GRCH Anthos Of Genius review: DOGS OF GENIUS DOGO ARGENTINOS 18

All of these complains are dated a few years ago but I want to second (and probably third) the sentiment regarding Debonair Dogo Argentinos. Three years later, it looks like nothing has changed.

My husband had previously owned a male Dogo years ago and really wanted to adopt a Dogo into our family. We have young children in the house so we wanted a female that was older and already trained, if we could find one. The first one we found was at Debonair in San Diego. We were so excited because she seemed like the perfect dog. Her pictures posted online were flawless. When my husband spoke to Carla on the phone it seemed like she was a great fit. We set up a time to meet her.

Within seconds of pulling up to their street we spotted our Dogo. We were shocked. Jaws to the floor. She was in really really rough shape. Nothing like the "updated" pictures we saw.

I never write bad reviews. Frankly, I don't really have the time. But it makes me sick how our Dogo was treated so I want to make sure whoever is looking into purchasing a puppy or a dog from Debonair to be knowledgeable about what they are walking into and what they could potentially be supporting.

When we first spotted our Dogo she was on "a walk" around the block. Unfortunately I think this is the only walk she ever went on there. She was significantly under weight, had deep crate sores on her leg, her nails were extremely long and looked like they had never been cut. We knew going into it that she was a mommy and that her nipples would show, but our poor Dogo's nipples are so distended up to three or four inches, two of them swollen to the size of golf balls. When we took her to our vet, the vet confirmed she was only 68 lbs and that she should be between 90 and 100 lbs for her size and frame. That she had upwards of 6 litters. That there is a strong possibility there were fertility drugs used because her last litter was 12 puppies, when they are suppose to be half that size. When our poor Dogo sits down, every time, she has gas, because of the distress cause on her insides by carrying so many puppies. She had yeast and ear mites. None of this is exaggerated. Unfortunately, I have a strong feeling they show these dogs early on so they have a "good reputation", pump as many puppies as they can out of them for the money, and stop taking care of them. Not to mention, no good dog breeder would have a potential owner meet the dog on a leash on a sidewalk, either. They would bring them into their own environment.

We ended up "rescuing" our dogo. We waited a week or so, met a few other dogs, but I just couldn't get the picture of her out of my mind. No one else would have taken her and she was being so mistreated. She might not be a show Dogo anymore, she might have giant nipples that hang half way down her legs, but she's our Dogo and we take good care of her. She's quickly putting weight on and nearing her goal for her frame, her crate sores are healing, she goes on daily 3 mile walks, etc.

Just know, if you're interested in purchasing one of their dogo puppies, this is what you're supporting. This is their mommy. We only agreed to give Carla $500 if she showed us the receipt from the vet that showed the surgeries and procedures our Dogo had done. I was adamant that none of our money ended up in that woman's hands.

