Dogo Cubano also known as Cuban Mastiff, Cuban Dogo and Cuban Dogge is an extinct dog breed from Cuba. It was of Bull Mastiff dog type. This breed of dog was used for dog fighting. The breed was introduced in Cuba to capture runaway slaves (cimarrones). After the abolitionism it no longer paid to keep the dogs, and the breed ceased to exist with time.
History
The Cuban Mastiff developed from several breeds of bulldogs, mastiffs and cattle dogs becoming an ideal fighter and property guardian. It is possible that some specimens of this breed were brought to America where they were employed as watchdogs. They were also used as slave retrievers in the southern states.The breed is considered extinct since the end of the 19th century, but there have been reports which state that although no pure Dogo Cubanos remain, the dogs used in today’s fighting pits in Cuba are descendants of the crossbreed between Pit bull, Cordoba Bulldogs and Dogo Argentinos and the few pure Dogo Cubanos that were remaining by the beginning of the 20th century. The modern descendant of this rare dog breed is much larger and stronger than the original and resembles the American Pit Bull Terrier.
