Puppy Training a Dogo Argentino with Staffies

A 10-week-old Dogo Argentino in a house with two Staffies — you've got your hands full in the best possible way! The first few months really do set the patterns for life, and with a breed that's going to be as powerful as a Dogo, getting the right tools in place now — before bad habits form — will save you an enormous amount of stress later. Using the Staffies' kit for the puppy, or grabbing whatever's handy, is tempting but it's one of those shortcuts that tends to backfire. How old exactly is the pup, what sex, and what's the main thing you're trying to get on top of right now — is it lead manners, recall, keeping the puppy separate from the Staffies during feeding, or something else?

Completely the right instinct — separate kit is important for hygiene, scent reasons in a multi-dog home, and also just so each dog associates their own gear with their own walks and training time. At 10 weeks a Dogo female is already a solid chunk, and she's going to grow fast. The key thing with a harness at this stage is that you want something adjustable enough to last a few months without needing replacing every fortnight, but also one that doesn't allow her to pull into — you want a front-clip option so that if she does lean into it, she's redirected rather than rewarded. Can I ask roughly how big she is right now — any idea of her chest measurement, or is she roughly the size of a small Labrador, larger?

That gives me a good picture. For her I'd go with the Ruffwear Front Range Harness in a Medium — it's one of the few harnesses that has both a front clip and a back clip, it's genuinely well-padded so it doesn't dig in on a broad-chested breed, and it's adjustable enough that it'll fit her for a reasonable stretch of growing time rather than lasting three weeks. The front clip is the bit that matters most right now: at this age you're teaching her that pulling doesn't get her anywhere, and a front-attachment harness does a lot of that work passively without any discomfort to her. Pair it with a simple 5-foot training lead — nothing retractable at this stage — and you've got a solid setup that's entirely hers, completely separate from the Staffies' kit. The Ruffwear Front Range is available on Amazon UK and tends to arrive quickly. Size Medium should suit her now, and if she's on the bigger side of stocky, check the adjustable chest strap before you remove the tags so you can return if needed.

Yes — and the earlier you start the better with a Dogo. The single most important thing at 10 weeks is that she learns walking on a loose lead is the only kind of walking that happens. Every time you let her pull and still move forward, you're training her that pulling works. With a breed that could hit 40kg or more, that's a habit you really don't want embedded. So from day one on that Front Range harness: if she pulls, you stop. You wait. She releases the tension, you move again. It sounds slow but it's genuinely the fastest way to get a loose-lead walker. Also keep her socialisation walks short and positive right now — 5 minutes per month of age is the rough guide — because Dogos can be prone to joint issues if over-exercised young. The harness helps there too because it distributes any load across her chest and shoulders rather than putting pressure on her neck.

Great choice — and the fact you're thinking about this at 10 weeks puts you well ahead. A Dogo trained with good foundations is an incredible dog. Good luck with her, and with managing the three of them — sounds like a brilliant household.