Mucuchies

Venezuela

Gocho Perro, Perro de los Páramos

56-71 cm

Dogs: 33-50 kg Bitches: 30-37 kg

The Mucuchies is not recognized by the FCI breed from Venezuela, which is considered there as a national symbol.

Origin and History

The exact origin of the Mucuchies is not clear, but the breed can be detected at least since the early 19th century. You probably descended from the dogs of the Spanish conquerors, especially the Mastin Español, the Pyrenean mountain dog and the Mastin del Pirineo. These dog breeds recognized at the time of the conquest of South America a much broader phenotypic variation than it does today, and the Mucuchies originated from crosses among them, and possibly also with indigenous breeds. In the 1920s, the Mucuchies in the Venezuelan Andes was widespread and was often encountered in Caracas. Since then the number of dogs increased, however, continuously. 1961 a breed club was founded, which established a breed standard. In 1964 the recognition of the breed as a national symbol of Venezuela by a presidential decree.

2008, the Venezuelan government established to preserve the breed, the Fundación Nevado. This in turn is named after Nevado, the Simón Bolívar Mucuchies.