The Cimarrón Uruguayo (Uruguayan Cimarrón) is a

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

of molosser-

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * ...

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

originating in

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

. Other names by which it is known in English are Cimarrón, Cimarrón Creole, Cimarrón Dog, Maroon Dog, Cerro Largo Dog, Uruguayan Gaucho Dog, Perro Cimarrón, possibly others. The breed is officially recognised in Uruguay and by the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The (; FCI; ) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs and purebred registries. The FCI is based in Thuin, Belgium and has 98 members and contract partners (one from each country). History The FCI was founded in 1911 un ...

with the name ''Cimarrón Uruguayo''.

Appearance

The Cimarrón Uruguayo is large in size, compact and muscular. The

coat A coat is typically an outer garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners (AKA velcro), ...

is short and usually

brindle Brindle is a coat (animal), coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cattle, guinea pigs, cats, and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger-striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's co ...

but may be a pale yellow ("bayo"), with a

black face Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...

. Height of males at the

withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

is from and weight is from . Adult females are slightly smaller.

Temperament

The breed standard states that the dog should have great courage. As with all large dogs, the Cimarrón Uruguayo must be well socialized when very young if it is to be safely kept as a companion. It is a very friendly dog with children and other animals. The Cimarrón Uruguayo is sometimes used for guarding, hunting, and all dog sports in its native Uruguay. Being a very smart dog it has been used for all kinds of jobs, such as rescue or herding. It is a rather calm and stable dog and doesn't usually bark unless a threat is real.

History

The Cimarrón Uruguayo mainly descends from the

Alano Español The Alano Español or Spanish Bulldog is a Spanish breed of medium to large sized dog of alaunt or bulldog type. It has at various times been used as a war dog, for bullfighting, for the management of cattle, for hunting and as a guard dog. In ...

and other European dogs brought by early colonizers and released or abandoned. The dogs adapted to living in the wild in Uruguay and in time became numerous. In the eighteenth century, attacks on livestock and even humans resulted in the dogs being hunted, with bounties paid by the government for each dog killed. However, many remained, especially in the highlands of Cerro Largo. Ranchers in the area would capture and tame the dogs, using them as guard dogs. The Cimarrón's survival story and fierceness has made it something of a national symbol in Uruguay and the breed is the mascot of the National Army of Uruguay. The Kennel Club Uruguayo (Uruguayan national kennel club) recognised the Cimarrón Uruguayo after some twenty years of work by fanciers and breeders in documenting the breed. In addition, genetic studies are being done on the breed by the Universidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay college of Veterinary Medicine. The Cimarrón Uruguayo was provisionally recognised by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale on February 21, 2006, and definitively on November 7, 2017, in Group 2, Section 2 Molossoid breeds-Mastiff type. The breed has been exported to the United States, and is recognised there by the

United Kennel Club The United Kennel Club (UKC) is a kennel club founded in 1898 in the United States. In contrast with the American Kennel Club, which is non-profit and which only clubs can join, the United Kennel Club is a profit-making corporation, open to indivi ...

in the

Guardian Dog Group Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

Health

The Cimarrón Uruguayo should be tested for hip and elbow

dysplasia Dysplasia is any of various types of abnormal growth or development of cells (microscopic scale) or organs (macroscopic scale), and the abnormal histology or anatomical structure(s) resulting from such growth. Dysplasias on a mainly microscopic ...

before breeding. Often the ears are cropped short when the dogs are very young. This is alleged to be in homage to the days when they were hunted (the ears were presented for the bounty). Most fighting dog breeds have their ears cropped.Dogged by Dog Fights, by Katherine Watt, Vagabond, English language Bulgarian magazine. "Ear cropping is another fighting-dog feature".
/ref>

References

External links