He's Here!!!

On Saturday, I picked up my new little buddy!!!  So now I am the proud owner of a Cimarron Uruguayo!!!  His call name is Bruno & we already love him to pieces.  He is so smart...I already got him doing automatic sits for the door, for his meals, & when I call him to me.  We did some leash work yesterday & he did great.  We did lots of engagement exercises while on the leash, this puppy likes food so it isn't hard to keep him engaged.  I love how he continuously looks up at me while we are walking on the leash, when he does that I immediately click & treat because I want to encourage that good behavior! 

Night time isn't too bad, he does whine in the crate but for only 15 minutes or so then he settles down & goes to sleep.  He has been sleeping through the night & waking at 4:30 am. Although 4:30 am is an un-godly hour (LOL), it's way better than waking up multiple times at night.  Plus during the week, I am up at 5:00 am anyways....so in the grand scheme of things it isn't so bad.  He's only had a few accidents in the house, but we are learning how Bruno communicates.  We have picked up that when he starts whining out of the blue, it means he has to go potty.  The few times I ignored his whining he had an accident.  So potty training is moving along as well.

The importing process was very easy, way too easy to the point that I got nervous.  Bruno's breeder hired an import/export agent.  The agent was very nice & I liked her a lot but I see now that they did a lot of fudging of paperwork to get Bruno to me.  His puppy passport & vaccination record stated he was 2 months older than what he really is.  Also, his vaccination record stated that he had his rabies shot (the agent told me at the airport he hasn't had them yet but her vet signed off on it so he could travel).  I also believe that Bruno may have been sedated too.  On Saturday he was sleeping a LOT & was walking sideways....on Sunday he was walking normally & had way more energy.  I'm not upset at all, I knew some fudging had to have taken place because Bruno is only 11 weeks old...according to USDA import regulations puppies have to be 16 weeks old & must have their rabies vaccine.  I just thought they would give him a rabies vaccine & just fudge his date of birth! LOL!!

Not much else to report!!  I'll post pics soon!

OK, got some pics & am on a regular computer! :-)

I hope they show for you guys, I am on a work computer so I can't tell because they block pictures anyways.  Let me know if they show.

I will say that this puppy is very smart.  I already got him doing automatic sits for eating, the door, & when we stop walking.  We are working on "down", he does it for a treat only.  LOL! I have been doing lots of engagement exercises with him on the leash & he is really learning to pay attention to me. 

Yesterday, I saw the "aloof" part of his temperament.  I guess I must be used to goofy puppies who love everyone.  While on our walk, a lady ran out of her house to see Bruno.  The entire time the lady was talking to me, Bruno was sitting at my side looking at me. Not once did he look at the lady or even want to check her out.  When the lady bent over to pet him, Bruno accepted her petting but he wasn't enthused.  He was extremely neutral, no tail wagging or puppy-like antics.  He seemed very uninterested in the lady.  Now I understand what people mean when they say a dog is "aloof".  Don't get me wrong though, I am not complaining.  It's the opposite, I'm actually quite impressed that a 12 week old puppy is already displaying that.

Thanks, Gary! 

To further report, potty training is moving along. He is learning to go outside, I have noticed when he whines out of the blue it means he has to go. 

His personality is coming out more & I like what I see. He is reserved with strangers, accepts them but he doesn't try to be best friends. Very smart & treat motivated. This puppy is very balanced…recovers quickly & investigates a lot. 

My pack has accepted him & I am very happy about that. All in all, everything is good! 

All right, so it has been about 7.5 weeks since Bruno came home.  His training is coming along nicely...he is now: heeling on my left, automatic sits, lays down, sit, "place" on command, & now we are working on "stand".  This little guy is now weighing around 31lbs (4 months old), I need to measure him to see how tall he is now.  He is almost the same height at the shoulders as my German Pinscher (my GP is about 18 3/4 inches at the withers).

