MyDogBreeds
Mucuchies is originated from Venezuela but German Coolie is originated from Australia. Mucuchies may grow 11 cm / 5 inches higher than German Coolie. Mucuchies may weigh 37 kg / 82 pounds more than German Coolie. Mucuchies may live 6 years less than German Coolie. Both Mucuchies and German Coolie has almost same litter size. Both Mucuchies and German Coolie 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 German Coolie is misnamed as it is an Australian bred dog and often called the Australian Koolie or Coolie. This Australian breed is more often just called a Coolie. The breed is a typical herding breed and a working dog that needs a job all the time. They have been a favorite of Australians since the late 1800’s when local dogs were bred with British working dogs.
Although all Coolie’s are not the same. Within the breed there is a lot of variation. This is because the Coolie was bred individually for different regions in Australia. In a very different writing the Koolie Club of Australia does not define the Coolie breed on confirmation as all other purebred dogs are defined. Instead the Coolie is defined by ability to work. In light of this most Coolie breeders state that the Coolie is a breed and the variations you see among regions are types within the breed.
As a herding dog, the Coolie brought a lot of skill to the Australian farmers and sheep herders. The Coolie will round up the sheep and bring them back to their enclosure at the shepherd’s command. They are upright, silent, working dogs. Not only do they herd sheep they are important at sheering to “cut out” the sheep or assist in the close quarters of lambing.
In Queensland North and New South Wales, the Coolie is medium boned, tall and agile ready to herd cattle over a long stretch of miles. In the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales and the Hunter Valley Region, the Coolie is shorter and thicker in order to be able to get cattle that are lying low out from the gullies and dense bush. The Coolies found in Victoria are the smallest of all.
No matter where they live and work, the Coolie is bred to help the workers there, the farmers, the stockman, and the grazier. All Coolies are adaptable and very agile. They all have a strong willfulness to accomplish what they are asked to do. The ancestors of these various Coolie was the British Collie – a smooth coated, blue merle. This Collie was crossed with the Black and Tan Collie from the Scottish Highlands. It is believed that these are the same Collie breeds that came to Australia to create the Heeler.
The name may come from the German immigrants working in South Australia and unable to pronounce Collie incorrectly they called the dogs German Coolies. There is also a fraction of German breeders who believe that the German Tiger dog was brought to Australia in the 18th century and then when the Collies came they were bred together. Many Coolie breeders have records showing that the breed has been in Australia for at least 160 years. It is also believed that the Border Collie and Kelpie (Blue Heeler) were mixed into the breed at sometime as well.
No bench standard exists for the German Coolie even though there is the Koolie Club of Australia. The mission of the club is to protect, preserve and promote the breed. The Australian Sporting Register was recognizing the Coolies in 2004. They are eligible to participate in the Australian National Kennel Council sanctioned sporting trials. They participate in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria through the individual states sporting register. Here they participate in herding, jumping, obedience, agility and tracking.
Several other recognitions as a herding breed soon followed. The Australian Shepherd Club of America, the American Herding Breed Association, were followed by recognition from others as well. They are not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).
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.
With their strong ancestry among the family of collies and herders, the German Coolie shares the look of collies and shepherds. Even though they differ from region to region and there is no actual standard, they are medium sized dogs with blue or brown eyes or even one of each. The ears are folded over on top when relaxed but they are rigid and straight when he is more alert. The nose is either chocolate or red depending on the color of their coat.
They can have either a long, medium or short coat but most owners want the short coat that is smooth as well. The coat can be one color – red/chocolate or black; Bi – red/white or black/white; Tri – solid black or red with white and brown; Tri merle -merle with white and brown; Merle – red merles and blue merles. Regardless of color, the German Coolie has the look of a collie or German Shepherd.
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.
Yes, they can be very friendly with children is they are socialized and supervised.
They have enough stamina to work for 14 hours a day.
They are very adaptable. They can be calm and steady when working a mother and baby lamb and then be able to forcefully move steers, bull, rams or weathers.
The breed is highly intelligent, and their learning ability is excellent because they want to please you.
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.
This is a relatively healthy breed without many genetic disorders found in purebreds due to the 160 years they have spent fairly isolated and allowing natural selection to take its course.
In Merle dogs there can be deafness and/or blindness. If you breed a solid to a merle you can eliminate that.
These are not inherited but rather acquired due to the immense amount of jumping and running.
Rare but it does occur and can be fatal if not treated
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.
Break meals into 3 a day feeding a high quality dry puppy food designed for dogs of his size. 11/2 to 2 cups per day.
Break meals into 2 a day feeding a high quality dry adult food designed for dogs of his size.
Traditionally good health. Great energy, intensity and devotion to work and owner.
This is an energetic dog that loves to work and needs to work. Regular routine exercise is needed daily. He needs to be stimulated mentally and physically. Find him a job. Make sure he knows what you want him to do. They work well with a human partner in games such as agility, tracking, flyball and herding. They need a large yard and a lot of play time. They are not couch potatoes and would be unhappy if they were stuck in a house or apartment