The Dogo craves close physical contact with his people; a Dogo never lays at your feet, he lays on your feet. He is a reliable family guardian, interested in all activities and enjoying guests along with his family. Should the Dogo discern a direct threat to any member of his family, he will act to protect that person. Dogos love children with a passion. At the sight of a child, a Dogo will light-up like a child on Christmas morning. They are as gentle and loving with their children and family as they are tenacious with their prey. A warm body and soft couch will keep an adult Dogo quiet for hours. They are clean house dogs that need little coat care. Obedience training is fun for the Dogo. They are natural heelers and respond wonderfully to positive reinforcement and motivation training. They enjoy working and pleasing their owners. On the other hand, Dogos don't seem to understand force training and will sometimes appear stubborn in response to a force training method, or a forceful attitude. They have a very steady temperament and seem to adjust themselves quickly to different situations. In working with Dogos in obedience, you must always keep in mind that the Dogo is a hound. Like other hounds, you are constantly working to keep their attention on you and not the exciting smells around them. They will air and ground scent and this can be very distracting to the dog when working. Therefore, you must teach them that there is a time to work and a time to hunt, which can be a test of patience to both handler and dog. The Dogo is also a very sensitive dog and rarely needs physical corrections. A heavy handed or harsh owner would quickly ruin a Dogo. This sensitivity makes it possible for an experienced dog owner to moderate or channel the strong hunting instinct into other outlets more appropriate to suburban life. Gentle corrections consistently applied are far more successful than harsh physical corrections. Usually a stern tone of voice is enough to get the message across. Dogos make good watchdogs. Dogos are very alert, and with proper socialization have a good sense of judgment. However, being a hunting dog, they are not the type of dog you could put on the front porch and expect them to stay there. All in all, it is plain to see that the Dogo is not the dog for everyone. Their extreme hunting drive and tenacity coupled with a high energy level and intelligence result in a dog that is too much for the average dog owner to handle. |
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