Dogo Guatemalteco

		Dogo Guatemalteco
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Guatemala
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
Working			With work test
This breed is also known as			Guatemalan Bullterrier Guatemalan Bulldog

Usage

With its well-balanced, stable and confident temperament, Guatemala is never a coward. Ideal for guardianship, defense and protection.

Brief historical summary

This is a breed that developed naturally. It already existed in the late 19th and/or early 20th century, and there are photographs of the dog appearing in Guatemalan arenas from this period. The formation of this breed mainly involved the large breeds Boxer, Dalmatian and English Bullterrier, and this criterion was passed down from generation to generation of breeders of that era. The English Bullterrier played a very important role in the formation of this breed, which is why it was called the Guatemalan Bullterrier for most of the 20th century. There are also photographs of the dog from 1933 on the Las Trochas farm in present-day Zone 14 of Guatemala City. Two families were reputed to be the oldest Bull Terrier breeders in Guatemala. One was the Gerardi family in 1910 and the other the Gallusser family in 1930. These dogs were already being distributed in various parts of the Republic (Escuintla, Suchitepeques and Guatemala City). At the end of the 20th century, taking into account the breed's phenotypic characteristics, Acangua (Guatemalan Canofila Association) authorized the name change to Guatemalan Dogo. The Dogo Guatemalteco is currently found in several countries around the world.

General appearance

The Guatemalan Bulldog is a medium-sized, lanky dog with a short, wiry coat that is overall healthy and strong, sturdy, powerful, agile, resistant and with excellent musculature throughout the body.

Important proportions

Body length : Height at withers : Its structure is longlinear, which means that the dog is longer than it is tall. If we draw a horizontal line from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock, this distance may exceed a maximum of ten percent of the dog's height, taken by drawing a vertical line from the ground to the withers.
Chest depth : Height at withers : Chest depth corresponds to half the height at the withers, 1: 2 and reaches the elbows.
Skull to face ratio: 2:1.

Behaviour / temperament

A well-balanced dog in terms of courage, stoutness and strength, this calm, obedient and affectionate breed is characterized by affection and loyalty to its family. With strangers, it is wary and its gaze instills respect; it becomes gentle when it sees that the stranger is a friend of the family, otherwise it is always alert and protective.

Head
Cranial region
Head		The head is one of the most important areas of the breed, as its conformation, proportions and color make the difference with other similar breeds. With its zoometric measurements, ethnologically corresponding to the "brachycephalic" group, it has a strong, broad, voluminous appearance, well proportioned to the rest of the body. Its beauty depends on the harmonious proportions of its skull and muzzle. Its shape is rectangular, with the width of the skull and muzzle (base) predominating over their length. There are two to four wrinkles on the skull and two on each side of the corners of the mouth, becoming more visible when the dog is alert. The hair on the head is short, preferably with patches of different colors and sizes, but can be totally white.
Skull		Should be wider than it is long, allowing for square skulls. Strong, broad, solid, convex and cuboid in shape. The skull is domed, and may have a medium-depth groove extending to the parietal bone.
Stop		Well defined and concavilinear.

Facial region
Nose		Broad with large, spacious nostrils, with black pigmentation, with a maximum depigmentation of 20%.
Muzzle		Strong, well developed, square in appearance, with a straight nasal bridge and a length of between six and eight centimeters, its height at the base being greater than its length. You should always have the right proportions with the skull. The chin is pronounced, but in its front part should not exceed the upper lip.
Lips		Thick and strong, the upper lips hang slightly sideways; in the front part of the muzzle, the lips are glued to the gum and the edge of the upper lip rests on the edge of the lower lip.
Jaws and teeth		Powerful, well-developed, medium-sized jaws. Ideal scissor bite, but prognathism is permitted. Incisors well aligned; canines separate, developed and strong; premolars less developed and perhaps missing one; molars strong and developed.
Cheeks		Well developed, reaching to the muzzle.
Eyes		Medium-sized, alert and well separated; brown, black or hazel, with almond-shaped eyelids with partially black or light rims.
Ears		Medium-sized, long-inset, medium length, with flanges hanging from the sides of the skull, permitted with surgical cut.

