Jessica Alba with her two pug puppies...
A Pug is a toy dog breed with a wrinkly face and medium-small body. Pug puppies are often called puglets. The word "pug" may have derived from the Latin Pugnus (fist); the Pug's face can look like a clenched fist. Alternatively, "pug" may have come from the Old English Pugg, which was an affectionate term for a playful little devil or monkey.
The breed is often summarized as multum in parvo ("much in little"), in reference to the Pug's great personality, despite its small size.
Appearance of a Pug
While most Pugs appearing in eighteenth century prints tended to be long and lean, the current breed standards call for a square, cobby body, a compact form, deep chest, and well-developed muscle. Their heads, carried on arched necks, should be substantial and round, the better to accentuate their large, bulging, dark eyes. The wrinkles on their foreheads should be distinct and deep, and were especially prized by the Chinese as they seemed to spell out the character for prince. The ears should be smooth and soft, like black velvet and come in two varieties: "rose" (small, round and folded with the front edge angled toward the mask, giving the head a more rotund shape) and "button" (level with the top of forehead and folded at a sharp ninety degree angle). Breeding preference goes to "button" Pugs. The lower teeth should protrude farther than their upper, meeting in an underbite.
Coat and color of a Pug
Their fine, glossy coats can be apricot, fawn, silver or black. A silver coat is characterized by a very light coloured coat, absent of black guard hairs. Some unscrupulous breeders call "smutty" Pugs silver. A "smutty" Pug typically has a very dark head, with no clear delineation at the mask, and dark forelegs. The tail should curl tightly over the hip; a double curl is considered perfection.
Pugs of different coat types shed to varying degrees, but they all shed year round. Fawn Pugs, which have both an undercoat and an overcoat, are the most notorious for shedding. Pug owners have gone to great lengths to control this Pug characteristic. Partial solutions to the problem involve using special shampoos, supplementing or changing the Pug's diet, or even trimming the Pug's coat. Alternatively, regular coat grooming can keep the shedding down.
The silver variety of pug is much less common in the United States with Black and Fawn being the dominant colors. A pug with a hard or woolly coat are considered objectionable by the AKC and are viewed unfavorably in shows. There is supposed to be a clear trace or black line extending from the head of the pug to the tail. Additionally, moles and birthmarks are accepted and are not viewed upon unfavorably.
Temperament of a Pug
The stern expression of the Pug belies its true sense of fun. Pugs are very sociable dogs, and usually stubborn about certain things,but they are playful, charming, clever and are known to succeed in dog obedience skills. Pugs are sensitive to the tone of a human voice, so harsh punishment is generally unnecessary. You can tell a pug understands because when you yell, their ears go back and their eyes look straight back at you with a sad look on their face and tail slightly down. Pugs are the type of breed which are upset when they know you are mad at them. While Pugs usually get along well with other dogs and pets, they generally prefer the company of humans and require a great deal of human attention; they may become slightly anxious or agitated if their owner ignores them or does not play with them; however some may occupy themselves when the owner is away. In general, they are very attentive dogs, always at their owner's feet, in their lap, or following them from room to room.
Health of a Pug
Pugs have large, expressive eyes and a wrinkled face. These wrinkles can sometimes cause adverse health effects.
Because Pugs lack longer snouts and prominent skeletal brow ridges, they are susceptible to eye injuries such as puncture wounds and scratched corneas and painful Entropion. Also, the compact nature of their breathing passageways can cause problems such as difficulty breathing. Furthermore, dogs regulate their temperature through evaporation from the tongue. Because of the problems Pugs have with breathing, in conjunction with how all dogs regulate their temperature, Pugs may have trouble controlling their temperature. Pugs are bred to be indoor pets only, and must not be left outside in temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, despite loving to "sunbathe", and should never be left inside cars on hot days.
Pugs living a mostly sedentary life can be prone to obesity. Therefore, it is important for Pug owners to make sure their pets have regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Pugs can also suffer from a chronic form of granulomatous meningoencephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) specific to the breed called Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE). There is no known cause or cure for PDE, although it is believed to be an inherited disease. All dogs tend to either die or are euthanised within a few months after the onset of clinical signs.
