Overview
- The Federación Canina Americana recognized the chaku andino cusqueño as a Peruvian breed on Friday, October 9, in an assembly held in Guadalajara, Mexico, the decision confirmed by ACP-UCPE.
- The decision follows more than ten years of field research by the Asociación Canófila Peruana–Unión Canófila Peruana that included community visits, testimony collection and specimen identification.
- The chaku cusqueño is a working high‑Andean dog used to herd and guard alpacas, sheep and goats and to protect families and property in communities above about 3,500 meters.
- Field researchers describe a double coat suited to cold and three size varieties—small, medium and large—and collected local testimony about large individuals confronting Andean pumas while protecting herds.
- No archaeological evidence has yet been presented to prove a pre‑Hispanic origin, so experts say further study is needed even as recognition may help mobilize preservation, formal breed standards and greater support for highland communities.