This is the official website of the family of the creator of the Dogo Argentino and is full of amazing information: www.noresdogoargentino.com.ar. The history of the Dogo Argentino starts with Antonio Martinez Nores. He was a brilliant surgeon and a great hunter and it is thanks to him that the world of dogs has such a spectacular breed, the Dogo Argentino.
Antonio was to reach a tragic end before he completely fulfilled all his dreams about the breed but his work was carried on by his brother Agustin. Antonio was in the prime of his life when he met with an accident in the mountains while taking part in his favourite sport; hunting.
The formula that this eminent surgeon chose to use for the perfect dog was simple. Starting with the Old Cordoba Fighting Dog he worked out a genetic programme that would take the most desirable traits of each breed and eliminate the unwanted ones. This programme was to take 20 years before it came to fruition. He chose carefully and decided to use the following breeds as each one would contribute a unique characteristic.
The size of the Dogo comes from the Great Dane, the deep chest and bold character from the Bull Terrier, the Irish Wolfhound brought to the mix a natural hunting instinct for wild game and the powerful jaws to hold its prey were contributed by the Dogue de Bordeaux. The Spanish Mastiff added in unleashed power and strength, the keen sense of smell comes from the Pointer and the Boxer is known to be gentle yet lively. All this selective breeding was carefully mixed up with the Great Pyrenees or Pyrenean Mountain Dog for its pure white colouring.
As the years passed and the puppies were born they were carefully monitored. If a certain combination showed any undesirable attributes the genetics were reassessed and steps taken to improve the breeding.
Finally the perfect Dogo Argentina was born, a keen hunting dog with stamina, powerful jaws and a fantastic turn of speed. At the same time a gentle giant of a dog, one that can live happily in a family environment, loyal and devoted but ready to defend his household at a moment’s notice.
Criadero La Cocha or La Cocha Kennel is registered with the Federación Cinológica Argentina (FCA) and uses the old bloodlines to keep producing beautiful specimens of the breed. If you come across a Dogo with the names of Totoral or Chubut in the pedigree it will have its origins in this illustrious and dedicated kennel.
The family of Antonio have worked tirelessly at Estancia La Cocha since his untimely death to carry on the traditions of breeding and hunting. Not just his brother Agustin but several later generations of the Nores family take an active part in keeping alive his dreams. At La Cocha it is possible to watch the Dogo using his carefully homed skills in Creole hunting, and visitors can spend their days in the beautiful setting of Estancia La Cocha and see the dogs working. This is for true lovers of the breed who will benefit from seeing the skill of the dog using the abilities it was bred for rather than the beauty paraded in the show ring.
History of the Dogo Argentino in America
The Dogo Argentino was eventually introduced to America by Raul Zeballos from Argentina who had been intrigued by this new breed as a small boy. Thanks to Raul’s grandfather persistence this young lad finally got his puppy direct from Nores in 1950. Through his love for the breed Raul became good friends’ with the family and was inspired to continue in the footsteps of the breed’s creator. Raul brought the first six Dogos to America in 1970 and later that year a litter of seven males were born under his Las Pampas kennel name.
Raul had a home in Colombia as well and introduced the breed there in in 1974 using the kennel name Los Andes. The Los Andes and Las Pampas kennel names chosen by Raul are still at the forefront of Dogo Argentino breeding in America and Colombia today and the Zeballos family still breed, own and show Dogos from their home in Pennsylvania.
Many owners of Dogos have them now purely for show purposes but in Argentina at the family farm the emphasis is still on the function of the dogs and the purpose they were created for. It would be rare to find a dog from the La Cocha kennel in the FCA show ring as a champion because they dedicate their time to hunting. In the show ring, many judges will opt for looks rather than functionality and if a Dogo was shown with battle scars it would be discarded, therefore disrespecting the history of the Dogo Argentino and the original purpose of the breed.