AVOID DEBONAIR DOGO ARGENTINOS

I am an outsider in this argument, but I have encountered Carla at Debonair is a pretty shady business woman. About 5 years ago we were looking to add a third dog to our family. My wife and I lead a pretty active lifestyle and our 2 boxers are a world of fun, but at the time we wanted a breed that could provide intimidation if not protection as I at the time worked out of town for extended periods of time. We had been burned by our first Boxer breeder who claimed she was of champion blood lines and as a puppy looked cute, but not show quality. When the AKC registration paperwork was requested this other lady went off the map... literally folded up camp ditched her dogs and took off. Needless to say we were upset that we had no history of our awesome little Boxer. Do not get me wrong our Boxers are completely awesome, yet the are accepting of EVERYONE and think anyone is there to pet them and a welcomed guest. We found Debonair and were excited to add some diversity to our family after several conversations with Carla. Of course one of the first things she requested was a "pet deposit" which of course we were more than happy to provide. I informed her that i was interested in boar hunting with our future Dogo and she was quick to tell me that her dogs were champions at it and THAT is when we found that her lies were catching up to her. My wife joined up on a few of the discussion threads mostly as an observer and got more information that we needed, but did not want to hear, yet thankful we did. Carla is known in the Dogo world as puppy- miller and breeds weak dogs who consistently fail the boar hunting tests as they have no confidence. If you google the complaints on this kennel the list goes on and on from hip displaysia to mange and other health issues of course.
After hearing and finding all of these horror stories we knew we could not get this dog from her. We called her and informed her that we were not ready for a Dogo in our family as our male Boxer was going through a bout of cancer (which was true and I never wish on any dog owner it is heart wrenching). We asked for our deposit back (according to her the puppy was not even born yet, which seems to NEVER be a problem for her now, holy crap breed much) and she was not interested nor did she care that one we did not want the dog anymore or that we were legitimately battling cancer with one of our dogs at the time. She said there was going to be a problem with our funds as she had somehow invested the money into the puppy's mother for prenatal care! So we looked into getting a lawyer and we found that she was not currently operating with proper licensing in her county, so this gave us more ammo. I contacted her again and told her we were now going to sue her for our deposit, interest, lawyer and curt fees and have her investigated for her lacking proper licensing in her county... We received our deposit about a week later.
Not only is Debonair an example of how a breeder who "cares about the breed" should not be, but she is highly regarded as one of the biggest fakes and liars about her dogs and their accomplishments. She peddles nothing but heart ache and suffering for the dogs themselves and the families that want to to open their homes and have a four-legged family member. I would Never recommend Carla or Debonair to anyone. I cannot speak of her beginnings, because there very well might have been a time where she really did care about the breed rather than the money, I just never spoke to that person at all. Please do lots of research before making a long-term investment into adding a family member. In case you are wondering our Boxer did recover from his bout of cancer and is doing well. We decided to add a Cane Corso to our family instead after a year and a half of research and we could not be happier with him. Someday we look forward to adding a Dogo to our family, but I guarantee it will not be from Carla Debonair kennels or from that lineage for sure.

Loca vore-you're "up against" some of the puppy owners of Carla aka debonair Dogos-these people were ignorant enough to buy a Dog from that MILL so of course they are going to defend that decision, Otherwse they would have to admit that they screwed up.The truth is that if THEY KNEW what a REAL DOGO was then they would not have bought an IMITATION...Here are some facts for THEM-THE DOGO IS A HUNTER FIRST AND FOREMOST, A DOGO THAT CAN'T DO THE JOB THAT IT WAS CREATED TO DO ISN'T TRULY WHAT THE CREATORS HAD HOPED FOR(LOL) AND AS A RESULT-IT AIN'T A DOGO.
Check youtube for a great video of "diego" "the great boar hunter" Curring ona hog-IN A PEN. Debonair owners-check one of the Dogo boards(sorry don't know which one) for a post of a fabricated "hunt" on a domestic hog(the real hunters recognized that the hog was a shaved Hampshire) in which Carla let her four dogs(won't embarass REAL DOGOS by calling them Dogos) chew on this poor hog-so that she could post pictures of "a hunt". Even the hunters called it "sadistic" .
Carla is making a whole lot of money of the ignorance of people like these ones above-they don't want a real DOGO-they want a big white Dog that looks like a Dogo.Of course carla was nice to them-she makes a great living off of people like these ones.
The REAL; people in the Dogo world call Carla just what she is-a PUPPY MILLER and that is why carla has been kicked out of the organization(s) and off of the boards.As for the people who bought puppies from her-Ignorance is bliss.

I know for a fact that something shady is up with Debonair Dogos. They bought 2 un registered all white American bulldog males from me ladt year and totally failed to mention they were Dogo breeders. Why in the world would they have to purchase dogs who weren't Dogos? I wish I did my research on them. They only paid me $500 per dog and are probably passing them off as Dogos and are selling them for a $1500 profit. I would make sure you take a good look at the bloodline... because there is probably some American bulldog in those prized puppies you're buying... they are totally fooling everyone.

DAN...You're obviously misinformed. You must have something against Carla (another breeder perhaps?)...because I have seen you all over the internet blasting Debonair Dogos. You literally post the same paragraph over and over...Blowing up Yahoo Answers w/ your BS stories like its your job. Sorry about your "brothers" bad experience...but how about we all hear MY Debonair Dogo story FIRSTHAND from an actual buyer/owner of the breed. (which i think we can all agree is a better source than someone who "heard bad things about debonair dogos through their brothers sisters uncles cousin")

