Mucuchies Dog Breed

The Mucuchies dog breed is quickly integrating into the United States. It’s a very similar breed to the Great Pyrenees, and very difficult to tell them apart, especially when they are puppies. The biggest difference is their temperment. Mucuchies are bred to be aggressive towards humans. Mucuchies were bred from Great Pyrenees, and they are almost identical in their appearance. They are usually ‘mostly white’ with long fluffy fur. They can range from almost solid white to  having the same badger type markings of the Great Pyrenees. They have double dew claws on their hind legs.

 

I have contacted all of the major vendors of DNA test kits for canines. NONE of them recognize the Mucuchies breed. They have absolutely no way of telling you if your dog is mixed with Mucuchi.  They claim they can tell you if your dog is purebred, but they have no proof of that claim. Furthermore, they have no plans to add Mucuchies to their breed list, as they only recognize dogs that are registered with the AKC.

This is Kayla.  She’s a 2 year old “Pyrenees” that I rescued from a local animal control here in NC. She was listed as a Great Pyrenees mix but she is only 56 pounds. That’s well below the breed standard for Great Pyrenees. My guess is that she’s part Mucuchie, even though she is very friendly.

 

 

The AKC does not recognize Mucuchies as a breed. None of the American kennel clubs recognize the Mucuchies breed. It is considered a rare breed, native to Venezuela. To be blunt, the AKC doesn’t recognize several  of the other variations of Pyrenees type dogs.

 

Unfortunately, many Venezuelans are leaving their country due to political and social problems, and they are taking their dogs with them. Mucuchies are good protection on the long trip into and through Central America. Many of them end up making it all the way to the US, and are being introduced  into the canine population by mixed breeding. Puppy sales of Great Pyrenees have sky-rocketed in the past few years. I counted 24 litters of Great Pyrenees available on the internet during the Christmas season 2019.  That was just my local listings. Western half of North Carolina. Upstate SC. I contact almost every one of them and they all say their puppies are pure-blooded Great Pyrenees but they also say that the parents aren’t registered. I have gathered this information from talking to people first hand. There are probably 100 people in my area that are breeding Great Pyrenees mixes on their goat farms. When I see listings for Great Pyrenees puppies, I contact them. When people fill out a surrender form, I ask for the breeders information. I cross check the results and they match up, time after time. I’ve rescued over 600 Great Pyrenees. I’m seeing more and more aggressive dogs than earlier in my career. There is no guarantee that a Pyrenees/Mucuchie mix is going to be too aggressive to handle, but it’s certainly a stronger chance than a purebred Great Pyrenees. All Pyrenees are working dogs, especially when they are young adults. they need a job. If you don’t give them one, they will make up one. Guard their food, guard their yard/fence or guard you, your family, your pets. They need something to guard. Breeding with Mucuchies makes it even worse. Mucuchies were bred to guard their flocks. They originated in Venezuala about 400 years ago. Great Pyrenees were brought to Venezuala and specifically bred to guard goats. One of the biggest predators of goats was HUMANS. They stole goats from farmers , so the farmers bred the dogs to be aggressive towards strangers. Great Pyrenees were never bred to be aggressive towards humans back in France where they originated. They were bred to guard sheep and to blend in with the flock, ergo their mostly white coats and large size.

 

This is a beautiful example of a what a Great Pyrenees should look like. Emory belongs to my friend Bill Kennedy.

 

This article is entirely my observations and opinions, unless otherwise noted.