Overview
- The Federación Canina Americana formally recognized the chaku andino cusqueño as a Peruvian origin breed following an assembly held on Friday, October 9, 2026, a decision confirmed by ACP-UCPE president Jaime Rodríguez Valencia.
- The chaku serves as a high‑Andean working and guardian dog found above about 3,500 meters in regions such as Cusco, Puno, Ayacucho, Apurímac and Pasco where it herds and protects alpacas, sheep and goats.
- The recognition follows more than ten years of field research by the Asociación Canófila Peruana–Unión Canófila Peruana that compiled community testimonies and identified specimens across Andean communities.
- Researchers describe the breed as having a double coat with an insulating underlayer and three size varieties, and locals report cases of larger dogs confronting pumas while protecting herds or families.
- Next steps highlighted by ACP-UCPE include nationwide identification and registration of specimens, and new genetic and archaeological studies to clarify the breed’s antiquity and support conservation in rural communities.