CDAB: In the beginning you can tell us more about your beginning and

    experience. About the history of your kennel and how you  started?

 

Brigitte: My first own dog was a black Labrador retriever, a present from my aunt, I got him when I was 14 years old. This dog I took everywhere, and he followed me every day to the riding school, where I was teaching. I continued my love for Labradors, since my aunt were breeding them for drug dogs to the police and  I was following her interesting work, and I started a little later breeding with them. I participated in hunts and hunting competitions.   It however became to boring for me, and I bought a pair of Rottweilers in Germany and one in Denmark. I participated in the club work and mental tests in the Rottweilerclub, and I had a male and female I used to IPO training.

     I read about the Dogo Argentino in a book and took contact to a breeder

   in Holland, from whom I got my first dogo, a male of 7 years old. Then

   things developed fast, it was for sure the breed for me, I had 2 females and

   1 import from Argentina when I met Peter first time. I was looking for a

   special female for breeding, since the 2 females I had were not the best

   quality, so I contacted Peter. I saw Perro Pelea Cordobes Artera  Zoe on

   fotos, and I just needed to see that female in live version. I went down… saw

   her pregnant with Rayo…and I asked for possibility to have a puppy from

   her… Do not know what  happened : ) but 4 month later Peter moved in with

   me in Denmark : )

   Peter: My first dogs was a mix between Malois and Bullterrier.  As a youngster

   I was already drawn of dogs with strong characters and personality. This

   female was a mean bitch and was for sure a dog who needed to work. I have

   had 2 of these mixes, they are used in the police in Holland. I got the

   interest in these dogs, seeing the local police training at the dog training

   center of my city.

     In 1987 I started my interest in the Dogo, I visited a lot of shows and talked

   to breeders. This ended with my first dogo Artera, a wonderful strong pirate

   female, with a character full of spirit. She lives all her life in Holland regretting

   there were no wild boar… she compensated her hunting fever with cats–rabbits

   and birds, she is for me a legend. Always healthy, NEVER ever sick, a real

   alpha female. The basis of my kennel. Her pedigree goes back from Boleo

   Bravo del Barbian to Fellow Flash de Agallas, to Blanca Dama de Agallas,

   Tilcara (Nores Martinez) and the Chubut lines.

    CDAB: Is Denmark the best country for the breed of dogo? Some of the

    regulations for breeding in Denmark?

   Birgitte and Peter: YES, in some ways Denmark is the best country for the

   dogo, we have here the strongest breeding restrictions of the world. – that

   makes sure that the lazy and unmorally people are not busy with our breed.

   Also it prevents that too many pups are born.

     Chips marking is required when the pup are 6 week old, official BAER test

   must be done between 6-7 weeks old, test follow pedigree, that are given out

   when the pup are 7-8 weeks old, pedigree and BAER test ALWAYS must follow

   puppy when it leaves.

     ALL puppies in the litter are registrated when they are 3 weeks old, and the

   same number of pups must be BAERTESTED. Deaf puppies also.

   Deaf puppies must be put to sleep immediately after the test. Parents must

   be officially BAER tested also and have a FCI dysplasia result – only A B and

   C is allowed for breeding, and C only with A. The parents must be mentally

   tested – if not passed – NO permission for breeding. You have only 1 chance.

     So, regarding breeding, YES, Denmark is good for the Dogos future

   regarding health and character. Here you can not breed a dysplastic dog with

   a vicious character or weak character, just because he is pretty. These

   regulations makes the people more aware of what breeding a dogo means –

   and select out the lazy people with the wrong motivation.

   Regarding Hunting, breeding the dogo is not the most easy thing here, but

   that counts almost all over the world. However, we see the hunters here do

   NOT have a preoccupied opinion of the Dogo, since here Dogos have been

   proven in tracking wounded game and the Dogo have been seen in other

   circumstances than only as a “Macho Dog, playing with his hormones on a

   show”.

