UNAM researcher says Mexican Calupoh is companion, not guard dog

A decade after being officially recognized as Mexico's third native dog breed, the Calupoh is still poorly understood. Raúl Valadez Azúa, a researcher at the Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas of UNAM, explains that although the breed retains reactive traits inherited from its wolf ancestry, it is a companion animal that forms close bonds with the people it considers its family. He stresses that the Calupoh is not suited for guard or protection work and that further anatomical, physiological and genetic studies are needed to clarify its capabilities. The breed’s origins trace back to archaeological bone remains found near the Templo Mayor, dated to roughly 700 years ago, which showed hybrid wolf‑dog characteristics.

Valadez Azúa calls for more research to avoid misattributing guard functions to the Calupoh and to better understand its behavior and biology.