Cimarron Uruguayo
Encyclopedia
The Cimarrón Uruguayo (Uruguayan Cimarron) is a breed
Dog breed
Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
of molosser
Molosser
Molosser is a category of large, solidly-built dog that includes several breeds, probably all descended from the same root stock. The name derives from Molossia, a subregion of ancient Epirus, ancient Greece, where the large shepherd dog was known as the Molossus.The proper noun "Mastiff", however,...
type
Dog type
Dog types are broad categories of dogs based on function, with dogs identified primarily by specific function or style of work rather than by lineage or appearance....
dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
originating in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. The word cimarrón in Latin America is used to mean feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
, referring to the breed's history.
Other names by which it is known in English are Cimarron, Cimarron Creole, Cimarron Dog, Maroon
Maroon (people)
Maroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together...
Dog, Cerro Largo Dog, Uruguayan Gaucho Dog, Perro Cimarron, possibly others. The breed is officially recognised in Uruguay and by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
Fédération Cynologique Internationale is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used.Its goals are described in Article 2 of their regulations:...
with the name Cimarrón Uruguayo.
Appearance
The Cimarrón Uruguayo is large in size, compact and muscular. The coatDog coat
Dog coat can refer to:*rug , jacket or blanket for a dog*coat , dog's fur or hair...
is short and usually brindle
Brindle
Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cats, cattle, guinea pigs, crested geckos and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat...
but may be a pale yellow ("bayo"), with a black face
Melanistic mask
A melanistic mask is a dog coat pattern that gives the appearance of a mask on the dog's face. The hairs on the muzzle, and sometimes entire face or ears, are colored by eumelanin instead of pheomelanin pigment. Eumelanin is typically black, but may instead be brown, dark gray, or light gray-brown...
. Height of males at the withers
Withers
The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of a four-legged animal. In many species it is the tallest point of the body, and in horses and dogs it is the standard place to measure the animal's height .-Horses:The withers in horses are formed by the dorsal spinal processes of roughly the...
is from 58 to 61 cm (23 to 24 in) and weight is from 38 to 45 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
(84 to 99 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
). 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.The Cimarrón Uruguayo is used for guarding, hunting, and all dog sports in its native Uruguay. The ex-president of Uruguay, Tabaré Vázquez
Tabaré Vázquez
Tabaré Ramón Vázquez Rosas is a former President of Uruguay. A physician by training, he is a member of the leftist Frente Amplo coalition . Vázquez was elected president on October 31, 2004, took office on March 1, 2005, and relinquished the office on March 1, 2010...
, owns a Cimarrón dog.
History
The Cimarrón Uruguayo descends from 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 bountiesBounty (reward)
A bounty is a payment or reward often offered by a group as an incentive for the accomplishment of a task by someone usually not associated with the group. Bounties are most commonly issued for the capture or retrieval of a person or object. They are typically in the form of money...
paid by the government for each dog killed. However, many remained, especially in the highlands of Cerro Largo
Cerro Largo Department
Cerro Largo Department is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Melo.-History:During the 19th and early 20th centuries, when intermittent periods of civil war occurred in Uruguay, the department was a stronghold of the Blanco party...
. 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 on February 21, 2006, 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
United Kennel Club
The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...
in the Guardian Dog Group
Guardian Dog Group
Guardian Dog Group is the name of a breed Group of dogs, used by kennel clubs to classify a defined collection of dog breeds.- Guardian dogs :Guardian dogs are dogs bred to defend people and their possessions...
.
Health
The Cimarrón Uruguayo should be tested for hip and elbow dysplasia before breeding.Often the ears are cropped
Docking (animal)
Docking is a term for the intentional removal of part of an animal's tail or ears. The term cropping is also used, though more commonly in reference to the cropping of ears, while docking more commonly—but not exclusively—refers to the tail. The term tailing is also commonly used...
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 severely cropped.