I got my female Dogo almost 2 years ago from Carla (my pup just turned 2 years old January 31st) and shes the most beautiful amazing LOVING and loyal dog in the world. No problems whatsoever. So Dan, Sorry to say but Looks like A. you're either full of [censor]. or B. you're full of [censor]. I'm actually planning on buying a Male Dogo from Carla in the VERY near future (checked into her site tonight and looks like they have another litter so I'll be contacting her this week). DONT LISTEN TO COMMENTS FROM DAN. Debonair Dogo's is an amazing breeder to get your Dogo from. Carla and her family LOVE dogo's they put their entire lives into raising these dogs. It is not a "puppy mill". Go check out the place for yourself like I did. Would I have spent 2 GRAND on a dog if it was gonna turn out to be a piece of crap? I think not. and if I was that much of an idiot to purchase a dog from a puppy mill... WHY would I be willing to spend another 2 grand on a dogo from the exact same breeder? If debonair dogo's was that terrible as you say Dan, I don't think I'd be going back. Logically I dont think Id spend almost 5 grand on puppies if they werent the best.

Sorry your brother had a bad experience, but maybe he didn't know what he was getting himself into when he bought a Dogo. They're a huge responsibility but WELL worth it for people who are willing to put in the effort to raise this amazing breed. They are GORGEOUS dogs, super loving and loyal and protective of their family...I read a previous comment where someone was claiming their dogo was "mean to other people and dogs". my dogo has had ZERO problems with other dogs or animals. She plays with kittens and lets them paw her in the face and doesnt even react. We babysat our neighbors kitty and the 2 got along like best friends. if theres a small yipper dog barking annoyingly at my Dogo (ie: a little yorkie) my dogo doesnt even notice/care. She runs off leash at the dog park everyday and plays with ALLL types of dogs, even little tiny dogs like pugs. Shes SUPER smart, she knows to play rough with bigger dogs (pitbulls, etc.. more of the active dogs who like rough housing and 'wrestling' )..but if theres a tiny 5 lb dog approaching her, she knows exactly how to play with it too. She'll roll on her back and let the little dog jump on her to avoid hurting/crushing it. shes VERY smart. very loving. and very much NOT like anything DAN here described.

As for the Dogo being "mean" to people... did you do ANY reading on this breed before buying the dog? I am dumb-founded by some of the ridiculous comments on here. Dogo's are powerful guard dogs. It's all about how you raise your dogo ! If you want you're dog to be a protective dog that wards off unwanted guests.. .Thats EXACTLY what your Dogo is going to be. If you want it to be social and loving and able to play with people/animals..take it around other people and dogs! bring it to the dog park as a PUPPY. instill these traits in your dogo as a PUPPY.. dont wait till its full grown and then say DAMN I wish my dogo acted differently! ITS ALLL ABOUT HOW YOU RAISE IT AS A PUPPY.

For example, My dogo is very loving with our family. She simply does NOT know how to be mean to our family. BUT...if a person she doesn't know walks through the doorway unannounced, she switches into guard dog mode. THEReFORE, we must introduce her (on leash) to the person outside our home. Once she smells the person outside, we bring her and the person in at the same time, and she is PERFECT. licking them, laying next to them, literally treating them like a family member. Once any member of our family shows her that the person is Ok, she is perfect. Some people wouldnt want to have to deal with the hassle of introducing new people to their dog, but we don't mind because shes a guard dog! thats how we want her. SHES ONLY LIKE THIS AT OUR HOUSE though. Outside our house, she is totally different. She does not act like a guard dog in public. We walk her on the beach, through crowded streets, and people and children run up to her and pet her. She loves it! she loves being pet and loves attention.

If you have ANY questions feel free to email me alydeee123@aol.com I have NOTHING but great things to say about Debonair Dogo's. If you think I'm lying... Go check out Debonair Dogo's yourself. I visited in person (as I live in San Diego) and went back a couple times before buying my dog. (I was unsure at the time I was ready for a dog but I am so glad I decided differently!) Every time I visited Carla and her family were nothing but amazing. They answered every question we had no matter how long it took or how annoying it was.. and she even held our little pup longer for us while we decided if buying it was the right option. SO glad I bought this dog and SO excited to buy another!

LOCAVORE,

I sincerely beleive you are not lying about knowing Carla for that long, and to be honest I have only known her for a few years but know others like yourself who have known her for quite some time. I like the way you rebuttal my wonderful experience by not being rude or irrational. Thank you.

