PetzloverBoth Gran Mastin de Borinquen and Muggin are originated from United States. Gran Mastin de Borinquen may grow 57 cm / 23 inches higher than Muggin. Gran Mastin de Borinquen may weigh 46 kg / 102 pounds more than Muggin. Gran Mastin de Borinquen may live 3 years less than Muggin. Gran Mastin de Borinquen may have more litter size than Muggin. Gran Mastin de Borinquen requires Low Maintenance. But Muggin requires High Maintenance
The Gran Mastín de Borinquen is also referred to as the Puerto Rican Mastiff or the Mastín Borincano and is actually native to Puerto Rico.
The dog seems to have originated long ago already during the 16th century. Its a dog that descends from a number of dogs, and the dog from these crosses became a huge, ferocious dog.
For centuries the Gran Mastin de Borinquen was used to protect the estates of the Spanish nobility. Today the breed is considered rare and it isn't recognized by any major kennel club as a standardized breed.
The Muggin is not a purebred dog but rather a cross breed. The hybrid dog population has exploding in the United States in the past ten to fifteen years. A lot of the success of crossbreeding can be attributed to the marketing of these dogs as “Designer Breeds”.
Designer breeds are developed because someone wants some of the characteristics of Breed X and some of the characteristics of Breed Y. Therefore, Designer breed XY is developed. In order to understand this hybrid dog, you need to understand the two purebred breeds they come from. The Muggin is the result of crossing the purebred Pug and the purebred Miniature Pinscher or Min Pin. So, we need to look at the origins of these two purebred breeds.
They are also referred to as Pin Pugs, Min Pin Pug, Pug Pin, Pugscher and were originally the Carlin Pinscher. However, these days there are other breeds besides the Pug and Min Pin making up the gene pool for the Carlin Pinscher. Because of this the Muggin has been separated from the Carlin Pinscher. The American Canine Hybrid Club has accepted the Muggin name for the Pug Min Pin cross.
Pugs are originally a Chinese breed and they were companions rather than working dogs of any kind. During the Han Dynasty they were the dogs of royalty. At the same time there were dogs very much like the pug in Japan and Tibet. The Pugs came to Europe by way of trades with the Dutch who then brought them to Europe. They were named the Mopshond and they caught the eye of the royalty in Europe as well.
Pugs were imported to the United States after the U.S. Civil War and in 1885 they were recognized by the American Kennel Club and called Pugs.
The Min Pin traces its origins to Germany a few hundred years ago. They were “ratters”, guarding the house and stables from all types of vermin. Most dog people believe that the Min Pin is much older than this, perhaps by thousands of years. Yet there is no detailed history to support that. Most believe the breed comes from the German Pinscher line. There might also be some Daschund and Greyhound in that line.
They were once called the Reh Pinscher. This was their name when they came to North America in 1919 and then the breed was renamed in 1972. The Miniature Pinscher Club of America was started in the early 1900’s while the AKC recognized the Min Pin in 1929. Today the Miniature Pinscher is a family dog, a companion.
The Muggin is a loving and loyal dog. All they want is for you to be happy and to share that happiness with them. They can also easily become a one person dog and bond intensely with that one person. They are not a hybrid that you can leave home alone while you go to work for 8 to 10 hours a day. No, the Muggin needs attention and lots of it. Despite this they are great with both kids and other dogs.
Because they are a cross breed, they are not recognized by the American Kennel Club. However, some hybrid registries do recognize the Muggin. These include the Designer Breed Registry, the International Designer Canine Registry, The Designer Dogs Kennel Club, the American Canine Hybrid Club, and the Dog Registry of America.
The Gran Mastin de Borinquen is a large dog. He stands roughly between 56 and 71cm and weighs in at between 41 and 68kg.
He is well muscled with a large head and short floppy ears but until recently the ears have always been cropped. The nose is black, the eyes dark brown and small and he has an alert, intelligent look to him.
These days the tail is kept long and it is held low. The coat is short in length and harsh with the colour being fawn, black, cream or brindle. You'll also find some small inclusions of white on the coat.
Loyal and protective, the Gran Mastin de Borinquen forms a strong bond with his master, becoming aggressive with any stranger who comes too close to his owner.Its a dog that has been taught to be aggressive so he isn't the best pet to choose if you have children in the home. He isn't the best dog either for first time dog owners, particularly if the person isn't a strong, firm person around him, showing who is boss.
