur with bulldog tendencies but their "brains" will make more dogos a cull compared to pits/ab's per litter when used as a lead in cd (how i use them), this is also true b/c they are such a young breed compared to other bulldogs. However I think/hope this will change with time as more hunters only breed the ones that catch like a bulldog. It is also my opinion that they will mostly catch when not rushed and their confidence is built properly. ex: I dont use mine as a rcd until its caught lead in severel times.

Who knows as stated before on this forum I have only owned 3 dogos and have only hunted behind them the past 4 yrs so i am no expert, heck i culled the first 2... but they work for me and i have had the pleasure of seeing white anchors on well over 150 hogs, i love their endurance, prey drive, obediance and their so easy to train around other animials compared to other bulldogs, their laid back house dogs then all business. 

[jhy]

I see them, or there intended function as an intrical part in hog dogging in America due to the laws of Natural selection.  We catch the slow and dumb, so the fast and smart breed.  RCDs are without a doubt going to be a necessity soon in all areas and already is in mine.  Good baydogs still can get the job done, but your sucess will be better with the RCD or Dogo function.  JMO.

Joey Young

[Noah]

All very interesting points!   

If I were just about population control, I'd certainly like to try an all dogo pack...  I'd feel much more comfortable trying it on big property first, however....  lose control of that much horsepower on a small place and I bet some bad stuff could happen quick

[La Historia Dogo]

Give me a little while and we'll run an all dogo pack Noah. I'll be back down there soon, and the dogs are biting at the bit to get on some pork. I'm glad Berrinche's brother is treating you well.

I have been running mine with a 5" cut collar only. They have gotten a couple of cuts and scrapes, but for the most part been unscathed. I don't know if it is the way they catch, but most of my dogos catch the face. I like that spot, from my limited experience, they seem to be able to avoid the tusks. Mostly the have gotten facial cuts and thats been it. I am probably going to start using vests or chest plates. But I have been more concerned with heat exhaustion. Any suggestions?

[duece24]

La historia if u run a vest in this heat soak it in water before u turn out. This helps to keep them cool. Also take gator aid or pedialyte with u for when they start blowing gas. 

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

Chest plates are the way to go in the heat. Most Dogos are big enough and have a long enough neck that a big boar can't reach back past their elbows with a tusk. Getting wadded up in a thicket is a different story but in most cases a breast plate with two dogs holding offers great protection. Plus they run very cool.

[La Historia Dogo]

Make-em-squeel:

what does...catch like a bulldog, mean?

Can you describe the differences in which your dogos have caught in comparisson to your bulldogs? 

For me, the problem with some lines of dogos is that they don't feel the dogo should be as game as a bulldog. Therein lies the problem, and thats why people such as yourself feel that pits catch better than dogos.

As some others have said, the purpose of the dogo is to have one breed to do it all. The creators of this breed intended on breeding a dog capable of finding and catching Jabali weighing 200kilos'400+lbs'

How often do any of us come across a 400lber?

Many also forget the other main prey for the dogo, since we cannot hunt them as easily, but the dogo should be able to catch and subdue an adult mountain lion'puma'. I wish I had the opportunity. Saw some 'panther crossin' signs near our new home, maybe we will accidently find out?

Thanks for the gear reccomendations,  I will be looking into them very soon.

[gottagettem]

i would like to run a dogo pack someday....maybe u guys with them dogos.. can sell  me sum pups or started ones. will do.....i use to raise pits. but not any more.... hopeing to get me a pack of dogos someday.. to hunt with ... any help will be appreciated

[gutpile]

I have owned dogos for seven years and have hunted around them for ten. I have seen the progression of many dogs and I have noticed that they learn to PLAN their catch. I have seen dogos one on one with large boars outside of pens and equaled or beaten by the boar. A quality  dogo will not walk away from a boar but they will rethink thier aproach on a boar when being whipped. They are not superman and they cannot walk on water but they are as good as you can get for hog stopping machines.       

[Crib]

Some things I heard and read:

Dogos were bred for an all purpose hunting dog.

Dogos catch wherever and sometimes chew up a hog.

Dogos arent tested as hard b/c traditionally they were bred to run and catch in packs so each dog gets pressured less when on a rough hog.

Dogos are slow to mature and the breed are far and few btx when it comes to finding working quality dogs.