     The Dogo in Denmark have a good reputation, but that was NOT just the

   work for one weekend. We have had BSL here as well – in 2000 many 

   molosser breeds and the dogo were victims for a witch hunt. We worked hard

   to present our dogs out in the society and together with the molosser club

   and kennel club we fought the breedbans and managed to create a new dog

   law here in Denmark that bans owners and not dogs.

     It is possible to maintain a good hunting dog, it is just a matter of being

   willing to give good dogs to hunters and be willing to take the opportunities

   that are across the boarders, but also working the dogo in other types of

   hunting tells a lot about the character and instincts of the dog.

    CDAB: Where your dogos are living – in a kennels or with you in your home?

    How much space the dogo needs for its energy?

    they are going to have puppies, without problems. They can be all together.

     A dogo need lot of space and free to be happy and not frustrated. A dogo

   needs to run with full speed and play rough. We also bicycle with our dogs to

   keep them in good physical condition.

    CDAB: How many dogos you have now in your kennel? How you care for

    them? This is not cheap. How you cope?

    Birgitte and Peter: We have right now 17 dogos here.We start early mornings

   feeding and cleaning the boxes, after that they get their period on the fenced

   area, all day long we switch dogs, so they at least have had 3 hours of

   playing and running in all kind of weather. Some get a extra trip with bike

   when needed. Our Royal Canin bill a year is 9.000 Euros. – but luckily this

   year they found us good enough for a little sponsorship at 1000 Euros : )

     We both have a full time job also, and the puppies we sell cover a part of

   the expenses. Peter works in nights and is home in daytime with the dogs,

   at the moment Birgitte is studying half day. On top we have a little dog

   pension. Of course we have a lot of other expenses than food for the dogs,

   chips marking, BAERtest, vaccines, health papers and health tests, pedigrees,

   vet. help, shows, hunting trips etc. etc.

     If the passion was not there in both of us, for sure it would be impossible to

   live this way.

   CDAB: What kind of food you use to feed your dogs? Some advices? What

    you think about raw feeding?

    Birgitte and Peter: We feed our dogos with Royal Canin "maxi", our puppies

   gets from 2-3 weeks old, Starter food also from Royal Canin. We have had

   good results with RC, since it have different food for different ages f the dogs

   life. No, Raw, we believe it is to insecure. Since the dogo is a fast growing

   breed, that needs the perfect balance between protein and vitamins/minerals

   to develop most correct. We only give extra meat – but not raw - when a

   female have just given birth to a litter to make her eat much to recover fast

   after delievery and to be able to produce a lot of milk.

     Here we give boiled chicken and add the water also to the food, we mix the

   chicken and water with high energy food or puppy food.

     Our dogs gets from time to time raw hib bones from cow, to give them a

   good work for the jaws and teeths.

   CDAB: You have 1-2 litters per year.  This is not much ...  in deed you are not

    one of the commercial breeders.  If we look at the expenses, that you are

    making for shows and trips, is it just one expensive hobby?

    Birgitte and Peter: Yes, it is. BUT a great hobby, which have given us

   wonderful experiences and friends.

    CDAB: Do you have some problems with two males or with two females?

    How you cope with these situations?

    Birgitte and Peter: Yes, we have males that can not face each other, we

   simply keep them away from each other,  and they have each their flock of

   females. But this we are changing with our young males. We want them to be

   able to be with other males, in the hunting it is a MUST.

     Regarding females, no, all our females can be out in the fenced area with

   other females, we will NOT accept the fighting anymore in the females, and

   we have 2 years ago, worked a lot with this and have been more aware of it,

   and simply put them all together, it was difficult in the beginning ...and had

   a couple of fights, but now we see it changing. It is also a matter of trusting

   your dogs. The males who are fighting is our old ones, at this time we did

   not dare to let them together and they build up a opinion about themselves,

   due to the lack of social life with other males - that they were unbeatable.

     Our young ones we put together with other males, if they start to act – we

   do not jump in immediately, we wait and see if they sort things out

   themselves, we only interrupt if it comes to a full bite and they need to be

   separated from each other.