My experience with Carla has been great. Let me tell you what has occured since my last post. I had a Dogo puppy imported from Argentina from DE BOAGLIO.. they have Great HEADS that fit the standard and dogs that show promise in the field. My puppy died after a single month of receiving it. Casue: DISTEMPER.. not only did he die but he took out my cousins 6 month old Dobermann (also from Argentina btw)... Both dogs were vaccinated.. both well treated.. just terrible luck. The Vet told me that vaccinations within the first year are NOT 100%.. they are only first protection. So that is that. I quaranteened Malena from my Boaglio Dogo in fears that she too might succumb. Was the dog already infected?... maybe... will I get my time money effort back.. Never. Is Boaglio a bad breeder? no, i don't think so. I was considering a TALAMOCHITA line DOGO but after my sad experience. I need more time.

Let me tell you about one of the greatest contributors to the dogo Line LUCHO from El Tumi... he is responsible for introducing GREAT DANE into the blood line. He has admitted it in the past.. then denied it.. then admitted it ... then denied it... an so on... HALF THE BREEDERS IN ARGENTINA.. despise him for contaminating the HUNTING BLOOD FOR STATURE/SIZE... the other half worship him.

Carla has less than 7 years contributing... that is a SHORT TIME --THAT GOES FOR ALL AMERICAN BREEDERS-- ... compared to some of the Argentines I speak to. I speak Spanish and I travel EVERYWHERE. My wife is from Europe. All American Dogo Breeders are SMALL TIME.

I understand where you are going with the SHOW vs. TEMPERAMENT/FUNCTION of breeding and you are TOTALLY RIGHT! To preserve the FUNCTION IS EVERYTHING. In Southern California (no to mention San Diego) there is very little hunting.. LOL... but in Texas and elsewhere considerable.

About Malena: Her mother has been proven and tested.. She is imported from the Nores de La Cocha Kennel ..if you can call it a kennel it is a HUGE MANSION on a RANCH! Malena is the most docile dog with cats, birds, other dogs (although she has defended herself against Boxers/Dalmatians/Poodles/Dobermanns to the point where JUST HER GROWL AND DOMINANCE MAKES THE AGRESSOR DOG PEE ON THE SPOT AND SQUEAL! If she smells a COW/BULL/PIG/SQUIRREL she loses all rationality...her veins pop out... her attention bacomes incredibly focused and she starts tracking--her instinct is so strong that her obedience tends to want to go out the window so to speak. I can't take her to the public park downtown anymore because she has taken out so many squirrels its not even funny. DOGOS can SENSE.. between a domesticated animal and a WILD one (with the exception of the cow/bull/pig)... That I have learned from Malena. Yes she a huntress!..

Would I take her out and put her in harms way?...

HMMMmmm... ALONE and WITHOUT a kevlar vest?.. NOPE. With a pack of 4-6 other Dogos... all wearing kevlar vests?... YES!... I much prefer to use a bullet vs. a dog to hunt if you know what I mean, But with a Pack of Dogos... BRING IT ON!

So far there have been three purchasers who are totally happy with Debonair Dogo's work. They have emailed me and thanked me for posting honest--non inflammatory remarks. Can one day someone buy a puppy from her kennel and the puppy DIE in a month from Distemper---yes it is possible. Does Carla have a health Guarantee.. YES... Did I have a health guarantee from the puppy I imported from reputable and respectable Argentine breeder?.. NOPE -- Out of luck. NOT EVEN BAER TESTING IS DONE IN MOST ARGENTINE KENNELS! Believe me I was more upset about losing my male puppy than the money. I would have paid three times the amount to have him alive today.

My healthy and friendly boy eating lunch at 6 months old and 80lbs.

I saw these comments on Debonair Dogos after speaking with Carla for a week about a male dogo puppy. I felt very scared at first, but then thought about the conversations I have had with her, and the months I had spent looking into breeders and at puppies. I am originally from Argentina and did not want to put a puppy through the trip from Argentina to the states if I could find the perfect one here. I am extremely picky and wouldn't even settle for the pick of the litter out of most litters. I decided to trust my instincts and purchased a show quality male puppy from her. He is 6 months old now and is the most beautiful, healthy, friendly and gentle dog people who meet him have ever seen.

I owe my having him in large part to Carlos for posting his positive experience with Debonair Dogos and giving me the confidence to go with my gut and ignore the negative comments.
I do not ever get angry with my dog and he eats top of the line food so he is gentle and healthy.

