Cimarrón Uruguayo
Cerro Largo Dog, Cimarron Creole, Cimarron Dog, Maroon Dog, Perro Cimarron, Uruguayan Cimarron
The Cimarrón Uruguayo was developed for a wide variety of tasks including herding, guarding and hunting. Their name is derived from the Latin American word ‘cimarron’, which means feral. Although rare outside of Uruguay they are beloved in their homeland and are even the mascot of the National Army.
Cimarrón Uruguayo Standards
- 22-24"
- 84-99 lbs
- medium-sized mastiff-like breed
- ears are traditionally cropped where legal
- tail is long and reaches the hock
- coat is short, smooth, and close
- brindle
- fawns
- may have black mask
- may have limited white markings
History of the Cimarrón Uruguayo
The Cimarron Uruguayo is descended from dogs brought by European colonizers and conquerors to South America that were either abandoned or separated from their owners. It is believed their ancestors were primarily Spanish and Portuguese in origin. As these dogs were left behind they bred amongst themselves, returned feral and only the fittest survived. By the 1700s attacks on livestock resulted in the wild dogs being hunted, but also ranchers would capture and tame the dogs. Overtime these captured dogs became estate guards and herders, eventually developing into the Cimarron Uruguayo we know today.