Criadero La Cocha - Criadero de Dogo Argentino de la Familia del Dr. Antonio Nores Martínez
Why functionality?
In the previous paragraphs we summarized this question. In 2004 we had the possibility to read a book from a great Austrian author, who got a Nobel Prize, in where he describes breeders, revealing 100% of our thought.
It is for that reason that those who are only interested in a dog for a show, without caring about their ancestors' work and the thousands of hours dedicated to the function, please don't try to connect us.
We have been able to see how "brilliant minds" analyze their future crossbreeding, with the pedigree at hand, looking at their ancestors, their prizes, etc. That is a lie, an 80% of the pedigrees don't agree with the reality, at least in distant generations.
Although this is real in a dog breed in where the institutions never worried about investigating the crossbreeding and the registrations, we still believe on many serious breeders who work like we do.
In this way we have decided to have in our web site the history of our dogs and their ancestors with their respective pedigrees.
Many people ask why don't we use different types of breeds and we always insist that if the dog has not been proven in its function, we discard it and it is left to be used by those that are marked by fashion.
That's why that they won't see many of our dogs as champions in the rankings of FCA for 2 reasons:
- We don't have enough time to be devoted to them since this time is dedicated 100% to the function.
- If we were devoted to that and happens that a judge takes a dog out of the hint for his scars or his temperament, it would be a lack of respect towards the breed.
We're trying to change this situation with our dogs and with a group of lovers of dogos who want to preserve it all over the world.
Accusation to the breeders
Among the circus dogs capable of complicated tricks that require a great learning capacity, only in a few cases they are hunting dogs although it is not true that a bastard can cost less. Great amounts of money are paid for the talented circus dogs thanks to their particular psychic qualities that are decisive for the artist dog. Apart from a high level of intelligence and learning capacity, they have less distress and a better aptitude to carry the tensions and to achieve superior benefits. This is a great description of the dog spirit "cane e padrone" from Thomas Mann regarding a bastard, a henhouse dog.
Of all my dogs, only one was of a pure breed, a true exhibition model, a shepherd dog named "Bindo". It was a noble dog without fear but its smell sense and functionality were not like my shepherd ´s "Tito" who was a dog of the grasslands and she didn't have a pedigree. My French bulldog had a genealogical tree but it was a discarding product: too fat, long legs and a large head. However I am convinced that no winning champion of that breed had been able to have the quality of spirit of my "Bully". It is really undeniable that a cured selection of physical characteristics is not consistent with a selection of psychic characteristics. The models that respond to all the demands in both fields are really strange so as to guarantee on them the continuation of a dog breed.
As I don't know a single scientist that is truly genius and also a handsome man or a woman with an ideal beauty and a great intelligence, I don't know any champion of a dog breed that wants to look like my dog.
But these two ideals are not necessarily excluded.
Although it is unlikely to find these ideals in an only fellow, it is not clear why a beautiful dog of a breed cannot be endowed with great psychic qualities. Without any doubt if a breeder carries out a severe selection of both points of view (function and beauty) maybe in a long term he will achieve some balance. In this way the aesthetics of the animal and their functions differed, and two different breeds were created.
Some time ago when the dog was still a useful animal and fashion didn't have the importance that it has today, there was no risk in the election of upbringing animals with respect to psychic qualities.
On the other hand in a selection whose approach is usefulness, it can always appear psychic defects. One should not confuse character with aggressiveness, but on the contrary, the dog that is brave is the most balanced one.
For example a great expert of dogs affirms that the fidelity of certain animals is important. Certainly some breeds are selected based on their smell sense, but it is possible that there is a lack of fidelity towards the owner. A good dog should be able to work with anyone as well as with his own master.
We should not let fashion tell dogs who should be their masters.
© 2006 Criadero La Cocha - Criadero de Dogo Argentino de la Familia del Dr. Antonio Nores Martínez