MyDogBreeds
Mucuchies is originated from Venezuela but Chipoo is originated from United States. Mucuchies may grow 33 cm / 13 inches higher than Chipoo. Mucuchies may weigh 52 kg / 115 pounds more than Chipoo. Mucuchies may live 3 years less than Chipoo. Mucuchies may have more litter size than Chipoo. Both Mucuchies and Chipoo requires Low maintenance.
The Mucuchies are a breed born in the Venezuelan mountains, in the late 1700s. They are rare today but were popular in the mountains for hundreds of years. They are believed to be a cross between the dogs brought by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 14th and 15th centuries and the local dogs. However, by the 1960s this rare breed was close to extinction.
Bred primarily as herders and watchdogs, their ancestry likely included the Algerian Mastiff, the Spanish Mastiff, the Great Pyrenees, and the Atlas Shepherd, otherwise known as the Aidi. The early development of the Mucuchies is attributed to Wilender Ferrari, DVM. At the time, Simon Boliva was fighting for Venezuelan independence in the city of Mucuchies. He adopted a member of the breed and named it for the city. The name stuck as the name for the breed.
Later in this timeframe, the Mucuchies was crossbred with the Pyrenean Mastiffs that friars brought to the Andes from their monasteries. With them, they also brought the sheep for the dogs to herd and guard. During the 1920s the breed spread throughout the country, but by the beginning of the 1960s there was a major decline in the breed. This was partly due to changes in culture and lifestyle in the Andes.
In 1961 a Mucuchies club was formed for the breed preservation and the breed was formally named the National Dog of Venezuela. The club was disbanded in the mid-1960’s and this led the breed to the edge of extinction. By 2008 there was another major push to save the breed. This effort came from the government who wanted to preserve the breed. In 2008, they created the Fundacion Nevado and sent six Mucuchies to the Waraira Repano Cable Car System in the El Avila National Park so that the dogs would be in a climatic environment as similar to the Andes mountain as possible. This was successful and the program was increased by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
As the breed continued to develop the shepherding instincts were lost and the guarding aspects were strengthened. This left today’s Mucuchies as a breed of gentle, active dogs with strong characters and a loving disposition. They are gentle with their families but protective and aggressive with strangers. They are the only native breed of Venezuela and currently, there are programs in the mountains to re-establish and strengthen them.
In addition to their name for the town of Mucuchie, the breed is also called the Paramo’s Dog or the Snowy. These programs exist because in Venezuela they are near extinction once again. This is the result of inbreeding and more cross-breeding, this time with larger dogs like St. Bernards. Thus, the continued efforts by the Nevado Foundation with the assistance of the government to restore the original Mucuchies breed to Venezuela.
The Chipoo is not a purebred dog but rather a cross between the Toy Poodle and the Chihuahua. In the 1970’s the two breeds were crossed and the Chipoo was born. Chihuahuas have their origin in Mexico while the poodle is believed to come from Germany. This hybrid dog, because he comes form two purebred dogs is considered to be a designer dog. The Chipoo is not of course a purebred dog and is not recognized by the American kennel Club (AKC), but it is recognized by the designer groups and hybrid groups. These organizations include the International Designer Canine Registry, the American Canine Hybrid Club, the Designer Breed Registry, and the Designer Dogs Kennel Club.
The appearance of the Mucuchies is that of a breed of large dogs who stand two feet at the shoulder and can weight one hundred pounds. They have a deep chest, heads that are wedge-shaped and skulls shaped like domes. Their muzzles are straight, and their nostrils are large on their black nose. The Mucuchies have dark eye and eyelids along with ears that are triangular in shape and medium in size. Their lips are black but this and he has a well-developed ruff.
They are large, sturdy dogs with a grand appearance and tremendous energy. Their neck is strong, short and very muscular with wide shoulders and a straight back. The tail is much longer than their hocks and it is shaped like a fan and he raises it when he is alerted. They have a short, thick coat and most are white or white with gray, honey or black. This is a very attractive breed.
The Chipoo varies greatly in looks depending upon which breed it got most of its characteristics from. It is a toy dog, but it can have a curly coat or a straight one. It can be fluffy or wiry. It can be just about any color. All of them have Chihuahua tails but again depending on the mix, they can look like poodles or they can look like chihuahuas. They can vary in size from a very small toy to a larger sized small dog. You can have two Chipoos from the same litter and they will not be recognizable as littermates. However, they will all be adorable.
Good with children and very good with their own families. Might be a little standoffish with others.
They no longer have the strong herding instinct but are outstanding guard dogs.
Yes but need land to run in. Don’t put this giant dog in an apartment. You will both be miserable.
Very intelligent and their ability and willingness to learn is very good.
Because of their rarity and somewhat isolation, they do not have many genetic health concerns. They do however face at least a couple of the issues that most large dogs face.
This can be a serious issue for such a large dog. It can cause arthritis and lameness.
This might be the biggest threat to the Mucuchies’ health. They are big dogs and if they injury limbs it can be quite serious.
The distension or inversion of the stomach and intestines is potentially fatal and must be treated immediately. Large dogs are prone to bloat and feeding schedules can go a long way in preventing it.
Hybrid dogs often do better health wise than the original parents, but this is not true of 2nd and third generation crosses. However, this is not generally true of the Chipoo, as they are no longer bred poodle to chihuahua but rather Chipoo to Chipoo. They are basically healthy but face some issues such as:
This is what causes the tear stains on most small light-colored dogs. This is called Epiphora and is not an irritation in the eye, just overly active glands.
This is low blood sugar and can cause all kinds of problems for your Chipoo. This can be fatal if not cared for. It has many causes if the dog is not diabetic including Xylitol (sugar free gum and other) parasites, stress, diarrhea or bacteria.
This loose knee cap condition is found in many small breeds and can lead to arthritis and lameness.
As mentioned in health concerns, feeding appropriately is critical to the Mucuchies’ health. Puppies need a high quality, large breed dry food 2-3 times per day at ½ cup each time. Don’t overfeed. Don’t exercise before or after eating to prevent bloat.
The adult Mucuchies should eat at least twice a day for a total of two and one-half cups. So, you might feed one and ¼ cup at each meal. Again, it is critically important that you don’t overfeed. Don’t feed before or after strenuous exercise and don’t let your Mucuchies eat too quickly in order to avoid bloat.
This is a large dog with generally very good health. His stamina and heart will impress you.
The Mucuchies is not an active inside dog, but he is a large dog that needs daily exercise. They need to be able to run or at least to trot. A large yard or dog bark is necessary. However, this big, double coated dog hates the hot weather and needs a cooler climate. Winter is fine with him. Don’t overwork them while they are growing. Walks are the best exercise for this breed.
Because they are prone to hypoglycemia, make sure you feed a high quality dry food and break it up into three or four small meals a day in order to maintain the blood sugar and avoid the drops and spikes that can cause them serious health issues.
This is common in the Chipoo and it makes it hard for the dog to absorb things through the skin such as topical ointments for ticks and flea prevention.
If the outside temperature is less than 50’, then your Chipoo needs to wear a sweater as they get cold very easily.
The Chipoo is an energetic little dog and he loves to go on walks, play in the yard and be with the family. Both the Chihuahua and the Poodle are very intelligent dogs and so this cross gets bored and destructive if not stimulated enough. He’ll be great at agility and obedience. Like the poodle you can teach him a lot of tricks.
This is a friendly dog and a great family member. They love to play and are easy to train. He does like to bark and makes a good guard dog. Get him a lot of toys for smart dogs. He is loyal and affectionate. You can carry him around all day if you want.