Cimarrón Uruguayo: All About this Breed

Reviewed and approved by the biologist Samuel Sanchez

Written by Laura Morales Negrin

Last update: 27 December, 2022

The Cimarrón Uruguay is a strong animal, with great qualities as a guardian and shepherd dog. It’s the only native dog in Uruguay and its history dates back several centuries.

This canine can become a faithful companion animal. However, some of its characteristics make it very necessary to provide it with a good education, in addition to basic care, so that it can develop in the home environment in the appropriate way. Let’s see all the details about this breed.

The origin of the Cimarrón Uruguayo

The origin of the Cimarrón Uruguay isn’t exactly known. Even so, certain information suggests that these dogs are descendants of the dogs that arrived with the European conquerors to the Uruguayan lands, especially the Spanish Alano dog.

Natural selection could have done its work with these dogs, as those dogs that were abandoned or escaped during the conquest had to learn to survive in an environment that wasn’t their own. Of these first canine settlers, the strongest specimens remained, giving rise to the current Cimarrón Uruguay.

In fact, the term “cimarrón” was applied in America to define everything that one day was domesticated and passed into the wild, referring to the location of its refuge on the peaks. Therefore, the term would mean something like “the one who lives on the peaks.” This “savaging” of the dog is what gave it the name by which we know it today.

The breed has gone through very critical periods, due to the fact that many specimens were hunted down and killed in times past. This was due to the fact that there were a large number of specimens that gathered in packs and aggressively attacked herds and even caravans of people.

However, many people also saw the breed’s potential as a guardian and shepherd dog. For this reason, they decided to start training them in their homes, and their temperament was shaped into that which we know today. The Uruguayan Kennel Club (KCU) established the breed standard in 1989. For its part, the International Cynological Federation standard didn’t do so until 2017.

Characteristics of the cimarrón uruguayo

Although there may be great variability between specimens, and this breed can be classified as a medium to large dog, there are certain characteristics established as common to the breed. For example, the size of adult females ranges between 22 and 23 inches, while that of males is 23-24 inches.

The weight ranges from 73 to 88 pounds in females and 84 to 99 pounds in males. It’s a Molossus-type dog, due to its robustness, its muscular body, and its strength. Its legs are straight and quite muscular as well, which allows it to be very agile and have great balance. In addition, it has a thick, low-bearing tail.

As far as its head is concerned, the eyes are almond-shaped, medium-sized, and dark in color, which gives the animal a penetrating look. The muzzle is somewhat short and wide, with a broad, black nose, although it can be a different shade depending on its coat.

Its ears are of medium size, triangular, and drooping. These used to be amputated in the past, but fortunately, this is already considered an illegal practice in many countries.

The Cimarrón Uruguayo’s coat

This dog has a short, double-layered, and smooth coat. Also, the lower section is thicker and denser than the upper one. Regarding the tones, the brindle and bay colors in any of their varieties are recognized as official in this dog breed. It may also have white spots, but only if these are located on the chest, legs, lower jaw, throat, or belly.

The temperament of the Cimarrón Uruguayo

This dog shows its strong character and tenacity from the time it’s a puppy. Therefore, from that moment on, it must be educated and socialized correctly.

It can be a very territorial dog with other animals, becoming aggressive if it hasn’t been properly trained. On the other hand, if the appropriate time is dedicated to its training, the Cimarrón Uruguayo will be a sociable and even-tempered dog.

In addition to this, this dog stands out for being brave and confident, so it doesn’t give up until it achieves its goals. Therefore, sometimes it can be somewhat stubborn and is described as an animal with a very marked personality.

Care of the Uruguayan cimarrón

The diet of this dog must be adapted to the life that this class of energetic dog requires. In addition, it has to be adjusted according to the vital stages of the canine, covering the nutritional needs in each case.

Due to its nature as a herding, guardian, and hunting dog, this breed is often better adapted to life in large, open spaces. If this can’t be done, both physical and mental stimulation will be even more necessary, as both will make life easier in those smaller spaces.

Physical exercise should be intense for at least one hour a day. This means that, for this dog, walks alone aren’t enough. It also has to run and play to be able to stay healthy and release all the energy he has.

A good idea for this breed is to practice some kind of sport with its owner, such as bikejoring, or to do agility circuits. On occasions when exercise can only be moderate, its time should be increased beyond one hour.

Hygiene of the Cimarrón Uruguayo

The coat of this dog requires a weekly brushing or two, in order to remove dead hair and the most superficial dirt. This will promote the health of its coat, in addition to limiting bathing to one occasion every month and a half or 2 months.

The ears should be checked and cleaned every 15-20 days in case there’s an excess of wax in them, mites, or other pathogens that could cause an infection to the animal. In addition, in case of no natural wear and tear, the Cimarrón Uruguayo guardian must have its nails cut to avoid discomfort or damage.

Training of the Cimarrón Uruguayo

The truth is that the education of the Cimarrón Uruguayo isn’t entirely simple. This is because the breed has earned a reputation for being very stubborn and independent, characteristics that complicate its training.

It’s not a very docile or obedient dog at first under the orders of its guardians. This strong personality makes it essential for their trainer to know the animal well and also have knowledge about canine education.

Therefore, you must be very constant and use positive reinforcement as a training method. Even so, if you’re not sure you can achieve good results, it’s always best to go to a professional dog trainer.

In addition to what’s been said, the Cimarrón Uruguayo must be socialized from the time it’s a puppy so that, as an adult, it’s an even-tempered dog. In the event that this dog comes into the life of a person as an adult, an expert trainer will be the best option.

The health of the Cimarrón Uruguayo

For the Cimarrón Uruguayo to enjoy good health, the aforementioned care is necessary, as well as visits to the veterinarian to vaccinate, deworm, and perform check-ups on the animal. Luckily, this is a dog that enjoys fairly good health. In any case, it could always suffer from certain diseases that are usually common in this breed. Among these illnesses are the following:

• Hypothyroidism: A disorder in which the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormones.
• Hip Dysplasia: This is an instability of the hip joint and is typical of large breeds.
• Elbow dysplasia: This is a disease that occurs with osteoarthritis and arthritis in the elbow of the animal.
• Gastric torsion: This is a typical serious gastrointestinal condition in dogs with a wide chest, like this one.
• Obesity.

Is it a good pet?

We can’t say that the Cimarrón Uruguayo should be discouraged as a pet. However, as we’ve seen, due to its temperament, it’s not the most suitable dog to have as a first pet.

Its education requires having a lot of patience and perseverance and you must provide it with company and understand the breed well to know how to handle it. If not, you must be willing to invest in a canine educator to avoid conflicts in coexistence.

In addition to this, you must bear in mind that this dog can become somewhat aggressive with other dogs and animals, as its instinct as a watchdog and hunting dog are deeply rooted.

Therefore, the decision to have a Cimarrón Uruguayo as a pet should be considered, although this should be the case in the case of any dog. If one of them is finally chosen as a companion animal, it will provide its fidelity over the course of 10 to 13 years, as that’s its life expectancy.