Neck

Strong, muscular, moderately long and arched, without dewlap, thick, elastic skin.

Body
Body		This is a long dog, the length of the trunk being greater than 10% of the height of the dog.
Withers		Strong and muscular.
Back		Strong and muscular, broad, forming a dorsal line that slopes gently toward the tail.
Loin		Strong, broad and muscular, should not be very long.
Croup		Strong and muscular, sloping back, square or slightly wider than long.
Chest		Viewed from the front, large, broad, deep and muscular. The chest is deep, reaching to the point of the elbows, and the height from sternum to withers is fifty percent of the dog's height.
Ribs		The ribs are well arched and strong, extending backwards, giving us a broad chest.
Underline and belly		From the tip of the sternum to the pelvis, the line of the abdomen is slightly rounded.

Tail

The tail insertion is high, not exceeding the dorsal line, and of medium length, reaching up to the hock. It can be surgically amputated.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Viewed from the front, they should be parallel, straight, strong, well angulated, plumb and with good bone and muscle structure.
Shoulders		Well attached to the body, with strong, well-developed muscles. They are well defined and firmly supported by the thorax.
Upper arm		Broad, thick and well attached to the body, with well-developed muscles.
Elbows		Well attached to the body, but not twisted outward.
Forearm		Strong, straight, vertical, seen from the front and parallel, with good bone structure.
Carpal		Relatively short, small and strong.
Pastern		Short, strong and slightly sloping.
Forefeet		Strong, toes together, with strong, coarse plantar pads. Nails short, curved, strong, dark or light.

Hindquarters
Generality		Seen from the rear, the hip joint forming a straight line pointing to the ground, they are parallel to each other, with strong bones and developed muscles, good angulation and plumb.
Upper thigh		Their direction is parallel to the middle plane, with strong, well-developed muscles.
Lower thigh		Formed by strong bones and well-developed muscles, they are parallel to the middle plane of the body.
Stifle		The joint is strong, formed by the thigh, leg and patella, with an approximate angle of 120°.
Metatarsus		Vertical, strong and well weighted, the tarsus is short and perpendicular to the ground.
Hock		Strong with a wide anterior angle, they are straight, parallel and plumb.
Hind feet		Strong, toes together, with strong, rough plantar pads. Nails short, curved, strong, dark or light.

Gait and movement

Harmonious, agile and well balanced. At the trot, there is no lateral break in the back. A hard, well-coordinated canter.

Skin

Dark or brown patches or moles of varying size, distributed over the entire body or in partial areas.

Coat
Hair		Short, hard, glossy and close.
Colour		Hair should be white; on the head, it is preferable to have patches of different colors and sizes, but can be totally white.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Males 54 to 60 cm, females 52 to 58 cm.
Weight		Males 40 to 45 kg, females 35 to 40 kg.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

General faults

Lack of sexual characteristics.

Little substance.

Weak bones.

Lack of strength.

Weakness or poor balance.

Loss of control over their behavior.

Aggressiveness or lack of temperament and cowardice.

Head small, weak, narrow and in its regions (skull and muzzle (base), longitudinal (long) diameters predominate over transverse (wide) diameters; absence of medium groove in skull.

Weak jaws, misaligned teeth.

Blue or anisochromic eyes.

Nose over twenty percent depigmented.

Ears not amputated: erect, semi-erect or pink with too low set.

Short, thin, narrow neck with double chin.

Lack of substance, weak muscles, ill-proportioned.

Lumbar rear line buried or expired.

Narrow croup.

Narrow, shallow chest.

Suspended belly.

Tail with broken or low insertion.

Weak musculature of limbs, incorrect angulations, poor balance.

Loose shoulders and elbows.

Open feet and twisted toes.

Long hair, soft, dull, wavy, allopathic areas.

Lack of coordination, clumsiness, insufficient range of motion.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or timid dog.

Blue or anisochromic eyes.

Long coat with patches of color on the body other than white.

Long skull in relation to its width.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 31 January 2024; Hits: 1003

Dogo Guatemalteco