Both Stephens Stock and Gran Mastin de Borinquen are originated from United States. Stephens Stock may grow 21 cm / 8 inches shorter than Gran Mastin de Borinquen. Stephens Stock may weigh 10 kg / 22 pounds lesser than Gran Mastin de Borinquen. Both Stephens Stock and Gran Mastin de Borinquen has almost same life span. Stephens Stock may have less litter size than Gran Mastin de Borinquen. Both Stephens Stock and Gran Mastin de Borinquen requires Low maintenance.
The Stephens Stock is a member if the Cur dog breeds. They are a scent hound bred in southeastern Kentucky by the Stephen’s family. For generations the dogs were simply known as the “little black dog”. The Cur breeds are dogs with a mixture of ancestry and the Stephens Cur is no different. However, the name Cur now means a working dog from the South in the United States. They were known as hunting and guard dogs, chasing wild boar, squirrel and raccoon. They were also called the Mountain Curs throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
These mountain working dogs came close to extinction by the 1940’s but four separate breeders set out to save the Mountain Curs. They were the founders of the Mountain Cur Club and involved Woody Huntsman of Kentucky, Carl McConnel of Virginia, Dewey Ledbetter of Virginia and of course Hugh Stephens of Kentucky. Later the name of the club was changed to the Original Mountain Cur Breeders Association or OMCBA. The Mountain View Cur, the Treeing Cur and the Stephens Stock Cur were the results of their efforts.
In the 1970’s Stephen’s decided that his Cur was different from the original Mountain Curs and should be a separate breed. He formed the Stephen’s Breeders Association and the breed was recognized as distinct from other Curs. However, it was not recognized by the UKC (United Kennel Club) until 1998.
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 Stephens Stock Cur is a breed of medium size, dark dogs – either very dark grey or black. Their heads are domed, and the muzzle is short with dark eyes. The breed’s chest is broad and deep with a neck of medium length and either a rough or smooth coat. They are smaller than the other Curs like the Black Mouth Cur or the Mountain View Cur.
They are strong and capable of treeing their prey. Their body is longer than it is high, and they have powerful and long legs. Their appearance is sleek and elegant. The nose is dark and square, and their stance is alert and that of a watchdog. This is an athletic hunting dog that is aggressive in the field and chilled at home.
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.
1. Children friendliness - They are tenacious on the hunt but once at home they love children.
3.Adaptability They are adaptable if you can get them the exercise, they need every day. They won’t do well in an apartment without going to play and run somewhere else every day.
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 Stephens Stock Cur is a fairly healthy breed, fairly isolated in the hills and mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. They are prone to a few health conditions but there are no genetic and breed specific issues.
• Ear and Eye Infections. Keep them clean and keep debris out of both ears and eyes after hunting.
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.
1.Feeding the puppy -Feed puppies a quality food desired for medium breed, high energy dogs. Puppies should eat 3 times a day about a total of 2 cups.
2.Feeding the adult Feed a high quality dog food with plenty of protein and designed for medium size dogs. Feed a total of 3 cups over 2 meals a day.
4. Games and Exercises – This is a very high energy treeing hunting dog with remarkable speed and agility. They need exercise – both physical and mental. One walk a day will not do it for these dogs. Have a fenced in yard or take them to organized activities like field trials, agility, flyball, hunting, search and rescue or barn hunt. They love to hunt with their people.
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.