Dogue Brasileiro Dog Breed - Facts and Information - Brazilian Dogo

Appearance
On the first sight, the Dogue Brasileiro looks like a Bull Terrier mix and it is no coincidence, because this breed was developed in the 20th century by crossing the Bull Terrier with the Boxer. And you can definitely see appearance traits of both breeds in the Dogue Brasileiro.
It is a very muscular dog with strong body and shorter legs. They are relatively massive, but they should never be too heavy or stocky. The breed has big head and jaws, medium sized floppy ears and deep snout.
The average height of Dogue Brasileiro is between 50-60 cm, which is 20-24 inch and weight is usually between 30-40 kg, which is 66-88 lbs. Females are naturally slightly smaller than males.
The coat of this breed is shiny, pretty dense and harsh. There are two coat types, short type and medium type, but the coat should never be too long. This breed can be found in almost any color or color combination, the most common are white, brown, tan, red, and black, or a combination of these colors.
Temperament
The main utilization of the Dogue Brasileiro is guarding and protection, which is why they just must have strong guarding instinct, fearless, alert and watchful temperament. They should never be agressive without a reason, but when they or their family is threatened, they should be vigorous and defend them. These dogs are typically not trustful towards complete strangers and it can take a while before they accept a stranger as a friend.
On the other hand, when these dogs are with its family, they are absolutely friendly, affectionate and gentle. The Dogue Brasileiro is known for its great devotion and loyalty to its owners. They are typically good gentle partners for kids, but of course, you should never leave any dog breed, with a very young child unsupervised. These dogs are intelligent and they get new commands fairly easily, but of course, they need experienced owner who will train them patiently and consistently.
The Dogue Brasileiro is quite active dog, who will need daily outdoor walks, hikes, fun training sessions or proper playtime to stay healthy and happy. Without enough exercise, they might develop some unwanted behaviour such as destruction.
History
This is still a new dog breed, developed at the end of 20th century by Pedro Pessoa Ribeiro Dantas, who was a Bull Terrier breeder and his neighbour who owned a Boxer. One of the offrspring of this mating was named Tigresa, who turned out to be very affectionate, obedient, strong and functional dog with excellent protection instincts. Which is why Pedro started breeding program and he developed a new breed from Bull Terriers and Boxers.
The Dogue Brasileiro club was found in 1986 and the breed was finally accepted by Brazilian kennel club in 1999.
Health and grooming
The Dogue Brasileiro is usually a pretty healthy dog breed that has no significant health issues and with average lifespan around 13 years. Of course, just like any other breed in the world, they may suffer from some health issues, such as bloating, skin and coat problems after the Bull Terrier and sadly, cancer after the Boxer heritage. But overall, none of these health issues is extremely common in this breed.
The maintenance and grooming is very simple and even without any brushing at all, these dogs will keep their coats in good condition. Of course, regular brushing is only beneficial, as it will remove any loose hair and dirt from the coat. These dogs do shed some deal of fur all year long, but it is nothing terrible. Just like with all breeds, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clip them or clean them if needed.