Bad owners + bad food = aggressive and sick dogs. Dogos are VERY sensitive and will respond in kind to how they are raised. If you think it's OK to hit your dog (or child) or yell at them when your mad, then you will end up with an unstable (fearful and aggressive) dog (or child).

Couldn't be happier with my dogo.

By the way... if you wanted hard DLM/El Tumi blood... why didn't you go straight to the Dr. himself? You'd have paid half the price and gotten ten times the dog. I suspect the reason is because you didn't really want a dogo, you wanted a "gorgeous" white dog to lay around your back yard and parade through show rings and breed to other pretty white dogs that haven't done anything to prove themselves either.
Like I said in my first post, you believe you've had a wonderful experience with her, and I won't disparage that. All I'm saying to other folks is to be aware that quite a few other people have had less fortunate experiences. I knew her when she imported her first dogs and I knew her the first time Diego curred out on a hog. I am sad she's doing what she's doing to the breed in this country, but you're a prime example of the future of the breed in Carla's hands. I don't intend to argue with you any further. Enjoy your "gorgeous" girl. I hope you reconsider your decision to breed your dog.

Believe what you will about me, I'm no breeder or show competitor. I'm just a pet dogo owner who's been around the community for about ten years, and seen a lot of dogs go through molosser rescues in California. The fact that you think she's only been around for about six years tells me you don't know a whole lot about her early history. I remember when she was putting up flyers at pet stores and advertising "rare white mastiffs" in the paper. That was at least seven or eight years ago. You can see right now on her website that she still lies about the hunting accomplishments of her dogs. I once met a gentleman in Southern California at a Schutzhund event with a slightly goofy-looking what I thought was a boxer/AB cross. I started talking to the guy and turns out he'd bought the dog for close to $4k from Carla as show/breeding potential and though he loved his dog was quite disappointed with how he turned out. Carla refused to acknowledge him and eventually stopped returning his calls or acknowledging that they had done business. Mange is an immune system issue--if your dogs are producing mangy pups then you are either doing something seriously wrong in terms of fundamental husbandry or your dogs have week immune systems. This doesn't seem to be a concern for Carla. Diego is quite the champ, for sure, but I don't put a lot of stock in show titles. You can put a title on a potbellied pig if you have enough money and persistence. What I care about is working function and a dogo that not only talks the talk but walks the walk. Your Malena might be a very nice dog, but have you tested her on hogs? Taken her hunting? How do you know she has the drive and heart that makes a dogo? If you don't have a good answer to that question, it'll be people like you that cause the destruction of the breed on this continent. If you honestly believe that Diego is the best male dogo walking in the country today, then you haven't done a tenth the research you think you have. I agree that there are only a small number of good breeders in this country. I might even number them fewer than you do, but I think our standards and our goals in what we want in a dogo argentino are probably quite different. For example, did you chose the Blanche dogs because of a show title in their pedigree? What I care about is the preservation of the dogo argentino. Carla has done some "HARD work" indeed, but it's not for the good of the breed so much as her pocketbook. Novices and backyard breeders like you patting her on the back and not knowing any better are why she's as successful as she is.

Hey Guys,

Here is a picture of my gorgeous Malena De Debonair...

She is my "ill-tempered", "mangue infested", "unethically and greedly bred", "Fake Dogo"... LOL!

I am considering breeding her with Elmer Bravoure Blanche or Juani Bravoure Blanche---son and grandson of the Number #1 Dogo in Argentine History...

Thank you Debonair Dogos for your HARD work!

-c

P.S. If you are another breeder, let me just state that Debonair Dogos have THE BEST SIRE "DIEGO" in the entire country... HANDS DOWN.

Whether you like the breeder or not is not my problem.

I have either met or spoken to most of the breeders in the country...and I must state that there are about four excellent breeders in the ENTIRE USA... you might actually be one of them...

It's sad to see this lack of friendliness and comaderie in the USA. It seems our dogos are friendlier than their masters.

I am convinced you have either:

1. Seriously Confused Debonair Dogos with another breeder...

------OR-------

2. YOU AREA another Breeder and are resorting to defamation and libel in order to compete.

Carla has only been breeding for about 6 years.. how would you know if she was "showing and breeding ethically---at one time"?

All of her dogs awards are documented. It's no make believe!

The only thing that makes me think you are not a breeder is the statement about "realizingthe income potential"... and "ill-tempered" comment...

