Rafeiro do Alentejo vs Puggle - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

Known also as the Portuguese Mastiff, the Rafeiro do Alentejo comes from Portugal and has always been used as guardian for livestock. Their numbers declined quite a bit when there was no longer a need for this kind of job.Today it is essentially a companion dog.

The official standard of the Rafeiro do Alentejo was established in 1953. The dog is is recognized as a breed by the Portuguese Caniculture Club as well as the Federation Cynologique Interationale.

The first Puggle was bred in the United States in the 1980s and was registered with the American Canine Hybrid Club.

None of the major kennel clubs recognize Puggles as a dog breed. The Puggle is a mix between the Pug and the Beagle, and is essentially a companion dog. Both the parent dogs are popular pets and each of the dogs - the Pug and the Beagle have their own histories.

The Alentejo is a large dog standing at between 64 and 75cm in height and weighing 45 to 60kg. He is a powerful dog with a deep chest, dark eyes, floppy ears. His coat is short to medium length, thick and straight. The color of the coat is a mix of fawn, a wolf grey, white, cream and black.

Temperament:

This is a serious dog with a calm demeanour about him. It doesn’t matter how calm he is though, as every dog will require training ad socialization if you want to enjoy having an obedient, well mannered dog around you. This is particularly important with a large, independent, self-confident, territorial dog like this.

He isn’t an aggressive dog but he is protective, wanting to guard and look out for his human family. They are dogs that get on well with children and other pets in the home, being wary of strangers.

They’re not recommended for life in small properties in the city as he requires a large garden at least.

The Puggle isn’t a purebred and he has short legs, a fairly thickset body, a crooked tail and medium length, floppy ears.

The Puggle’s coat is short and smooth and the colors can be anything between fawn, white, tan with bi-coloring such as black and white or even tri-colored such as white, black and tan.

He may have the black mask like the Pug has or he may not. He stands in height between 25-38cm and weighs between 4 and 13kg.

Temperament:

The Puggle brings fun and games into every household with his bright, sociable personality. He gets on well with children and other dogs and makes a splendid pet and friend.

He is intelligent, albeit a bit stubborn too, but you can teach him some simple commands such as sit, stay and lie down. They are dogs which can adapt well to life in the city or in the countryside.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a quiet dog, but intelligent and strong-willed. Training and socialization will make him easy to get on with.

He will become an excellent companion, and can come indoors because he is well mannered and considerate. He was bred to be a guard dog, and the responsibilities he had taking care of livestock has been transferred to looking out for- and protecting his human family.

He makes a wonderful pet and companion, even with children and other pets, more so when brought up correctly by loving, firm, consistent dog owners.

Puggles are lively dogs who are always up for a game. They are affectionate and loving towards their human family and get on well with strangers too.

They’re the kind of dogs who love a game outside but then are more than happy to cozy up on the couch with you.

Puggles love the attention of their family members and in exchange for your attention he is willing to shower you with his companionship and devotion.

The Rafeiro do Alentejo is a generally healthy dog breed, and with good care can get to 11, 12 or 13 years of age.

Of course with a large dog like this, it is always a good idea to be aware of canine hip dysplasia, particularly because this is a large dog with a deep chest.

This makes him also vulnerable to bloat, a condition where the stomach swells with gas and which can be life threatening. Other things to watch for are ear infections and parasites.

Your Puggle isn’t likely to get sick often if you feed him healthy food, you exercise him and provide him with a loving, caring home. However, every dog can become ill, and Puggles can battle with the likes of Cherry Eye, skin problems and Hip Dysplasia among other ailments too.

Because of the Pug being a brachycephalic breed, your Puggle might also battle with respiratory problems.

Hip Dysplasia:

Hip Dysplasia is a common canine disease that has no respect for age or breed of dog. Even young dogs can develop this heritable condition where the thighbone doesn't fit properly into the hip joint. Dog have pain in one or both of the rear legs, and can become totally lame. Arthritis can also develop.

Cherry Eye:

This is when the gland in the dog’s third eyelid bulges out as a red mass. It can be treated surgically.

Grooming:

Make your grooming time with this serious, calm canine friend of yours a special bonding time. His coat simply requires a brush twice a week to keep it healthy and shiny.

While bushing him, run your hands over him to make sure there aren’t any unusual lumps. Check inside the floppy ears to make sure they’re not red which could be the start of a painful ear infection.

Look a his nails and trim them if they’ve become too long. Check inside his mouth and make sure there aren’t any black, rotten teeth as this can seriously impact the health of your pet.

Exercise:

Options for exercise will include long walks and a chance to run off his leash. In the back yard it will be to his benefit to throw balls for him to fetch. You can even bring him indoors and play some calm games with him. He should have exercise every single day.

Diet:

Good food is needed for good health. It is always convenient to make use of the commercially manufactured dog foods there are on the market.

You don’t want to feed this to your dog day after day so provide your pet with some tasty home-made food too. Dogs want simplicity and consistency with their diets so they don’t battle with upset stomachs and an unnecessary trip to the vet.

Some home-cooked food twice a week and added to the dry kibble can keep him healthy and happy. Boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach will be perfect for him. Chop the food up finely and add it into the dry kibble once or twice a week.

Some people even cook it in bulk, refrigerate it and warm up small portions to add to the kibble. Raw meat added in occasionally can also be a good treat. Make sure your pet is never without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Exercise:

The Puggle can settle into life in the city or the countryside as he doesn’t require too much exercise. That doesn’t mean however that you can just ignore his exercise needs, as doing so can make him overweight and unfit.

Take him for walks and play games with him indoors as well as outdoors.

Grooming:

The Puggle, with his short-haired coat, is a low maintenance dog that is easy-to-groom. A good brush twice a week will be excellent for him.

A brushing session gives you a chance to look inside his ears for signs of redness and ear infections, to look at his eyes and have a good look inside his mouth. Bad teeth can cause pain but can also cause illness throughout the body.

Trim your dog's claws as well, because left too long they can hook on things and rip the flesh.

Diet:

Our canine children rely on us for good food to stay healthy. Luckily, for convenience sake, there are excellent commercially manufactured dog foods on the market. The best ones ensure that your dog gets a good balance of vitamins and minerals.

However, you want to also provide your pet with some tasty home-made food too. Dogs thrive on simplicity and consistency, and home-cooked food twice a week and added to the dry kibble can keep him healthy and thrilled with his lot.

Boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach will be excellent for him – it is simple just as he likes it and it is nutritious. Chop the food up finely and add it into the dry kibble. Also, your Puggle will do well on some raw meat occasionally too as this keeps the skin free of rashes and free of infections.

Make sure he is never without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.