Chamuco

The Chamuco is a rare breed of small sized dogs developed as a result of intentional or accidental crosses among the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Bully, the extinct Mexican Bulldog, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Pitbull Blue, American Staffordshire Terrier, and possibly the Boxer. It is characterized by high-set ears with fallen tips, rounded or oval eyes, medium-sized muzzle, slightly arched neck, muscular shoulders, broad chest, straight front legs, and a low, short tail tapering towards the end.

Chamuco Pictures

History

Developed in the 1970s, the Chamuco was named after the Mexican word “Chamuco” meaning devil, to represent its strong, intense, and tenacious personality. Not much is known about this breed even in its native land. It has been secretly bred as a fighting dog and is rarely kept as household pets in places like Greater Puebla, Greater Toluca, Greater Queretaro, and Greater Mexico City.

Temperament and Behavior

As a family pet, the Chamuco loves to remain close to its people and is always confident around humans. Although it is naturally friendly to people, it can be a great judge of a stranger’s character and intent, a quality that makes it an excellent watchdog and guard dog.

It is known for being loving and playful with kids, but make sure that the play times are always supervised. It can be standoffish or aggressive with other dogs especially when it is not properly socialized.

Training

Since it is an intense dog, it needs a confident, consistent, and firm handler.

Socialization
Take your Chamuco puppy for a leashed walk around the dog park so that it can observe other dogs and puppies running and playing. If your pup has already learned to follow your commands, you can arrange for a playdate at your friend’s or neighbor’s place with their pet. Introduce your Mexican Pitbull to other dogs only if it seems open to little dog-on-dog interactions. You may work with a professional trainer while trying to socialize it with other dogs.

Obedience
Train your dog to be compliant with some basic commands like sit, stop, come, heel, and down. If it responds positively to a command, reward it with treats and then move on to the next. Make sure that you train it both inside and outdoors.

Feeding

Give your Chamuco a quality commercial dog food with the active ingredient being meat. Avoid food that has lots of fillers since it may cause allergies.