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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.
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SKULL
Solid, convex in the ante-posterior sense and transverse by
the relieves of the masticatory muscles and nape.
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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.
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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.
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JAWBONES
Well adapted, without prognathism, strong, with good dental
implantation.
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NOSE
Strongly pigmented in black, with a slight stop at the tip,
wide nostrils.
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EARS
At the top of the head, erect or semi-erect, triangular shaped,
they always have to be cut off.
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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.
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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.
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NECK
Thick, arched, slim, with a very thick throat skin, making wrinkles
as in the Mastif but not so taut as those in the BullTerrier.
This elasticity of the necks 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 adversarys
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.
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HEIGHT
60 to 65 cm. (23 to 26 inches)
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WEIGHT
40 to 45 kg. (88 to 100 Pounds)
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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.
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BACK
Height, very strong, with great muscular relieves.
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THORAX
Wide, side view the lower edge passes the elbows.
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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.
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HANDS
Rights, well planted, with short toes and well joined.
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KIDNEY
Erased by the muscles of the back.
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LEGS
Of muscular thighs, with a short heel and closed fingers, without
aberrant fingers.
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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.
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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.
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MOTIVE FOR DISQUALIFICATION
Sarco eyes, deafness, stains in the body, long hair, white nose,
prognathism, pendulum lip and any other body disproportion.
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COMMENTS
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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