Temperament wise, I love it!  He is reserved with strangers but can warm up to them a bit (he's still not overtly friendly, just sniffs & walks away). I'm trying to amp up his prey drive, he has it but has the attention span of a gnat.  He chases butterflies & other flying bugs all the time, but when I try some tug-of-war with a towel - he is interested only for a few minutes. He won't stay on the towel. So I am thinking a towel is not "doing it' for him, so I just ordered him this from Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFK06G8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Maybe the fuzzy thingies will interest him even more. ;-)  I'm open to any tips you may have as well.

I enrolled him in a competition puppy program with a local training club (with Mark Banks of Harijan Presa Canarios - HCK9 Training)...this program we are going to be doing heavy obedience, puppy imprinting, & development of prey drive.  I would love to do some PSA/Schutzhund/French Ring with Bruno one day, his temperament is just so stable & this puppy loves to work! 

One thing I am noticing is that when Bruno isn't working, he is a little $hit. LOL!!!  So when he is defiant & barks at nothing in the house, that is my cue that he needs to "work".  I whip out the clicker & get some training treats, to the front yard we go to do some drills!  Then we go back in the house & we practice "place" & "down stay".  Just doing 15 minutes of obedience calms this little dude down.  We walk 3.5 miles together at least 3 times a week, Bruno definitely has the endurance for that - but then he clonks out in his crate at night.  I'm OK with that! :-)

Overall, I am in love with my little dude (that will be a big dude one day!).  He is a lot of fun & the sweetest temperament with his family.  Already, his breeder is putting a bug in my ear about considering getting a female in the near future. ;-)

Hey Gary, thanks for the advice! Bruno is actually a Cimarron Uruguayo.  :-)

I have figured out the playing tug-of-war with Bruno....apparently the towel must be rough on his mouth (as you suspected, Gary).  I bought these fuzzy tug toys & he absolutely loves them.  So I think you were right that because he is teething, the towel probably felt rough in his mouth. I don't try to do lots of tug-of-war games just yet because his teeth are coming out full force! LOL!

Now at almost 5 months old (on 10/17 he'll be exactly 5 months), he is really starting to hit some serious growth spurts!!! His breeder told me that between now & 8 - 10 months he will be hitting serious growth spurts.  Then, after 10 months, his growing will slow down & he will start to fill out. These dogs seem to mature a little faster physically compared to other molossers - they were once feral so I guess it makes sense.  Mother Nature must've been saying: "Ain't nobody got time for that!!" LOL!

Still a goofy little dude with the family, but still quite serious with strangers.  One of my girlfriends came over my house & I had instructed her to not pet Bruno immediately but, instead, let him check her out first.  After he sniffed her & checked her out, he was a little more confident & didn't mind her petting him.  I plan on taking this approach from now on, it seemed like Bruno was very comfortable with my friend after he got a chance to check her out first.  I'm all about good interactions, especially in the beginning.

Another interesting tid-bit is that I did a search for Cimarron Uruguayo on this site.  I found a thread (I can't find it now) where someone was asking if any of the bandog breeders would consider a Cimarron Uruguayo to add to their mix.  One thing I found interesting was that posters assumed that because the Cimarrones were once feral, that they would be skittish.  Well, I am here to tell you that the Cimarron Uruguayo is FAR from skittish.  My almost 5 month old puppy is not afraid of sounds or people, he's quite brave for a puppy.  I have yet to see him back down or try to run off, he recovers quite quickly if he is startled too.  I find him to be VERY stable.  I will say this, these dogs NEED a job though.  Bruno can be quite the asshole if he is bored! LOL!!!

Hi Gary,

I really like what you said here:

"I am very happy that we still have some dogs that love to work instead of prancing around a ring... though that could be a side gig for a good worker."

I really have a new appreciation for "working dogs" and am now shifting my thinking & beliefs since I got Bruno.  In Uruguay, the Cimarrones are still very much used for cattle herding, hunting, & all around guardian.  Even though breeders do show their dogs, the conformation ring is often times the side gig.

Here's a video of Bruno & I in training class this past weekend.  We were working on some "stay" exercises:

 https://www.instagram.com/p/BLWe0m4gHqV/

What you don't see in the video is that there were several Presa Canarios working near-by off leash & Bruno wasn't paying them any mind.  Not once did he break his "stay", I am so proud of him. I sent this video to his breeder and he was very pleased as well.