Dogos are not tested to the standards that the founders intended b/c they are not used the same way in this country.

Any thoughts?

[gutpile]

Some things I heard and read:

Dogos were bred for an all purpose hunting dog.

Dogos catch wherever and sometimes chew up a hog.

Dogos arent tested as hard b/c traditionally they were bred to run and catch in packs so each dog gets pressured less when on a rough hog.

Dogos are slow to mature and the breed are far and few btx when it comes to finding working quality dogs.

Dogos are not tested to the standards that the founders intended b/c they are not used the same way in this country.

Any thoughts?

None of the above true for the breed as I have seen.

[gutpile]

Forgot to mention that I have met five different breeders FROM Argentina.

[dub]

La Historia Dogo the only way to deal with the heat is to deal with heat. It is simple water! and lots of water! If you come down here from New York and take your dogs out they will die! Not smack talking, truth talking. If you come down you will have problems. If someone works in an office and sits in their house down here and just goes out they will not make it. Make sure you know both heat stroke and heat exhaustion and how to treat them. The heat is no joke. For your dogs have them down here and outside at least a week before taking them out and watch them if you like them. My dogs are never in a/c and I watch them.

Now I am no expert on Dogos or any other dog breed. But I have tried to get out and see different dogs hunt. In my limited opinion pits are great because they can go right to catching with little training and hit like a freight train. But they will hunt like they are going to hunt. I know I have seen people say they train their pits. But to a simple man like me they all catch with the same style. Slam the hog and take em out. That is fine I just do not care for the personality of pits. The Dogos I have seen seem to adapt to their owners style or personality. That is where I see a difference. It is good and bad. The Dogo also seems to progress slower. I really like the Dogo personality and for that I will be patient and put more work into my dog. However I do know it is a catch dog and I can see why some would not want to put years into training a catch dog.

I would not have believed an all Dogo team would work. But I saw ASHog's Dogos work and I can see it as possible. They seem to have a really good nose and they ran all night in cut vests. I was really impressed with the Dogo and I am thinking serious about using more of them. But it will take time and effort. I think the Dogo is what I will be going with more.

[La Historia Dogo]

Here are my responses to the statements you've heard.

Dogos were bred for an all purpose hunting dog.-----I would say partially true.  All purpose as in they were bred to find and catch large game, primarily boar and puma. And also expected to be a guardian for their farms and properties, sometimes were even used as cattle dogs.

Dogos catch wherever and sometimes chew up a hog.----I have yet to see a dogo "chew up" a hog, I would say a dogo might catch wherever to stop running prey, but will more often catch head on, if given the opportunity.

Dogos arent tested as hard b/c traditionally they were bred to run and catch in packs so each dog gets pressured less when on a rough hog.-----Do some searching of the video that the creator used to introduce the dogo to the "general public", I wouldn't say that his testing wasn't that hard.  I have seen plenty of video footage of dogos fighting with adult INTACT puma/mtn lion, and 350+lb Jabali(boar), not the type of boar to just sit back and wait for the dog to be broken off, the type of boar to FIGHT. A Jabali with tusks that were so long they started to curl around.

Dogos are slow to mature and the breed are far and few btx when it comes to finding working quality dogs.-----Slow to mature is relative to the owner and the breeds the owner has worked with. It all depends on how you raise them, but being that they have many large breed dogs in their makeup, they are not physically grown up til 2, but I would say that they can be solid hunting dogs by 1.  I don't think its hard to find working dogos, or show dogos. But it is hard to find both in the same dog.

Dogos are not tested to the standards that the founders intended b/c they are not used the same way in this country.-----I would say I agree that the creators would not have used the dogo this way, but feel the need to add "in their country" to that statement.  Lots of people here catch LOTS of HOGS running dogos and other breeds, in the manner they do.  And for out terrain, and not to mention PROPERTY LINES, it seems to be the efficient way to go.  As a breed enthusiast, its not the way to PRESERVE the dogo, but it may refine certain lines to be the americanized hunter necessary for american hunters.


