Raising dogs, in particular taking care of the dogo argentino, is a specialty of people across the globe. Historians postulate dogs were first domesticated between twelve thousand and 25,000 years ago—and that canines evolved from the wolf. Since those days, people have selectively bred more than 400 different breeds, varying in size from 4-pound teacup poodles all the way up to Irish wolfhounds, who have earned the title of the tallest dog. But the most popular dogs are non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mutts. The dogo argentino is another popular pick among canine owners. Many owners are uninformed, however, of some of the most critical dogo argentino care tips.
Cost of care for the dogo argentino
The yearly cost of raising the dogo argentino—to include everything from food, veterinary care, toys and license—can range between $420 and seven hundred eighty dollars. This doesn’t even consider capital costs for sterilization procedures, a collar and a leash, dog carrier and dog crate. Tip: Be sure you have all of your supplies before getting your dogo argentino home.
General dogo argentino Care
dogo argentino Feeding Outline
- dogo argentino pups between 8 and 12 weeks need four meals in a 24 hour period.
- Feed dogo argentino pups 3 to 6 months old 3 meals in a day.
- Feed pups 6 months old to 1 year 2 bowls of food daily.
- When your dogo argentino hits her 1st birthday, 1 bowl every 24 hours is usually sufficient.
- Sometimes dogo argentinos might do better with 2 lighter bowls. It’s your duty to adapt to your dogo argentino’s eating habits.
Excellent-quality dry food ensures balanced nutrition for adult dogo argentinos and can mix with broth, water, or canned food. Your dogo argentino may have a taste for cooked eggs, cottage cheese, and fruits and vegetables, but these additions should be less than 10 pct of his or her daily meal intake. dogo argentino pups should probably be fed excellent-quality, brand-name puppy food. Try to limit “table food”, though, because it can result in vitamin and mineral imbalances, bone and teeth problems, and may cause some very finicky eating habits as well as obesity. Give fresh, potable water only, and be sure to wash water and food bowls very often.
dogo argentino Care Tips: Make sure your dogo argentino gets some daily exercise
dogo argentinos need some daily physical activity to stay fit, stimulate their minds, and maintain good health. Daily physical activity also really helps dogo argentinos avoid boredom, which often leads to destructive behavior. Getting out and about can curb most of your dogo argentino’s instinctual urges to chase, retrieve, chew, dig and herd. Activity needs will vary based on your dogo argentino’s age and his level of health—but just a couple of walks down the street every day and ten minutes in back of the house probably isn’t enough. If your dogo argentino is a 6 to eighteen month adolescent, her requirements will probably be more.
dogo argentino Grooming Tips
Regular brushing will help keep your dogo argentino clean and reduce shedding. Check for ticks and fleas every day during warm weather. Most dogo argentinos don’t need a bath more than a few times a year. Before giving him a bath, cut out or comb any mats from the dogo argentino’s coat. Carefully rinse all soap out of the coat, or the dirt will stick to soap residue.
dogo argentino Handling
Puppies are clearly easier to manage. To carry your dogo argentino puppy, take 1 of your hands and place it under the dog’s chest, with either the forearm or other hand supporting his or her back legs and rump. Don’t try to lift or grab your pup by his or her forelegs, nape or tail. When you must pick up a larger, adult dogo argentino, lift from the underside, bracing her chest with one arm and rump with the other.
How to House your dogo argentino
dogo argentinos need a comfy quiet spot to sleep apart from all the drafts and off the ground or floor. You might wish to buy a doggie bed, or feel like making one out of a wood box. Put a clean blanket, comforter, sheet, or pillow in the bed as cushion. Wash your dogo argentino’s bedding often. If your dogo argentino will be spending a lot of time outdoors, make sure he has covering and plenty of cool water in hot weather, and a warm, dry, covered shelter during the winter.
Licensing and Identification for dogo argentinos
Make sure you heed the city’s licensing regulations. You should affix the license to your dogo argentino’s collar. This, along with an ID tattoo, can easily help secure your dogo argentino’s return if she happens to go missing.
Facts on dogo argentino Behavior
Training dogo argentinos
A well-behaved, companion dogo argentino can be a blessing to have. However, when left untrained, your dog will most likely be nothing but trouble. Teaching your dogo argentino the basics—”Stay”, “Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, “Sit”, and “Leave it”—bolsters your relationship both with the pooch as well as the company. If you own a puppy, start training her on the appropriate behavior quickly! A snack can be used as incentive and recognition. Pups can start obedience class when they are sufficiently vaccinated. Call the community SPCA or humane society for information about obedience schools. Invariably you should walk your dogo argentino on a leash in public, even while a pup. Just be positive your dogo argentino will come to you every time you say so. A disobedient or aggressive dogo argentino should not be allowed to play with other people.
