The Mucuchies dog breed is from Venezuela. They have a short coat with feathering along their limbs. The coat color is either white or white with splashes of colors such as honey or tan, or shades of black and gray. 

History

The origins of the Mucuchíes are confused. At the end of the 16th century they arrived at the Andean places of Venezuela, these dogs worked watching and protecting the cattle from the predators. It is thought that they were brought to Venezuela by the Spanish forces and their ancestors include the Spanish Mastiff, Mastín of the Pyrenees and the Algerian Mastiff, like also the Sheepdog of the Atlas or Aidi and the Pyrenean. Over the years these dogs were crossed with each other, as well as the local dogs of Venezuela, creating a powerful and very versatile working dog. By 1926 the Mucuchies could be found all through out Venezuela and beyond. There is a well-known painting of Simon Bolivar on a horse with a Mucuchies given to him when he crossed Venezuela. Bad breeding hurt the stock and in 1961 a club formed to ensure that breeding would improve. In 1964 it was named the national dog of Venezuela. However the club has been disbanded so the future for this breed is uncertain. 

Appearance and Size

Mucuchies weigh between 30 and 50 kilograms (66 to 110 pounds), and stand around 55.9cm to 71.1cm (22in. to 28in.) 

Personality

Mucuchies are a very affectionate, intelligent, and active breed. Socialization and training are necessary for they can be aggressive with strangers.

Wikipedia and GNU

The content of this entry is from the Wikipedia article "Mucuchies" licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.