Gran Mastin de Borinquen vs Bolognese - Breed Comparison

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 Bolognese has already been on record since the 13th century, being particularly popular among the aristocracy during the Renaissance. The breed hails from Italy. He belongs to a family of dogs that include the Maltese and Bichon Frise, all with similar temperaments and looks. Even though there are these similarities the Bolognese is a breed on its own – a distinctive breed.

The exact ancestry of the Bolognese isn’t altogether clear. The dog breed was brought to England in 1990 by Liz Stannard and it was in 2001 that the breed was shown at dog shows. He is classified as a toy companion breed.

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.

Temperament:

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.

The long, flocked white coat doesn’t have an undercoat and the large, round, dark eyes peer out of a cloud of white hair. His hair sheds very little and some owners of the Bolognese like to keep the woolly hair texture trimmed. He has black nails and a largish black nose. He is a small dog, with the male standing between 27–30cm and the female being slightly smaller.

These little dogs weigh in at about 4kg. A toy breed, he is considered to be a true companion dog. He is compact and squarely built with his floppy ears set high on his head. The long tail is carried curved over the dog’s back.

He is a friendly, social dog and can very easily become a typical lap-dog because he just craves human companionship. He wants to be with you and close to your side, whether you live in the city or in the countryside – he adapts to life wherever you are.

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.

The Bolognese is an easy-going, playful, intelligent little dog who will respond well to training and socialization. He can actually become calm and docile dog, although never dull as he can sometimes act like a clown and be quite entertaining. He makes a wonderful pet and becomes a loyal and devoted companion to adults and children.

Non-aggressive by nature, he will be friends with other pets in the home too. He is a small dog, so he isn’t going to be highly active and therefore won’t need loads of exercise, although he will love to go for a walk with you. He’ll also want to have games with the ball. He is such an amicable little dog and will easily adapt to life in the city or country, so long as he can be loved and cherished by his owners.

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.

Because this particular dog breed is uncommon, you won’t find many details on his health problems. When he is well looked after, he can reach 14 years of age. The Bolognese is from the Bichon Frise family so you can expect similar health problems, and also because he is a pedigree dog.

Skin problems – battling with itchy skin conditions are a typical problem with the Bolognese.

Ear infections are common because of a lot of hair in the ear which can collect dirt.

Eye diseases - cataracts which can eventually lead to blindness.

Other health problems to watch for are heart disease, and epilepsy. Periodontitis is something you want to keep an eye on too because the small jaw is prone to developing periodontal infection which can lead to tooth loss.

Remember if you don’t want your Bolognese to be a parent, neutering and spaying provides major health benefits for your dogs.

Grooming:

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.

Exercise:

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.

Diet:

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.

His Coat

The little Bolognese isn’t a big shedder so he isn’t a high maintenance pet. His long cloud of white hair can’t just be left though, because it will become tangled and dirty. Get the right grooming tools because his hair will require a good brushing every 2nd day or so. Professional grooming will also be required to keep his coat in tip-top condition.

Feeding your Bolognese

You may want to use commercially manufactured dog food from leading brands recommended by your vet for small breed dogs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just like you want some variety in your diet, so does your pet.

Rice, meat and vegetables can be added into his food now and then as well as ensuring he has some raw meat in his diet. This is important if you want to ensure the health of your dog. Never leave your pet without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Clean your pet’s ears

You can actually buy pet ear cleaners but you have to very careful not to go too deep into your pet’s ears as this can cause damage.

Teeth

Brush your dog’s teeth a couple of times a week. Never use human toothpaste. You can buy special dog’s toothpaste and toothbrush.