I'm really falling in love with this breed.  I feel such a sense of responsibility to this breed since I may be the only person in the USA with one, I know for a fact there are no others in Maryland (where I live).  So I am committed to making sure my Bruno is a good representative of this breed & I want to show the USA what they are made of!

Oh & here's the link to the thread that I was referring to earlier:

http://molosserdogs.com/forum/topic/Lee,-David-and-other-Bandog- breeders-on-this-board-!!.htm

The thread went off topic quick (LOL), but I had to chuckle at all of the assumptions about Cimarrones. The thread really made me realize that we simply just don't know enough about them.  Hopefully, people will find my threads in the future to learn more!

Hey Everyone!!!

It's been a while since I have posted on here.  Life with my Cimarron Uruguayo has been great.  He is now 11 months old and smart as a whip!!  In June we have our first Rally trial & I am really excited about that. He is ready & he loves to work for me. As I am learning more & more about the breed there are definitely some good things about them.

TEMPERAMENT

My puppy is smart, extremely smart.  They pick up on things quickly & are very biddable dogs with the right motivation.  Cimarrones have great work ethic & will continue working for you as long as you keep it fun.  They don't respond well to harsh corrections & it really isn't necessary - they want to please you.  These dogs, although active, can be taught a nice off-switch.  My boy is ready for an adventure at the drop of a hat, but he can chill just as nicely in the house without a problem.

These dogs have a very strong prey drive when it comes to chasing small animals.  When I say it is strong, I am not lying.  My boy can not let go the sight of a squirrel, bird, etc on the ground. I can reel him back to me but it is strong.  One thing is for sure, they will give chase & you better be quick with the recall before they run off. I have learned my boy's body language & call him back to me before he gets too excited.  I do have a small Rat Terrier though & he does very well with her.  So in my opinion, these dogs can live with smaller dogs in harmony if raised together.

Defensive drive is strong with these dogs.  Proper socialization & getting out & about is essential so that these dogs don't consider everything a threat.  You don't want a 75lbs dog lunging & barking at every person that comes close.  I was able to shape this behavior when he was young with a clicker.  When we were out on walks every time he looked at me he got a click & a treat, so he quickly learned to ignore other people.

One thing I have noticed is that the fear periods seem to be very pronounced in this breed.  Around week 14 - 16 my Bruno was getting scared of things that never bothered him before.  I have had many puppies in my lifetime but fear periods in this breed are definitely noticeable.

On a fun note, I have another Cimarron Uruguayo coming my way next week.  He is a half brother to my current one, same sire but different dam.  He will be arriving on May 3rd, he is a fawn boy with a black mask named Atlas.  He will be 5 months old when he comes to me.

So now I really get to compare & contrast between the two!

Gary,

I promise to post pics real soon but I wanted to respond to your question on how accurate this description is below:

"An excellent cattle dog and livestock guardian, the Cimarron Uruguayo also makes a very serious and committed watchdog, patrolling the farms for intruders, real or perceived. Fairly independent and quite smart, it accepts all family members, but usually obeys a single master. "

I have to say that I do agree with the above.  Cimarrones are serious watch dogs, they don't bark unnecessarily but they do know when someone/something is on their territory & will make their presence known.  They are very courageous dogs, they don't just bark at you & back up....they're barking & walking up towards you.  They are extremely docile with their families & they have an affinity towards children. Don't expect a Cimarron to take commands from an unknown person, they won't listen.....they take cues from their people & their people only.  Although they can be great independent thinkers, they love nothing more than to please their people.

These dogs also have cat-like reflexes! I'm amazed at how quickly Bruno can jump away from something or move out of the way when another one of my dogs are running towards us.

Bruno & I have started IPO training.  We haven't gotten very far, we have done rag work & agitation training.  Now that he is more confident, he is really getting into it.

Right now, Bruno is about 23" at the shoulders & weighs about 70lbs.  At this point he won't grow anymore height wise but will be filling out more.