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Posted over 9 years ago
| Updated over 8 years ago
I found a new home! Plenty of my friends are looking for one too. Check out other pets at this shelter, or start a new search.
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My basic info
Breed
Dogo Argentino
Color
White - with Black
Age
Puppy
Size
X-Large 101 lbs (46 kg) or more (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Male
Pet ID
2068
My details
Good with kids
Good with dogs
Good with cats
Purebred
Needs experienced adopter
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Helo is an 15 month old Dogo Argentino pup with a lot of love to give the right people! He knows his basic commands plus a few extras, and is learning new commands & behavior as time goes by as well (such as waiting politely at doors, gates, etc to go out). He has shown interest in the (outdoor) cat, but in a non-predatory way...with time, supervision, & patience, he could likely live with an indoor kitty.
He is currently fostered with a very mixed pack. He plays well & (mostly) respects the female Dane, and does respond in a submissive way to her corrections when he gets overbearing. He has shown to be trustworthy with very small dogs (in his current pack, there is an 11 pound male miniature dachshund, in his prior foster there was a rat terrier).
With large dogs, clearly submissive males OR clearly dominant males, he doesn't do so well. With the former, he stays single-mindedly focused on dominant behavior & is difficult to divert, and would likely bully if given half an opportunity. With dominant male dogs, he wants to challenge - he does fine on walks with his foster's dominant male CC, but so far ONLY does well under controlled circumstances with a dominant male dog (both in his current foster and his former). However, in his prior foster, he played nicely with a "middle of the road", calm, confident male. For this reason, his foster feels it's a much safer/easier bet to not place him with other large male dogs, as that "middle of the road" behavior can shift when a new dog comes into the home & problems could easily arise between Helo & the resident dog.
He DOES need a canine companion though. Helo is extremely, extremely insecure and NEEDS the guidance of a balanced alpha female to teach him some of the finer points of "acting right"...plus he's an energetic boy who wants to be active, so a playmate who can handle his bouncy, wrestling play would be ideal. He is "rough" with his body, but gentle with his mouth during play.
Because of his insecurity, Helo also needs a confident human alpha...and one with a lot of patience. He is extremely smart...but also extremely stubborn & can be very single-mindedly focused, which takes a great deal of effort to divert/distract him from. He would benefit greatly from formal training or nosework courses to bolster his confidence and increase his responsiveness to his human, as well as work on his socialization (which he desperately needs).
Initially, Helo did show barrier aggression towards the two boys in his foster home (growling, barking) but would be sweet and submissive without a barrier. This is common in insecure dogs (similar to a human bully only being tough if one of his friends is "holding him back"). His fosters have been working with him and he no longer shows this behavior. He is still somewhat "opportunistic" however, and will put on a big bluff-and-bluster show with people (mostly men or boys, not women or girls) if he senses nervousness or insecurity in the nearby stranger/person, but it really is all just for show...we feel that as he progresses with gaining confidence under the guidance of a calm & authoritative human, he will leave this behavior behind. He is SUPER sweet and loving with anyone he meets who isn't automatically fearful of him because of his looks.
Helo doesn't necessarily need a guardian-breed experienced home, but he does need a dog savvy home with large/powerful breed experience who is willing to commit to continuing the work his fosters have begun, to shape him into the confident, easygoing guy we know he is. He is extremely loving and gentle with his foster family, and has shown immense potential to be everything the Dogo Argentino is known for.
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