Don't look like dogos?.. HOW FUNNY IS THAT! GIMME A BREAK!

and what's with the Mange?.. for crying out loud... the people in mexico who can't afford to even walk into a vet take care of their pets mange with OLD USED CAR OIL...treated on the area, the mites die within DAYS!.. a friend of mine in San Francisco who didn't want to use anti-parasitic/ivermectin used NEEM OIL.. problem gone in a week!

We are talking about a large 100+ animal the size of a small pony.. LARGE GAME HUNTING DOG... not a pet hamster.. it will cost at least $80 a month in Food and such.

Despite Carlos' good experience with Debonair, I would warn you to approach a buying experience with her with extreme caution. She lies about the accomplishments of her dogs, will sell them to anyone who walks in with the $$$, and charges a ridiculous sum to these inexperienced buyers--far more than even the most reputable of world-class breeders. She pumps out puppies like there's no tomorrow and I have seen several of her dogs come through rescue groups in other parts of the state when their inexperienced owners found out what life with a Dogo is like. Her puppies often have mange and sometimes don't even look much like dogos.
At one time Carla was showing and acting ethically, but not anymore. Not since she realized the income potential by breeding and selling in volume. She is bad news for the breed and is spreading ill-tempered, and mangy dogs to inexperienced owners while laughing all the way to the bank.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090321014952AADhdeK

I bought my dog Malena DeDebonair (Diego De las Aguas Mansas x Zoe-Diana de la Cocha) from them (Carla) over year ago when she was 11 weeks old. I flew with my 5 year old son to meet with her in a nice San Diego neighborhood. I met with her husband and children for the entire evening.

My interest was to meet the breeders, my puppy, and her parents. I got a splendid tour of the kennel and got a chance to look at the pedigree albums, health records, siblings, etc. She answered all my questions. I met my puppy at her next door neighbors' yard since she was in a wheelchair and had been basic training Malena for two weeks. The climax of the evening was meeting Diego and Zoe (diana de la cocha). At that time I had a baby on the way and I wanted to make sure the sire/dam's temperament was cool. I had heard HORROR stories of some dogos /dogo crosses ripping arms of children etc... bad bloodlines.

All in all I was pretty excited and happy with dealing with them. I love Malena. Occasionally I still email, or call and speak with Carla just to share stories or ask questions. I must mention I live in Mexico. In Mexico there is only ONE DOGO Breeder and it is actually a rep from Argentina's Bravoure Blanche. Mr. Garcia knows Carla well, and even recommended her. I am planning to breed Malena to one of his stud dogs to keep the bloodlines clean and true.

Malena contracted Amoebas four months after having her. She loves to drink from fountains in the central park of our city in Aguascalientes. We treated her with meds for two weeks which took care of the problem and we have limited her freedom when heading to parks with fountains.

She also has had Otitis TWICE in one year which is very common in Central Mexico. Funny thing is that other common diseases that occur in the USA like heartworm etc. Are extremely RARE here. The vet hasn't since a case here since the 70's!
Every Region has its native/inherent diseases.

Now that you mention mange, Malena had a rash when I got her, exactly on both HER FRONT ELBOWS, the vet said that it came from laying down on a particular kind of grass as a newborn/puppy--a kind of allergy. I went away within 4 weeks of being in my home.

If your problem is really mange, it should be treated fairly quickly and easily, it does not take thousands of dollars. Try changing the diet. I only buy Malena Organic Premium dog food. No WHEAT! NO CORN! those are fillers. Make sure that they are not listed in the TOP three ingredients (or anywhere for that matter).

Carla is a serious breeder with really good bloodlines (Medanos/El Tumi/De La cocha). There seems to be this strange ANTI-camaraderie among U.S. breeders. I would recommend her to anyone who is seriously interested AND CAPABLE of owning such a wonderful breed!

Her price was about twice that of the Bravoure Blanche Argentinan rep here in Mexico, but after doing some research I understood why. Owning a large and powerful breed was a serious commitment--serious enough for me to fly in to see the breeder. That is just the kind of person I am. My dog is part of my family. Period. Price was not an issue even though we all know there are $5, 000 dollar Rolex watches and there are also $35, 000 dollar Rolex watches.

Carla would probably disagree with my following statement since she will ship puppies, but I recommend you meet the breeder, hang out like I did, ask questions, look at the puppies parents, play around with them, examine them. etc etc etc.

