Great Dane vs Gran Mastin de Borinquen - Breed Comparison

Known as the Deutsche Dogge or Apollo of dogs, the giant-breed Great Dane hails from Germany and not Denmark as many people believe.

The large Great Dane has been around for about 400 years already. They descend from mastiff-like dogs, being needed to protect country estates.

In the 18th century, apart from watching over estates, they were also popular with the upper class for sport.

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 Great Dame is a tall, lean, athletic, muscular, elegant looking dog. He can stand anything between 76–86cm in height and weigh around 54–90kg. The large head is long and narrow, and the medium sized floppy ears can be left or they can be cropped.

The tail is long and held low. The coat is short and smooth and can be in several colors such as fawn, black or brindle.

Temperament:

Any kind of aggressiveness was bred out of the Great Dane and today he is a gentle giant of a dog, getting on well with other dogs, children and everyone in his human family.

Even though he is a gentle giant, he will still require training and socialization just because of his size. Then they become the devoted pet that they are so well known to be. You'll want to know that when he comes indoors, he will obey you when you tell him to lie-down, sit or come, otherwise his sheer size will see him knocking things accidentally off table-tops.

He is an intelligent dog and is eager to please so he'll learn easily. He craves human companionship, so make sure that your social Dane has plenty of interaction with you.

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 Great Dane is a large breed, bred to hunt wild boar. The intelligence, bravery and fearless nature of the dog meant that he was sought after for this task.

Known as the Apollo of Dogs, you won’t find the Great Dane being used for hunting purposes anymore, being more suited as a companion dog.

While developed as a working breed, today he is a well balanced, intelligent, calm, loving, social, dependable dog that just wants to be loved by his human family and to provide love, loyalty and companionship back in return.

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.

Typically of giant dogs, the Great Dane doesn't have a particularly long life-span and will live to be about 8 to 10 years of age. Also, giant-breed dogs like this are susceptible to what is known as bloat.

You'll notice it because there is swelling of the stomach with gas buildup and also twisting of the stomach. It's a life-threatening condition and you'll need to get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. You can combat it by feeding him smaller, more frequent meals and perhaps buying a slow-feeder dish, forcing your hungry pet to eat slower and not gulp his food down.

Also, large dogs like this can develop hip dysplasia and with a dog like the Great Dane, it takes a while for the bones and joints to grow and then become stable. That is why it is important not to make him do any vigorous exercise till he is at least 18 months of age, as these exercises can put a lot of stress on the joints and bones which can lead to hip dysplasia later on.

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.

Diet:

This is a large dog so you’ll notice that with commercially manufactured dog foods, there are those made specially for large- or giant breeds. It is important to choose the right dog food for his large size so that you can be sure he gets the right amount of nutrients in for him to grow strong and healthy.

If you aren't sure about what food would most benefit your Great Dane, ask your vet. While it is important to also feed him quality home-made food and raw meat, when buying kibble for him,check the label of the food you buy him and make sure that the concentration of protein isn’t more than 23 to 25%.

Remember to provide him with a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Grooming:

Brush your Great Dane’s coat at least twice a week. He has a short, smooth coat so it will be easy, and the brushing will keep his coat soft and shiny. Use this time to also check for fleas and ticks or lumps. You will also need to check his nails and trim them if they don’t trim down on their own.

Exercise:

Your Great Dane will need to be exercised every day if you want him to maintain his lean, muscular shape. It keeps him happy too. He isn’t the kind of dog though that you want to turn into your running partner when you go jogging or cycling. He can go on a walk and play in the garden, but the exercising shouldn’t be for long periods of time.

His first checkup:

Every puppy needs to get to the vet for his first check-up when he is 6 weeks of age, and your Dane will also have to. As a puppy he will need to be de-wormed which will happen with this 6 week check up. He will also be vaccinated for distemper.

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.