STANDARD
THE
CANINE BODY
In
general it can be distinguished dogs in which the length is predominant, called
longliners or dolico-morphs, or those breviliners or brachi-morphs , and finally
those which maintain the harmony in their proportions called meso-morphs or
normo-types.
According
to the size, they can be micro-talics or small size dogs, meso-talics or medium size
dogs and makro-talic or large size dogs.
On my part,
I am convinced that the dog of prey as the athlete, has to keep a canon, that from
the morphological point of view is harmony in proportion, and from the functional
point is eurythmy, that in the normal organic correlation, which is translated in a
major capacity of strength, I have tried that the Dogo Argentino be a meso-morph or
normo-type and a makro-talic, giving preference to those of big size, that is to say,
a heavy dog between those of the race of prey, in a way that the light combat dogs
are defeated with its weight and those dogs of a bigger size are defeated with
quality, because the individual bio-type can be represented with two concentric
circles.
The inner
circle or genotype which is given by inheritance and the para-type or outer circle
which is given through education and environment, that in the Dogo Argentino race
the genotype is Prey; keeping in mind the races in which it is rooted and assembled
from: Bull-dog, Bull-terrier, Great Dane, Boxer, Mastif, etc. and the paratype is also
the result or synthesis of many generations educated for combat and fight, thus
complying the enounced formula by Dr. Agustín Nores Martinez, in his article “
Ancestral inheritance and functional gymnastics in the dogs” ( Diana Magazine November
1944) as base for canine race improvement, formula which is expressed as follows:
(F + M) x E, it is to say, Father plus Mother multiplied by Education or Functional Gym,
formula which is valid for all species, because is a genetic law, that the result
is: Inheritance plus Education.
STANDARDS
FOR THE DOGO ARGENTINO:
SKULL
Solid,
convex in the ante-posterior sense and transverse by the relieves of the masticatory muscles and nape.
FACE
Of the same
length as the skull, that is to say that the line which connects
both orbitarian apophyses of the frontal bone are at the same distance from the
occiput and the alveolar edge of the upper jaw bone.
EYES
Dark,
wrapped up in the eyelids (of dark or light colored edges) the separation between
them has to be big, it has to have a vivacious and intelligent look, but with a
pronounced hardness at the same time.
JAWBONES
Well
adapted, without prognathism, strong, with good dental implantation.
NOSE
Strongly
pigmented in black, with a slight stop at the tip, wide nostrils.
EARS
At the top
of the head, erect or semi-erect, triangular shaped, they always have to be cut off.
LIPS
Well
rolled up, taut, free of black pigment lips.The short lip is required, so
that when the dog is holding the catch, allows it to breath through the posterior
corner of the mouth, because if the lip is “pendulum” although the jaw bone quite
long, is somewhat a valve in the isnpiration and closes the corner of the mouth
keeping the animal from making a suppletory breathing through mouth while holding
the prey, forcing it to let the piece go due to asphyxia as it happens to the Mastif.
OCCIPUT
It
must not make relief, because the potent muscles of the nape will erase
it completely, being the insertion of the head and neck as an arch.
NECK
Thick, arched, slim, with a very thick throat skin, making wrinkles as in the Mastif but not so taut as those in the Bull–Terrier. This elasticity of the neck’s skin is due to the cellular tissue of this part is very lax allowing the skin to slip over the superficial aponeurosis , in this way the adversary’s fang or claw , only hurts the skin and if it were another dog which attempts to get hold of it neck, as the skin is very elastic and strectches a lot it lets it to hold the other dog at the same time it is beeing held.
HEIGHT
60 to 65 cm.
(23 to 26 inches)
WEIGHT
40 to 45 kg.
(88 to 100 Pounds)
CHEST
Wide
and deep, with the sensation of having a great lung. Seen from the front the sternum
or breast bone has to surpass below the elbows.
BACK
Height,
very strong, with great muscular relieves.
T
HORAX
Wide,
side view the lower edge passes the elbows.
COLUMN
Higher
in the back, with a slight slope towards the haunch; in adult animals, when the
muscular development of the back and kidneys is good, from the sideview it looks like
an armchair and presents the medium channel all the length of the column, given by
the relief of the spinal muscles.
HANDS
Rights,
well planted, with short toes and well joined.
KIDNEY
Erased
by the muscles of the back.
LEGS
Of
muscular thighs, with a short heel and closed fingers, without aberrant fingers.
TAIL
Long,
straightened in arch, with a wide curve upwards. During combat they keep it lifted
and in constant side motion, as when the animal receives its master. The length must
be shortened to improve harmony as a whole, for which preferential treatment should
be given to those that have the tail reaching no farther than the heel.
MANTLE
Totally
white, some dark or black stains can only be tolerated in the eyes or front edge of
the ear , Any other stain in whichever part of the body it may be located might rule
the animal out as a sign of atavic character. The white specimens with a very black
pigmented skin, has to be considered as not fit for breeding due to the recessive
character which is shown and that might become predominant in the offspring, if it
mates with another specimen sharing the same potential defect.
MOTIVE
FOR DISQUALIFICATION
Sarco
eyes, deafness, stains in the body, long hair, white nose, prognathism, pendulum lip
and any other body disproportion.
As
for the issue of height and weight there are great debates and discussions in the
world of Dogo. The creator of the breed, would have never guessed the trouble the it
would be in the future, had he not specified precisely the limits for its
disqualification as a Dogo.
But
he did do it in all his lectures (see
history). Spite
of this, there are still those who propitiate gigantism, holding on to what the
creator had said:”that between two adult animals one has to choose the one which is
bigger in size, since in the argentine country, bad feeding reduces it”
In
our time this does not happen like that, since most of all the specimen are not raised in the
country and are very well fed. And is this commercial urge that has led to desvirtuate the race,
where some known breeders have committed the unforgivable act of adulterating the breed by
crossbreeding it with a Great Dane, in order to provide it with a higher height.
We consider, that there is not much to analyze about it, since with common sense, is logical that a specimen with more height and weight, can not penetrate into the mounts, nor be able to offer combat to a wild boar.
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