About your dogo argentino’s Health
dogo argentinos should visit the veterinarian for a complete assessment, vaccinations and a heartworm blood assessment annualy, and immediately if he is injured or sick.
dogo argentino Oral Health
While many of us might simply dislike our dogo argentino’s foul breath, it’s important to be aware of what it may mean. Foul breath is a sign that your dogo argentino should have a dental check up. Dental plaque , which is caused by bacteria causes a bad odor that can only be eliminated by treatment by a professional. After a professional dental cleaning, her mouth may be maintained in a healthy state by brushing regularly, feeding a special diet focused on dental health, and eliminating table food. The veterinarian can provide you additional information on reducing oral ailments as well as bad breath. You should clean your dogo argentino’s teeth with a dog paste or a paste made of baking soda and water twice weekly. You can brush them with a sterile gauze pad, a piece of nylon pantyhose stretched over the finger, or a child’s soft toothbrush. Sometimes, dogo argentinos get periodontal disease, another name for an infection between the gum and tooth. Sometimes, teeth loss occurs as a result of periodontal disease. Diseases can also propagate to other areas of your dogo argentino’s body. The vet may clean his teeth as a regular part of your dogo argentino’s health program.
dogo argentino Bad Breath
Even though the foul odors due to oral disease may not be very serious if detected early enough, sometimes bad breath may also be indicative of fairly serious, chronic issues. A sweet, fruity smell can frequently be a sign of diabetes, while intestinal or liver diseases may cause foul breath. If your dogo argentino’s breath smells of urine or ammonia, kidney disease is a possible reason. If you determine your dogo argentino has smelly breath in conjunction with other symptoms of disease, such as diminished appetite, nausea, loss of weight, depression, excessive urination and drinking, set a visit to his doctor.
Dealing with Fleas and Ticks in dogo argentinos
Regular, daily inspections of your dogo argentino for fleas and ticks throughout the summer are critical. Find and remove fleas using a flea comb. There are many new technologies of tick and flea reduction. Talk to your vet about his or her recommendations.
dogo argentinos With Heartworm Issues
Your dogo argentino is at risk of developing heartworms if she is exposed to mosquitoes often. Mosquitoes carry the worm from dog to dog. Heartworm infections can be deadly. It is important to make sure your dogo argentino submits to a blood test for this parasite annually each spring. It is recommended that you give your dogo argentino a monthly pill throughout the course of the warm, wet time of the year to help protect him from heartworms. If you ever vacation south with your dogo argentino in the winter, he should be on the preventive medicine during the trip. There are some areas, usually the regions with milder temperatures, where veterinarians recommend worm pills be used continually.
Medicines and Poisons
If you’re considering giving your dogo argentino medicine that was not prescribed for her by his vet, don’t do it. Did you know that just 1 ibuprofen caplet causes ulcers in some dogs Keep rat poison and other rodenticides away from your dogo argentino. Be sure to call your dog’s vet if you have cause to suspect your dogo argentino has consumed poison. You should also call the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for 24 hour help.
dogo argentino Reproductive Operations
Male dogo argentinos should be neutered – the extraction of the testes – and females spayed – the extraction of the ovaries and uterus – by 6 months of age. You can greatly reduce your female’s risk of breast cancer by spaying before adulthood. The chance of an infected uterus, which is also a serious condition that impacts older females, will be eliminated by spaying while young. Neutering male dogo argentinos prevents testicular and prostate diseases, certain types of aggressions and some hernias.
Immunizing your dogo argentino
- Your dogo argentino pup should be vaccinated with a combo shot (called a “5-in-1”) at 2, three and four months old, and then once yearly. This shot immunizes your dogo argentino puppy from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. The dogo argentino puppy’s immunization regimen cannot be completed before 4 months of age.
- If you have the rare dogo argentino who has not been innoculated and is older than four or 5 months, he must get a set of two vaccinations given two or 3 weeks apart, followed by a yearly innoculation.
- dogo argentino pup socialization and innoculation should coincide. Most doctors advise that new owners bring their dogo argentino puppies to socialization courses, as early as eight to nine weeks of age. At this point, they should have received at least their first vaccinations.
Laws are so varied between different areas, the best thing is to call your neighborhood veterinarian for rabies immunization information. For instance, in NYC, the statute states that all pets older than 3 months must be vaccinated for rabies. The initial rabies immunization must be followed up by another shot the next year, and then every three years. There are several innoculations, many of which are effective for your dogo argentino. There are others that are not, however. Ask your dogo argentino’s vet for her recommendation. By the way, if your dogo argentino gets ill because she is not immunized, do not administer the immunization until the dog has made a full recovery.
Intestinal Parasites in dogo argentinos
dogo argentinos are commonly exposed to worms and possible infestation—even in urban areas. Eggs that carry hookworms and roundworms are transmitted through a dog’s feces. Even the healthiest of dogo argentino puppies carry roundworms or hookworms. The key to treatment is early detection. Early, accurate diagnosis maximizes the possibility that prescribed medicine will be effective against your dogo argentino’s worms. A dewormer that eradicates roundworms, for example, can’t kill tapeworms. Your dogo argentino’s doctor can best define the culprit—and assign the right treatment.
Miscellaneous dogo argentino Care Tips
Checklist of dogo argentino Supplies
- Premium-quality dog food and snacks specifically designed for dogo argentinos and similarly-sized dogs
- Food bowl
- Water bowl
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Comb & brush for grooming, including flea comb
- Collar with ID tag and license
- Leash
- Carrier (for pups)
- Training crate
- Dog box or bed with sheet or towel
- Dog toothbrush
Warnings to be Heeded
The following items should never be fed to dogo argentinos:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Coffee, tea, or chocolate
- Grapes and raisins
- Moldy or spoiled food
- Onions, chives and garlic
- Poultry bones
- Salt and salty foods
- Tomato leaves, stems or unripe fruit
- Dough
The “Bottom” Line
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in spot, always keep your dogo argentino on a leash. When your dogo argentino goes #2 on your neighbor’s lawn, on the sidewalk or any other public space, please dispose of it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about dogo argentinos
Was this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
Follow