MyDogBreeds
Mucuchies is originated from Venezuela but Miniature Poodle is originated from Germany. Mucuchies may grow 33 cm / 13 inches higher than Miniature Poodle. Mucuchies may weigh 53 kg / 117 pounds more than Miniature Poodle. Mucuchies may live 4 years less than Miniature Poodle. Both Mucuchies and Miniature Poodle has almost same litter size. Mucuchies requires Low maintenance. But Miniature Poodle requires Moderate 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 Poodle is no stranger to the dog world and has been a familiar face in Western Europe for hundreds of years. Though they have lived in Europe for centuries, their origins are unsure, with some saying they hail from Germany and others say France.
The Miniature Poodles have been used in both countries as gundogs for water birds.
They have always been admired for their intelligence, and Miniature Poodles are believed to have been bred from Standard Poodles. It is interesting to note the 3 official sizes of the Poodle are Toy, Miniature and Standard – all considered one breed and judged according to the same written standard, just with different size requirements.
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 good care the lifespan of the Miniature Poodle is 14 – 16 years of age. This purebreed dog is small, standing at 28 – 38cm in height and weighing 7 – 8kg.
The coat is typically curly, springy and dense. Colors of the coat can be cream, beige, silver, black, brown or apricot. They are low shedding dogs and are regarded as being hypoallergenic. The ears are floppy and the tail is usually docked to give the dog a nice, compact look.
The Miniature Poodle is intelligent and learns easily, so you won’t have any trouble with training him and having him socialized.
He is a lively dog and loves a game and a walk, loving as much time as possible spent with his human family. He gets on well with other pets in the home as well as with children who have been taught to be kind and gentle with animals.
They are not overly-friendly with strangers, and therefore make excellent watchdogs. They’re the kind of dogs who need both physical and mental stimulation though, and he won’t be content to be left and ignored – after all he counts himself as a member of your family! They make wonderful pets, being playful and energetic and loving water, always ready to swim with you.
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.
When you take a Miniature Poodle into your home and your heart, there are many wonderful positive aspects that come with him.
You won’t have any trouble training him as he is clever and bright. He is such a loving, loyal pet and he takes his job of guarding you seriously too.
Because they aren’t aggressive, they're easy to keep in the city or the countryside, so long as he receives plenty of love, companionship and exercise. Perhaps the only thing that may require a little bit of effort on your part is the fact that his coat will require quite a bit of upkeep to keep it looking good and healthy.
In exchange for looking after him, you’re going to benefit from having a wonderful canine friend and family pet in your life for many years.
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.
Dog’s thrive on good nutrition and exercise, and if your Miniature Poodle gets both of these combined with plenty of love, he can live to be up to 16 years of age and even older.
They are robust little dogs, but even so, they can get sick. Ear infections, joint diseases, obesity, dental disease and bloat are common dog diseases to look out for -
This is a life-threatening condition where your pet’s stomach fills with gas. The swollen stomach puts pressure on the diaphragm and the dog battles to breathe. The dog could also vomit, be drooling and lethargic.
The stomach can also twist putting the dog in shock. This bloating can occur with any dog breed and efforts can be made to avoid it by feeding the dog smaller more frequent meals as opposed to one larger meal which he gobbles up.
The dog shouldn’t exercise immediately after a meal either. You also want to avoid obesity at all costs.
When the mitral valve malfunctions, blood isn’t being pumped out of the heart to the rest of the body. If the mitral valve weakens or leaks it can lead to endocarditis.
Quite a number of dogs develop some form of heart disease during their lifetime, with a high percentage being due to mitral valve insufficiency, which is more common in smaller dogs.
Your dog may have a cough, be lethargic and lose weight. The first signs of a leaking mitral valve is a heart murmur. At first MVI doesn’t have obvious clinical signs, but with time the efficiency of the heart is reduced and congestive heart failure develops. Your veterinarian will evaluate your pet and suggest treatment.
A skin problem sounds fairly mild but it can cause havoc in your pet’s life, causing him to be constantly licking and scratching himself. The hair becomes dull and brittle, and breaking the skin from continuous scratching invites bacterial infection. These skin infections will require veterinary intervention.
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.
If you opt to keep your Miniature Poodle’s coat long, it will actually require regular brushing – every day in fact, if you want to avoid matting and tangling. Most people don’t like the work this involves and they have their Poodle’s hair cut short all over, then he only needs a brush once or twice a week. Your Miniature Poodle just loves the time you spend with him grooming him. It’s your time to feel for any unusual lumps and to also check for fleas and ticks. Some people take their pet to the doggy parlor to have the coat clipped.
The dog’s nails should also be trimmed regularly, and their ears also need to be checked for wax buildup and debris which can lead to an ear infection.
Teeth need to be checked over too because dental disease won’t only lead to loss of teeth but it could be toxic for important body organs too.
Wipe around your pet’s eyes as tear stains can form under the eyes.
Make sure to feed your pet a top quality diet full of vitamins and minerals. Get to know the foods which can be toxic for your pet and cause stomach upsets. Dogs appreciate simplicity and consistency with their diets, and apart from dry kibble, home-made food such as boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables can be excellent for your pet.