Dub:
 As I was typing I see you posted...I have run my dogos in South Florida with no problems in July and August with no problems. I do let them drink as much water as they want, and I appreciate the reminder. I am thinking about how to bring pails of water with my, but I usually just bring bottles and a bowl.
I have never needed to train a dogo to catch anything. And as their creators have written, their primary training should be that of accepting the animals you want them to.  They are bred to have an inate aggression with other animals, and any animal you want them to be cordial with, they need ALOT of socialization. I don't want to start a bloodlines conversation, but am always interested in how specific blood works for different people, so if you don't mind emailing me about that dogo you are working its Lahistoriadogo@aol.com.  I think sometimes others scare people into too much training with dogos. Maybe some exposure, but for me if you want to see if a dogo has it, just let it up against a boar that will FIGHT it. If the dogo doesn't want to fight it, then you have a problem.  Then the only thing I would do, is give the dogo praise for things you want it to attack.  Getting them to attack should be the easy part, getting them trash broken should be the harder part.  Once you let them know that they are allowed to go after something specific, believe me, they will be searching there asses off to find that fight that you don't punish them for.

[Crib]

Here are my responses to the statements you've heard.

Dogos were bred for an all purpose hunting dog.-----I would say partially true.  All purpose as in they were bred to find and catch large game, primarily boar and puma. And also expected to be a guardian for their farms and properties, sometimes were even used as cattle dogs.

Dogos catch wherever and sometimes chew up a hog.----I have yet to see a dogo "chew up" a hog, I would say a dogo might catch wherever to stop running prey, but will more often catch head on, if given the opportunity.

Dogos arent tested as hard b/c traditionally they were bred to run and catch in packs so each dog gets pressured less when on a rough hog.-----Do some searching of the video that the creator used to introduce the dogo to the "general public", I wouldn't say that his testing wasn't that hard.  I have seen plenty of video footage of dogos fighting with adult INTACT puma/mtn lion, and 350+lb Jabali(boar), not the type of boar to just sit back and wait for the dog to be broken off, the type of boar to FIGHT. A Jabali with tusks that were so long they started to curl around.

Dogos are slow to mature and the breed are far and few btx when it comes to finding working quality dogs.-----Slow to mature is relative to the owner and the breeds the owner has worked with. It all depends on how you raise them, but being that they have many large breed dogs in their makeup, they are not physically grown up til 2, but I would say that they can be solid hunting dogs by 1.  I don't think its hard to find working dogos, or show dogos. But it is hard to find both in the same dog.

Dogos are not tested to the standards that the founders intended b/c they are not used the same way in this country.-----I would say I agree that the creators would not have used the dogo this way, but feel the need to add "in their country" to that statement.  Lots of people here catch LOTS of HOGS running dogos and other breeds, in the manner they do.  And for out terrain, and not to mention PROPERTY LINES, it seems to be the efficient way to go.  As a breed enthusiast, its not the way to PRESERVE the dogo, but it may refine certain lines to be the americanized hunter necessary for american hunters.


Dub:
 As I was typing I see you posted...I have run my dogos in South Florida with no problems in July and August with no problems. I do let them drink as much water as they want, and I appreciate the reminder. I am thinking about how to bring pails of water with my, but I usually just bring bottles and a bowl.
I have never needed to train a dogo to catch anything. And as their creators have written, their primary training should be that of accepting the animals you want them to.  They are bred to have an inate aggression with other animals, and any animal you want them to be cordial with, they need ALOT of socialization. I don't want to start a bloodlines conversation, but am always interested in how specific blood works for different people, so if you don't mind emailing me about that dogo you are working its Lahistoriadogo@aol.com.  I think sometimes others scare people into too much training with dogos. Maybe some exposure, but for me if you want to see if a dogo has it, just let it up against a boar that will FIGHT it. If the dogo doesn't want to fight it, then you have a problem.  Then the only thing I would do, is give the dogo praise for things you want it to attack.  Getting them to attack should be the easy part, getting them trash broken should be the harder part.  Once you let them know that they are allowed to go after something specific, believe me, they will be searching there asses off to find that fight that you don't punish them for.

I did see that video or a video I should say. It was in black and white. I didn't see any type of testing that personally knocked my socks off in the one I saw. Mabe you should post it to make sure we saw the same one. I did see some testing on Puma in a video once, but it was on a declawed adolescent. One of the ones I saw on a hog the dog nearly pulled the hogs lip off. Also if a hogs tusks are curling over they aren't cutting tusks.