In wider sense, while larger gozoku (local ruling families) had a large power to reign some counties in his assigned region whether he stayed in the center or the local, dogo was a retainer or hikan (low-level bureaucrat) of jito, who were usually smaller gozoku and reigned some villages which were under control of or independent from the larger gozoku, or kokujin ryoshu (local samurai lord) of the jito's linage, and even included zaichi-ryoshu (local lord) which was to be the main stream of jizamurai.
また、広義の場合には、豪族（大豪族）が中央から下ったか在地かはともかく、その地域で、数郡を支配する大勢力を有したのに対し、一般にその傘下にあるか、あるいは独立した在地の数村を支配する小規模の豪族である、地頭やその系譜をひく国人領主の家臣或いは被官たる者で地侍の主筋になる在地領主をも含む概念。