SKULL:
Solid, convex from back to front and transversely due to the relief of the mastication muscles and the nape.
FACE:
Same lengh of the skull. We have separated skull and face, however both form the "Head" of the Dogo, which is typical and, as explained in this work, is of the mesocephalic type and must have a convex-concave profile, that is, a convex skull due to the relief of the insertion of the masticating muscles, typical in prey dogs, of the "masticating' type, and the face and snout slightly concave upwards, typical of dogs with good olfaction. that is, having a skull for mastication and a face for olfaction as long as it implies a functional interaction: high sniffing... zygomatic arches well separated from the skull, with an ample temporal cavity to comfortably insert the temporal muscle, one of the main masticators.)
EYES:
Dark or nutbrown. With black or flesh colored eyelid rims, the separation between them must be large, vivacious and smart look and markedly stern at the same time. Light eyes or red brows are reasons to deduct points. Disparity of color is a reason for disqualification.)
JAWS:
Well matched, without prognathism, strong with large and well placed teeth. (The number of molars does not matter while the most important thing is the homogeneity of the dental arches, the lack of cavities, no upper or lower prognathism, and especially, that all four fangs, large and clean. match perfectly while pressing to seize the prey.)
NOSE:
Intensely pigmented in black, with a slight stop on Its tip, with ample nostrils. (A white nose or white stained nose deducts points. A divided nose or harelip are reasons for disqualification.)
EARS:
On top of the head, erect or semierect. Of triangular shape, must always be cut. (The judge must not fudge a Dogo with long ears, and must remove it from the ring. Somewhat longer cut ears can be accepted in females like in Great Danes. The male is preferred with slightly shorter ears. The Dogo Argentino is a prey dog that is, a fighting dog, and long ears can be easily grabbed and very painful during fights Moreover, aesthetical reasons make it necessary to cut the ears.)
LIPS:
Must be well turned upwards, stretched, with free rims and pigmented in black. (Lips must be short for the dog to be able to breath through the side lip commissure while seizing the prey. If the lip is pendant, even if the maxillary is long, it works as a valve during inhalation, closing the lip commissure which impedes the animal to perform supplemental respiration though the lip commissures during the seize, having to release due to asphyxia. as it happens with breeds with hanging lips.)
OCCIPUT:
Must not show any relief since it is completely concealed by the powerful muscles of the nape, forming an archshaped linkage between the head and the neck. (It is concealed by the curved line of the convexity of the skull.)
NECK:
Thick, arched, well built, with a very thick skin by the throat, forming the wrinkles like those of the Mastiff, the Dogue de Bordeaux, the Bulldog, and not stretched, like in the Bullterrier. (Such elasticity of the neck skin is due to the cellular tissue being very slack in this region, allowing the neck skin to slide over the superficial aponeurosis, such that the fang or the paw of the contender only hurts the skin. In the case of a cougar, for example, which will try to seize it by the neck, since the skin is elastic and stretches a lot, it allows to seize the prey as well.)
CHEST:
Ample, deep. giving the sensation of having a large lung. When seen from the front, the breastbone must overpass the elbows. (Being the Dogo Argentlno, a dog for work and for fight, it is obvious the importance of an ample and deep chest due to the importance of breathing for the dog.)
BACK:
Tall. Very strong. With large muscular relief's.
THORAX:
Ample; when seen sideways, its lower edge overpasses the elbows.
TOPLINE:
on the back, inclined toward the croup in a smooth slope. (In adult animals, when the development of back muscles and the kidney is adequate, when seen sideways they show a median channel along the spinal muscles.)
FORELEGS:
Straight, well set, with short and closed toes. The length of the toes must keep proportion with the foot and have fleshy pads, with thick skin and very rough, with callousness and allow the animal to run a lot through rough and stony terrain, without hurting.)
KIDNEY:
Concealed by the muscles in the dorsum.
LEGS:
Good muscles in the thighs, with short nails and tightly closed toes, with no dew claws. Must show good angulation, always having in mind that they are the drivers for speed and the support for close fighting so that the thigh muscle must always be emphasized. The dew claw, though very easy to get rid of during the first few months, is a reason to deduct points by being a recessive feature toward the Great Pyrenees, but is not a reason for disqualification.)
TAIL:
Long and thick, held hanging naturally, but without overpassing the hocks. It must be kept raised during the fight, with a continuous lateral motion, like when fawning with the master. (It must be kept in mind that the tail is very helpful, whether acting as a helm to change course during runs, as a compensatory support during the fight acting in combination with the rear quarters.)
WEIGHT:
40 to 45 kilos
HEIGHT:
60 to 65 centimeters. (With both the height and the weight, the judge must be inflexible, since being the Dogo a fighting dog among big game breeds, a smaller size decreases its efficiency.. Any adult Dogo, male or female, must be disqualified if less then 60 centimeters tall. Among many good candidates, the tallest must be preferred. The developer of this breed has expressed that the Dogo Argentino is a norm type, that is, it must keep harmonious proportions, or organic eurythmy, which translates into a larger force capacity. This is why the selected specimen must be that with larger height and weight, without being gigantic.)
COAT:
Completely white. Spots of any color are a disqualifier due to its atavistic nature. White specimens with skin heavily pigmented in black must be deemed as not good for breeding, due to the recessive nature that represents, which can turn predominant in its descendants when mated with other specimens having this latent defect. Small spot on the head are not a reason for disqualification, however, between two similar specimens, the completely white must be preferred. On the other hand, any spot on the body is a reason for disqualification.)
DISQUALIFICATION:
Blue, light blue or eyes of inappropriate color, deafness, body spots, long hair, white or heavily white stained nose, prognathism (whether lower or upper). pendent lip, houndlike head, long ears (with no cutting). size shorter than 60 centimeters, more than one spot an the face and any physical disproportion. The dew claw deducts points, but does not disqualify it.