     In heat seasons, we are very careful, not to provoke a fight, since the dogo

   is highly instinctive reacting in this period. Like with wolfs, the strongest get

   the females, here the dogo pure natural also.

     The sexual instincts of the dogo is very high, I guess all owners of a male

   dogo is nodding their head now : )

   CDAB: What it costs to import a dog from Argentina (not only for money)?

    Birgitte and Peter: Importing from Argentina is very difficult and expensive.

   The puppies you can find there from 1000 Dollars up to 3000 dollars. 3000

   dollars is in our opinion a IN SAIN price for a puppy.

     If we should pay this price for a puppy, we wanted to see totally health

   screened parents and information of the whole litter also, and on top a

   guaranty on the pup too. Flight is difficult also, since more and more flight

   companies are having hard rules to cope with. A cargo flight from Buenos

   Aires to Amsterdam, Bruxelles or Frankfurt is around 1000 dollars for a small

   puppy. For sure we can recommend always to visit the breeders in Argentina

   and select that way.

   CDAB:  How you make your choice for the future dogo owners? Is the dogo,

    a dog for people who was not cared for a dog before? What guarantee you

    could give for your puppies?

    Birgitte and Peter: NO, the dogo is NOT for first time dog owners. NEVER.

   We want Dog experience, we require that they know the dogo, and have had

   a big dogs before. We want the buyers to take our advices and always seek

   help here if needed. They also have to have a interest in working the dog,

   to be sure that he dog will have a active life, since that prevents a lot of

   social problems. The more the dogo do the better. Here it is important to

   add, that there are several works that the dogo fit into.

     People who are willing to travel here and meet us – spend time with us and

   the dogs  - show interest in our work and not only in having a puppy. They

   take a big part of our work with us, when they leave from here with a pup,

   and we appreciate very much the people who spend resources in this.

   Personally we never ourselves would buy a puppy unseen and the kennel too.

     Since we also have compensated dog who the owners are still able to keep:

   or genetic failure.

      1  compensated for heart failure, the line were taken out for breeding in

   our kennel after this.

      1  compensated for 2 times problems with the broken knee ligament.

      1  compensated because the female had a uterus infection quite young

   and had to be neutered.

      1  compensated because of growing problems. The puppy seemed to have

   a dwarf genetic in him.

      1. compensated for a brain bleeding.

    CDAB: What kind of man should be the new owner of dogo?

    Birgitte and Peter: A new  owner of dogo is aware of his strength and needs,

   therefore not a  lazy city person who will not work with the dog  and only want

   him to be a nice beautiful dog in his house. This is asking for problems.

     A new dogo owner is  a responsible and morally correct person, with the right

   motivations for the breed.

     A new dogo owner is a benefit to the breeds reputation here in Europe,

   meaning he will ambassador for the breed. A new dogo owner is interested in

   working the dogo, and who have enough experience to this or at least the will

   to learn.

     Wrong motivations are a person who like the dogo to be aggressive, this is

   what makes us most sad to see, since the dogo from nature is a very social

   dog to humans. BUT we see when the dogo gets into hands of unsocial

   people that it can be changed easily, due to the sensitive nature of dogo.

   This breaks our heart to see, and we are very careful in this selection.

    CDAB: Dogo is young breed but every breed has its legends. What are the

    legends for a dogo?

    Birgitte and Peter: The dual nature is the legend of the Dogo Argentino. 

   The angel among its family and the devil on the prey. To be the most docile

   and easygoing dog in the family, with a wonderful  kindness and patience

   and at the same time the most hardcore hunter when needed, must be the

   most characteristic for the Dogo.

    CDAB: By your opinion who are the most famous kennels who work really

    serious - in Europe and in Argentina?

    Birgitte and Peter: Difficult question, we see all over the world good

   passionate breeders but we also see people who are only in for the Dogo

   because of commercial interests. It would not be correct to start mentioning

   names since many kennels we have not visited and do not know about,

   therefore we could miss some.

