If the mere sight of a 50 pound pit bull can instill fear in you, what would happen if you were confronted by a dog that is all muscle and sinew, twice the size, and resembles a giant pit bull? The Dogo Argentino is one of the new wave of dog breeds imported into the country by breeders for clients concerned about crime, and who can afford the starting price of $15,000 for a pup. The Dogo Argentino, also called the Argentine Dogo or Argentinean Mastiff, was created by crossing ten different dog breeds to be a total big game hunting dog and guardian. The dog's gene pool consists of the cordoba fighting dog, boxer, great dane, pointer, Spanish Mastiff, bulldog, bull terrier, great pyrenees, Irish wolfhound and dogue de bordeaux.
Dr Azizul Rahaman, veterinary surgeon of Jones Animal Clinic and Hospital in La Seiva, Maraval said that some of these new dogs can be very dangerous. "Some of them are known to be vicious dogs," Rahaman said. "They have power behind them because of their sheer size and massive jaws. "I have clients who ask me, Doc, I need a bad dog in my yard. I'm not home whole day, I have fruits on my trees, people are only jumping my fence and coming in my place. This is the reality of the situation and why people are going for these dogs." He was also astounded by the astronomical prices commanded for some of the new dog breeds, and the ready buyers with deep pockets willing to pay for them. "I'm hearing some prices on dogs these days that are unbelievable, from $25,000 to $30,000 to $40,000. These prices were unheard of and they're getting a market for these unusual breeds," Rahaman said.
He revealed that most of them were large mastiff-type dogs such as the Neapolitan Mastiff, cane corso, bullmastiff, English Mastiff, presa canario, tosa, akita, boerbel, American bulldog and also the American staffordshire terrier. Celeste Nottingham, dog trainer and breeder of Command Working Dogs Club in Barataria said that the new breeds of dogs brought into the country were formidable guardians and man-stoppers, and were just as dangerous as pit bulls. "Pound for pound the pit bull is a very serious weapon, but these new dogs are in a class by themselves," Nottingham said. "These dogs are very powerful. They are bigger, heavier and some of them are very aggressive, so they can do a lot of damage," she said. Regarding the recent spate of pit bull attacks, resulting in one fatality, she said the public's concerns with the new larger breeds of dogs being brought in the country for security purposes were not unfounded, but gave a reminder that the onus is on the owner to ensure that the environment in which their dogs are kept is secure.
"It's not just the pit bull. Dogs are just being dogs, whether it is a pothound, pit bull or rottweiler, even pompeks will rip people up if they could. "It's the owner's responsibility," Nottingham said. "If you know you have an aggressive dog in your yard it is your duty to secure that property so that the dog cannot get out. "Due to the carelessness of a few irresponsible dog-owners, unfortunately the dogs are the ones that suffer."
