MyDogBreeds
Muggin is originated from United States but Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is originated from Switzerland. Muggin may grow 58 cm / 22 inches shorter than Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Muggin may weigh 48 kg / 105 pounds lesser than Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Muggin may live 3 years more than Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. Both Muggin and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has almost same litter size. Muggin requires High maintenance. But Greater Swiss Mountain Dog requires Moderate maintenance
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.
Hailing from Switzerland, and one of its oldest dog breeds, the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has a dubious history in that there are a number of theories as to its origin. He is closely related to the Bernese Mountain Dog, Saint Bernard and Rottweiler.
Of all the theories, the one that says he is descended from large, mastiff-like dogs is a popular one. He used to be a herding- and guard dog, but also was used to pull carts of farm produce.
It was in the 1900s that the dog’s numbers started dwindling. In 1908, canine researcher, Albert Heim recognized the dogs as being large members of the Sennenhund type, a family of four breeds that includes the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog.
He wanted to see the dogs recognized as a separate breed and the Swiss Kennel Club listed the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog in 1909.
In 1968 they were brought to the United States and a club for them was formed. The dog was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1995 with the dog being recognized as a member of the Working group.
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.
Swissies, as they are often referred to as, are large, robust dogs, standing at 65–72cm and weighing anything between 50 – 70kg, with the females being slightly smaller and weighing a little less.
He has big, rounded paws, medium length floppy ears, a broad chest and a long tail. This is a heavy-boned dog, strong while still being agile.
His dense, double coat is black, white and tan or rust, with black on top of the dog's back, ears, tail and legs. There are two rust dots above each eye. The coat can be short and straight to medium length, coarse and wavy. The dog sheds throughout the year with a major shedding a couple of times a year.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a sociable canine, thriving on being part of a loving human family. While he used to be a working farm dog, today he is essentially a family pet, though he loves to still be busy.
He is generally friendly with strangers, but just like with all other dog breeds, he will need to be trained and socialized to turn him into an even-tempered, obedient dog, capable of getting on well with children and pets in the the home.
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.
The Swissy is an easy going dog and adapts easily into his human family’s lifestyle. He is big, but agile dog known for his gentle temperament.
While he loves the outdoors, he is a social dog and loves nothing more than coming indoors and being close to his human family.
He loves his family and won’t do well if left outside for days without human companionship. Treat him well and you’ll be rewarded with a loyal, loving 4-legged family member.
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 GSMD or Sennenhund, as his name is shortened to, is a fairly healthy dog breed, with very few health issues.
He has an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years, and although not likely, he can suffer from minor problems such as gastric torsion as well as female urinary incontinence. If your female dog is dribbling urine in her sleep, there are a number of reasons that can be causing it - bladder infections, a medical condition or a weakened bladder with spayed female dogs.
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.
The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog is a robust dog and thrives on a diet of kibble to raw meat to some cooked home-made food such as chicken, brown rice and vegetables.
A serious issue with the GSMD is overfeeding, resulting in uncomfortable digestive problems and of course, obesity.
Your GSMD isn’t a dog that is going to require a lot of exercise like some of the other dog breeds there are, but still his working career of the past requires that he still be taken on daily walks, enjoys ball- and rope games and to go swimming.
Brush your dogs coat at least twice a week to remove loose hears. Other grooming aspects include cleaning the ears to avoid infection, clipping his nails and brushing his teeth at least twice a week.
If you’re not sure how to do all these things, there are useful accessories for dogs that allow you to do all this grooming on your own. Your vet can also show you how as these are all things that will require ongoing attention.