The
Uruguayan
Kennel Club was founded in 1938, working since then
for the promotion of the pedigree pure bred dogs.
In this oportunity, our institution takes great pride
introducing to you the only autochton Dog Breed of Uruguay:
"The CIMARRON URUGUAYO" has been very useful
in our Country during all our history, we cherished
very much a phrase said by our national hero, Don José
Artigas. "When I run out of soldiers, I will fight
with Cimarron dogs".
We hope that the organizations that constitute the FCI
will learn to recognize all its virtues, virtues that
have placed the breed in a very remarkable place in
our Country in different activities: cattle work, big
game hunting (specially wild boars), protection, defense
and
specially as a man's great partner in every need.
Brief
background:
Many of the domestic animals that where brought into
América by the first conquerors, turn back to
live in freedom, becoming wild. These animals never
came completely to a complete wild stage, all of them
kept some of their domestic characteristics. The word
"Cimarrón" is use in América
to name all wild animal or plant, as oposite to domestic.
The origin of our "Cimarrón Uruguayo"
is uncertain as almost as every breed. What we do know
is that comes from crosses between the dogs introduced
by the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors.
Many of these dogs were shiftless and from these crossings,
nature was shaping capriciously the stock until reaching
a definite type: our CIMARRON URUGUAYO.
This same natural selection was responsible for the
survival of only the strongest, the more astute, the
more apt. They grew to become very well adapted to the
surroundings, and with plenty of food and no natural
depredators, the Cimarron bred in great numbers, to
become a real danger for live stock and even for people,
according to some historical documents.
That was the reason, for some big killings ordered and
encouraged by the authorities of the time (end of XVIII
and beginning of XIX century). The tales talks about
tens of thousands roaming the country.
But, in spite of that "
a great number of
bitches with their whelps reached the woods of the Olimar
River, the Otazo hills and the Cerros Largos (Long Hills)
"
Many ranchers of Cerro Largo, knowing the CIMARRON URUGUAYO
virtues at cattle work and property defense, started
some selective work, preserving them from cross breeding.
Thanks to this arduous work, today we Uruguayans are
able to enjoy their qualities. We hope in the future
dog lovers of the rest of the world will do it so.
The
CIMARRON URUGUAYO in the last ten years.
In
1969 a Cimarron was shown in an official dog show organized
by the Kennel Club Uruguayo for the first time, In 1989
the CIMARRON URUGUAYO was definitive recognized by our
Kennel Club , at that time was established the Breeders
Association , and together with the Kennel Club the
first official standard of the breed was drawn.
The selection of the basic dogs started from this moment,
and the puppies are registered and tattooed by the Kennel
Club, reaching today more than 4500 registred dogs.
Since 1989 CIMARRON dogs had been shown in practically
all the general shows organize by the Kennel Club and
also in about 20 specialty shows a year held by Breeders
society , in the country and in Montevideo, our capital
city.
In the last years the breed has developed a lot thanks
to the work of many local enthusiasts, and we have breeders
also in other countries, specially in Argentina and
Brazil.
This progressive growing is looked into and scrupulously
supervised, taking care of all morphological and temperament
traits, and hereditary qualities of soundness and behaviour.
For a specimen to be recognized as basic, it has to
be examined and approved by three specialized judges.
A project is under way at present, run by the breeders
association together with the Veterinary University,
to study the zootechnical status, the level of individual
and family kindred in all registered animals.