Dogo, dogue, and doggerefer to a sub-type of dog, which represents a medium-sized intermediate between mastiffs and bulldogs. They were originally developed as catch dogs for large game in the Middle Ages. They were also used for baiting, and cattle work. Typically, dogo-type dogs have a much lighter structure than mastiff-type dogs, and most of them have a longer muzzle, with the exception of the Dogue de Bordeaux.
Etymology
The term dogo is Spanish, derived from the Old English word docga. Docga/dogo originally referred to hounds used to track and hold large game, and to guard estates. The meaning of the word has expanded over time to include dogs who also do other kinds of related work. This expansion of meaning has caused some conflation between the term dogo and the terms presa and fila as applied to dogs. The Spanish dogos are sometimes known as presas; for instance, the breed known in English by one of its Spanish namesPerro de Presa Canario is also called in Spanish presa canario, and the dogo mallorquín is alternatively known by Spaniards as presa mallorquín. The extinct perro de presa español was closely related to them and might have been one of their ancestors. However, the Latin American dogos standardized breeds – Argentine Dogo or dogo argentino, Brazilian Dogo or dogue brasileiro, and Guatemalan Dogo or dogo guatemalteco – are not called presas because they have traditionally been used only as hunting and guard dogs, the original meaning of the term dogo. Presas and filas were often used as fighting, cattle, or butcher's dogs in addition to hunting and guarding. In French and Portuguese, dogos are called dogues, and in German Dogges. Therefore, in Spanish, the Dogue de Bordeaux is known as dogo de Burdeos, and the Great Dane as dogo alemán. In addition, the Portuguese word fila is basically an equivalent for the word presa; a Portuguese dictionary published in 1813 explains the term cão fila as being "a dog that catches prey without releasing it", referring to the same kind of catch-dog role as the Spanish dogos. In Spanish, French, and German, tipo dogo, type dogue or doggenartige Hunde also refer to the whole mastiff-type dog subgroup of the FCI. However, more massive and heavier mastiff breeds belonging to the same FCI subgroup are still usually called mastín, mâtin and Mastiff.
Breeds
Actual dogos
The following breeds are counted as dogos or presas :
The following breeds are known as dogos in Spanish, and equivalent terms in French and German, but do not fulfill typical characteristics of the dogo type:
Great Dane – differs from the typical dogos by its larger size
Tibetan Mastiff – differs from the typical dogos by many factors, such as the size, proportions; and coat
The following breeds are similar to some dogo breeds, but have different origins and are usually considered to be molosser-type terriers.