     We see some very good old breeders, long time busy with the breed, and

   in the end, also starting finally focusing on health. This makes us happy to

   see. Also we see some new breeders with the right motivation and with a lot

   of enthusiasm for the breed coming up. To mention names is difficult and is

   incorrect to do, we leave that up to people themselves to find out.

     When you say “really serious breeders”, we can define what we think

   “serious is “.

     A serious breeder select hard in dogs with health problems.

     A serious breeder make sure that his dogs goes to good people and give

   full back up.

     A serious breeder do NOT only focus on exterior, but mostly on health and

   character (Functionality).

     A serious breeder show documented results.

     A serious breeder is willing to look worldwide to find the best breeding

   partner for his females.

     A serious breeder is aware of his responsibility for the future of the Dogo

   Argentino.

    CDAB: Every breeder has its dream to leave own vestige in the breed and

    when people see some dog to say: This is a dog from this kennel!

    What is your object in the breeding as blood and visuality?

    Birgitte and Peter: We have never focused on visually totally, there is so

   much more to focus on. BUT A PPC dogo should leave his marks as a

   multifunctional dog with stabile character that lives a long and healthy life.

    CDAB: You have a great dogs – World champions, World Vice champions,

    European champions... Mataco, Yatay, Pochita, Raya, Rebecca...What is the

    most important for making a champion?

    little, we try to select the biggest shows and the best judges.

     Again, the people who are going from show to show and profiling their dogs

   in this way,we sometimes do not understand, what are the satisfaction in this?

     For us NO, when the dog have shown to be good in exterior, we have so

   much more on the program for the dog, before the dog have proven to us to

   be a dog for reproduction.

     We say over and over again, and will also do it here: the Champions are

   mostly not the best breeding dogs.

   CDAB: What you think about the political judging? Are this kind of judges

    spoil the work of many breeders?

    Birgitte and Peter: That sucks!!!! ( a word we learned to use in the US  : )

   NO; they can not spoil A GOOD BREEDERS WORK, since a good breeder is

   able to recognize a good dog, even if he is not placed among the winners.

   A political judge have huge responsibility and influence to NEW people in the

   breed – and that worries us.

   Especially some important judges in Argentina should remember the

   quote from Agustin Nores Martinez in his book "Historia del Dogo Argentino":

   This is the only way the judge can gain respect from breeders and hunters.

   CDAB: What is the most important at the shows - winning titles or

    something else?

    Birgitte and Peter: Meeting friends and see dogos.

   CDAB: The world dog show have to be a real section for the condition of the

    breed in the moment. Is that in practice?

    Even there came how much... 2-3 dogos from Argentina? Who was your

    favorite in  Poznan  between the males?

    Birgitte and Peter: NO,  The show in Poznan,  proved that a lot of breeders

   stayed home with good dogs, us included partly, we left our males home.

   Of the present males in Poznan, we liked  the look  of  Virus De Los Hijos De

   La Luna,  Head type of Aragorn, the charisma of Valentino de Los Hijos De La

   Luna, Incubo Dei Falchi Bianchi correct structure, Yanni House young dogs to..

   we could continue, many dogs had something excellent for the breed.

   CDAB: Do you think the Argentinian breeders realize their responsibility to

    the breed? You visited some Argentinian breeders, what is the truth of the

    breeding there? What kind of people are the Argentinian dogueros?

    Birgitte and Peter: No, unfortunately no, if they did, they would have started

   SERIOUS health selection and test many years ago.

     The truth…Most breeders we visited are only focusing very much on exterior.

   The argentine breeders and hunters are very hospital and nice people. We

   felt very welcome all over Argentina.

   CDAB: Here we know only and mainly the most popular bloodlines and these

    dogs who are shown in public. What are the Argentinian legends that we still

    don’t know about?

    Birgitte and Peter: They live in the interior of Argentina, ready to be

   discovered. But these owners are NOT on the internet, and do not have the

   commercial interest. These dogs might not even be in the hands of breeders.

   But there is not many dogs in Argentina undiscovered.