However there are people who have had their pet trained and socialized and who claim he makes a wonderful family pet. The way a dog is brought up can play a large role in the way he turns out.
Train and socialize your Gran Mastin de Borinquen because he is inclined to be strong-willed and for a large, aggressive type of dog, you want him to be obeying you.
As previously mentioned, the Muggin is a cross between the Pug and the Miniature Pinscher. They are small, shave sturdy legs, floppy ears, and a wrinkled forehead for the most part. Like all hybrids however, all first generation dogs do not look the same. Some might resemble the Min Pin more and others the Pug. Some might have the stockier body of the Pug and the short tail of the Min Pin. Or one could have the Pug’s curly tail and the athletic body of the Min Pin. The snout can be short or long, the ears heavy and floppy or small and thin.
Their coats will usually be fine and short, and colors can vary a lot. They might be black and tan like a Min Pin, or more like a Pug with a solid color of cream, brown, black, white or golden. They also tend to shed quite a bit no matter which parent they take after the most. They will either have brown noses and black eyes or brown eyes and black noses or any combination of black and brown.
If Muggins are only bred to Muggins the second and third generations will resemble each other more than the first generations will. However, at this point many breeders will try to strengthen the breed by occasionally adding in to the gene pool other dog breeds.
Noble, courageous and loyal, a trained, socialized Gran Mastin de Borinquen who has learned simple commands such as sit, down, come, stay, lie-down and heel will be an absolute pleasure to have around and be a well behaved, obedient companion for you.
Your Gran Masin is a dignified, loving animal, but because of his size and his origin, bred to be aggressive, he isn’t looked upon as the first choice when you’ve got small children in the home. With the right owner – fair, firm and loving - he makes a splendid pet.
They are good with children but should be supervised.
Energetic and loving little dogs.
Very adaptable if taken for walks or has space in a yard. Can live anywhere under those circumstances.
Very intelligent but strong willed dog. Needs strong leadership from their person.
Your Gran Mastin de Borinquen can get to 12 years of age with good care. Mastiff-type dogs like this can be prone to eye problems as well as having to tackle joint problems such as hip dysplasia.
Other issues that can appear in this breed, but are unlikely be cancer, bloat, hypothyroidism and von Willebrand’s Disease which is a bleeding disorder.
Remember to do daily inspections of your Gran Mastin de Borinquen for fleas and ticks, particularly during the Summer month. Toxins introduced into the body by a tick bite for instance can make your pet seriously ill so that veterinary intervention is required.
The first generation of Muggins may face all the health issues of either or both their parents, while second and third generations tend to have less health issues, They types of issues the first generation of Muggins might face include:
Nerve Degeneration – Degenerative Myelopathy or Dm – causes paralysis and eventually fatal.
The Gran Mastin de Borinquen, with his short coat, is a relatively low maintenance breed. Brush him at least twice a week to keep the coat free of loose hairs. Other grooming requirements are keeping his ears clean and dry. You can ask about alcohol wipes at your local pet shop to use in his ears. Check the nails too and remember to brush his teeth a couple of times a week to avoid dental decay.
You won't find the Gran Mastin de Borinquen being a particularly high energy dog but he also isn't a couch potato. If you enjoy a walk every day for your own good health, include him in these walks and give him a game of ball every now and again.
This Mastiff -type dog is large, and they tend to be fairly lazy, not using up great deals of energy. Young dogs however use up more energy and will require a diet with good quality protein.
Dogs that have been spayed or neutered as well as senior dogs will require less calories. If you buy commercially manufactured food, check the labels carefully and buy high quality food for a large breed.
Don't just feed your Gran Mastin kibble everyday but alternate it sometimes, mixing in some raw meat into his kibble or mixing in some cooked chicken, rice and vegetables.
This crossbreed has a definite propensity to overeat and become obese from puppyhood. Feed the puppy a small dog dry food 3-4 times a day a total of ¾ of a cup to 1 cup.
Again don’t over feed the adult Muggin or he will become obese easily. Feed at least twice a day one to one and half cups total.
High Energy
With the athleticism of the Min Pin taking precedence over the less active Pug, the Muggin is a fairly active dog. The Muggin is also not effective by the Pug’s difficulty with heat and cold. They love to go on long walks and need exercise to keep from being bored and destructive. However, remember there is a Pug in your Muggin and if she is not into exercise don’t try to get her to do more than she can.
You do want your Muggin to get enough exercise to fend off any tendency to be overweight. They are good at agility, jogging, obedience and watchdog activities.