Cordoba Fighting Dog

The Cordoba Fighting Dog was a type of dog from Córdoba, Argentina, rather than a formal breed. It came from crosses between old mastiff types of unknown pedigree and was bred on purpose for dog fighting. It is now extinct.

History

The dogs were created in Córdoba from Spanish Mastiffs, Bull Terriers and early Bulldogs that had been brought to South America. They were bred for the fighting pit until the early 20th century.

In the 1920s Antonio Nores Martinez and his brother Agustin wanted a dog that could hunt wildcats, boar, foxes and other animals that harmed local farming. Martinez crossed Cordoba Fighting Dogs again and again with established breeds, among them the Boxer, Dogue de Bordeaux, Bulldog, Pointer, Bull Terrier, Irish Wolfhound, Great Pyrenees and Great Dane. The result of that work was a new pedigreed breed, the Dogo Argentino.

In 1954 Argentina passed a law against cruelty to animals that explicitly banned public and private animal fights. The Cordoba dog was already rare by then and had no other use, and it died out.

Appearance

Little was recorded about how the dog looked beyond the common description of it as large and white.

Temperament

The Cordoba Fighting Dog was known for ferocity. It was noted for a high tolerance of pain and a willingness to fight to the death. It was so aggressive that fights could break out even between dogs brought together to mate.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.