There are plenty of DOGOS available for UNDER 1, 000 dollars from breeders in the USA -no papers.. no BAER testing etc... There are some for $2, 000 dollars with good health and papers... no hunting instinct, no proven temperament etc...
There are some for $3, 500 dollars with great health, papers, Alfa-pup, temperament, show quality, etc... just be careful I have seen Old English bulldogs crosses sold as DOGOS, Albino Boxers sold as Dogos, DEAF or partially deaf Dogos, Antebellum bulldogs/American bulldogs sold as dogos. Unscrupulous breeders have mixed in Pit-fitting lines with the dogo in hopes of improving it's "look".

90% of the people would not be able to distinguish these from the real Dogo Argentino:
Take a look at this designer American breed to see what I am talking about:

http://www.antebellumbulldogs.com/Breed+Description.aspx

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at my email address: aguila_carlos@hotmail.com

Would love to share notes!

-Carlos

Responding to Amy's post. Sorry don't know anything abot GENIUS Dogos but do NOT by a Dogo from Debonair Dogos! My brother got his dogo from Debonair Dogo Argentinos the Dogo breeder in San Diego, California. My brother's Dogo has had mange since it was 12 weeks old that won't go away. My brother has been trying to treat his Dogo for mange. He has spent thousands of dollars on his Dogo's vet bills. His Dogo is also way to aggressive. It is Dog aggressive & people aggressive. Not the temperament that the breed was meant to have. The biggest reason you should never breed to Debonair dogos is because they are a big PUPPY MILL! I love the Dogo Argentino breed! I have been looking for the right Dogo for about 2 years & have followed Debonair Dogos site. Carla always has Dogo puppies for sale & often many litters at one time. I have contacted her about 3 times in the past and Carla told me she had at least two litters on the ground with more coming every time. I just don't think it is a coincidence that my brother's dogo is so crappy. Especially after joining the DACA message boards. You wouldn't believe all the things I learned that she lies about. At least 4 people have emailed me telling me they had the same problems with their Dogo from Debonair as my brother has. If you really want a good Dogo join the DACA and ask the reputable Dogo Argentino breeders in the Club what breeders are safe to buy from. Every time they will tell you not by a puppy from Debonair Dogos / Carla Ghilardi. I learned so much from them about the dogo breed.
You want to find a Dogo breeder that rarely has dogo argentino puppies for sale because they breed for quality not just to make money like Debonair does. I actually found a wonderful Dogo Argentino breeder in NY who rarely has dogo puppies for sale. I know I will have to wait about 6 months to buy a Dogo puppy from my breeder but I will fill good knowing my Dogo puppy came from a good dogo breeder and not a puppy mill breeder like Debonair.
I may start a new post about this to warn people because another person this week told me the dogo they got from Debonair dogos has BAD MANGE. It just makes me SICK that Carla runs a big puppy mill with such a wonderful breed & gets away with it.

Hello
I'm Steve Parker, I showed my Dogo' Krypto against Julies Dogo's at TOP TEN, thats right DOGO'S; what she does is she walks up to the ring with four or five Dogo's and starts asking people if they would handle one of her Dogo's' then she will keep asking until she has enough people to show all her Dogo's. Julies Dogo's beat my Dogo but, the Judge didn't know anything about Dogos and if he did why did he have to keep looking at the standards to determine which dog won. If there are five dogs in one ring and one person owns four of them and they pretty much look a like there's a good chance the judge goes by what hes seeing at that time.I showed Krypto at Top Ten three years in a row and I will show again at Top Ten; last year Krypto won best of breed and best in group at Top Ten and the Judge really knew about the Dogo Argentino because he has judged them in Argentina' before I left the ring he pulled me aside and asked me if I had any questions to ask him and I did, then he told me that Krypto was one of the best Dogo's he has ever seen or Judged.

If anyone wants to build up BIG points for their dog, take four or five of your own dogs and show them against each other and I guarantee you will win every time. I also learned that it doesn't matter if the dogs have allergies and are flea bitten and there skin is bright pink from a lot hair loss they can still win there breed at Top Ten, just like the Julies did. When I walked out of the ring at Top Ten people were coming up to me and saying they couldn't believe that we lost to Julies dogs.

I've owned Dog's for over eighteen years and I do know a little bit about the breed.
Thank you and I we will see you at TOP TEN.
Steve Parker