Mucuchies is originated from Venezuela but Schnoodle is originated from United States. Both Mucuchies and Schnoodle are having almost same height. Mucuchies may weigh 16 kg / 36 pounds more than Schnoodle. Mucuchies may live 3 years less than Schnoodle. Both Mucuchies and Schnoodle has almost same litter size. Mucuchies requires Low Maintenance. But Schnoodle 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 Schnoodle was developed in the 1980s. It is believed the dog originates from the USA. This was when it was discovered that breeding the poodle with other dogs produced excellent mixes.
The idea with the Schnoodle was to develop a low-shedding dog. The Schnoodle is a mix between a Schnauzer and a Poodle,but because both the Poodle ad Schnauzer have different sizes, there is no knowing what size the Schnoodle will be.
Major kennels don’t recognize the Schnoodle as a breed.
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.
The Schnoodle is a cross between a poodle and a schnauzer and with the poodle parent in the mix, the dog is considered to be hypoallergenic.
Because there are three sizes of Schnauzer, the Schnoodle can be medium sized but also fairly large. Weight of this dog can be anything from 6 to 45 Kg and he can stand at between 38cm to 66cm. The coat can be either wavy, straight or curly and will need to be brushed, stripped or clipped according to the coat they have.
The most common coat colors are grey, a mix of grey, silver and white, a fawn or creamish color and black. The medium sized ears are floppy.
Because this is a mixed breed you won’t get a fixed personality type and you won't find fixed looks. Because the dog comes from two excellent parent breeds, you can expect your schnoodle to be friendly, alert and very active.
They may not take readily to kids so it is up to the human owners to see that their children are brought up to be kind and respectful to dogs and animals. Your Schnoodle can be gentle too and stubborn but he will bond closely with his human family.
The smallish size of these dogs makes it a good choice for city or country life, but wherever he is, he will need lots of exercise. Schnoodles are smart and respond well to training.
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.
Thanks to their parents, Schnauzer cross Poodles are smart, easy to train and fast learners.
Schnoodles are also fun-loving dogs, and they make great playmates for children. They are also a good choice for first time dog owners. A bonus part for dog owners is that these dogs are low shedding, making them great for anyone who suffers from allergies.
The Schnoodle forms strong bonds with their human family and this makes them both protector and watchdog. He is a great family dog with some excellent characteristics from each of the parent dog breeds involved.
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.
The Schnoodle is a robust, healthy breed, but unfortunately he can also succumb to any one of the many dog illnesses there are -
This refers to an eye disease which results in the deterioration of the retina. Your dog develops night blindness and this can lead to total blindness. Unfortunately there is no cure.
It can be horrible seeing your pet jerking and twisting out of control with seizures. You will need to get your pet to the vet as epilepsy can be a symptom of a bigger issue.
This is a life threatening disease where your dog’s stomach fills with gas and becomes hard and swollen. The stomach can twist. Symptoms of bloat include restlessness, drooling and trying to vomit.
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.
The Schnoodle is a dog that will need a good dose of exercise. Provide him with daily walks, walks in the park, hikes, runs along the beach as well as ball and rope games.
Always try to feed your dog a high quality food. Many people give their dogs one of the commercially manufactured foods there are because they are wonderfully convenient, and you get some good ones.
You don’t want to give this food to your dog day after day after day. Feed him some home-made food occasionally which can be added to his dry kibble twice a week. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a healthy choice for your pet.
You can boil it, chop it all up and add smaller portions to the dry kibble twice a week as a wonderful, tasty treat for your dogs.
Try and include some raw meat into the diet as this can help to fight of skin diseases. Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water for him.
Make sure all the necessary vaccines are up to date to avoid some of the deadly canine diseases there are.