The Pug, like other short-snouted breeds, has an elongated palate. When excited, they are prone to a "reverse sneeze" where the dog will quickly, and seemingly laboriously, gasp and snort. This is caused by fluid or debris getting caught under the palate and irritating the throat or limiting breathing. "Reverse sneezing" episodes will not hurt a Pug, but it will scare the dog, and maybe its owners, a good deal. The quickest way to stop these episodes is to talk to them calmly and gently rub the throat to induce swallowing. Otherwise, the reverse sneezing will usually resolve on its own. It is important that future and present pug owners recognize this phenomenon as a pathological symptom rather than value it as a seemingly endearing behavioral pattern.
A Pug is a toy dog breed with a wrinkly face and medium-small body. Pug puppies are often called puglets. The word "pug" may have derived from the Latin Pugnus (fist); the Pug's face can look like a clenched fist. Alternatively, "pug" may have come from the Old English Pugg, which was an affectionate term for a playful little devil or monkey.
The breed is often summarized as multum in parvo ("much in little"), in reference to the Pug's great personality, despite its small size.
Appearance of a Pug
While most Pugs appearing in eighteenth century prints tended to be long and lean, the current breed standards call for a square, cobby body, a compact form, deep chest, and well-developed muscle. Their heads, carried on arched necks, should be substantial and round, the better to accentuate their large, bulging, dark eyes. The wrinkles on their foreheads should be distinct and deep, and were especially prized by the Chinese as they seemed to spell out the character for prince. The ears should be smooth and soft, like black velvet and come in two varieties: "rose" (small, round and folded with the front edge angled toward the mask, giving the head a more rotund shape) and "button" (level with the top of forehead and folded at a sharp ninety degree angle). Breeding preference goes to "button" Pugs. The lower teeth should protrude farther than their upper, meeting in an underbite.
Coat and color of a Pug
Their fine, glossy coats can be apricot, fawn, silver or black. A silver coat is characterized by a very light coloured coat, absent of black guard hairs. Some unscrupulous breeders call "smutty" Pugs silver. A "smutty" Pug typically has a very dark head, with no clear delineation at the mask, and dark forelegs. The tail should curl tightly over the hip; a double curl is considered perfection.
Pugs of different coat types shed to varying degrees, but they all shed year round. Fawn Pugs, which have both an undercoat and an overcoat, are the most notorious for shedding. Pug owners have gone to great lengths to control this Pug characteristic. Partial solutions to the problem involve using special shampoos, supplementing or changing the Pug's diet, or even trimming the Pug's coat. Alternatively, regular coat grooming can keep the shedding down.
The silver variety of pug is much less common in the United States with Black and Fawn being the dominant colors. A pug with a hard or woolly coat are considered objectionable by the AKC and are viewed unfavorably in shows. There is supposed to be a clear trace or black line extending from the head of the pug to the tail. Additionally, moles and birthmarks are accepted and are not viewed upon unfavorably.
Temperament of a Pug
The stern expression of the Pug belies its true sense of fun. Pugs are very sociable dogs, and usually stubborn about certain things,but they are playful, charming, clever and are known to succeed in dog obedience skills. Pugs are sensitive to the tone of a human voice, so harsh punishment is generally unnecessary. You can tell a pug understands because when you yell, their ears go back and their eyes look straight back at you with a sad look on their face and tail slightly down. Pugs are the type of breed which are upset when they know you are mad at them. While Pugs usually get along well with other dogs and pets, they generally prefer the company of humans and require a great deal of human attention; they may become slightly anxious or agitated if their owner ignores them or does not play with them; however some may occupy themselves when the owner is away. In general, they are very attentive dogs, always at their owner's feet, in their lap, or following them from room to room.
Health of a Pug
Pugs have large, expressive eyes and a wrinkled face. These wrinkles can sometimes cause adverse health effects.
Because Pugs lack longer snouts and prominent skeletal brow ridges, they are susceptible to eye injuries such as puncture wounds and scratched corneas and painful Entropion. Also, the compact nature of their breathing passageways can cause problems such as difficulty breathing. Furthermore, dogs regulate their temperature through evaporation from the tongue. Because of the problems Pugs have with breathing, in conjunction with how all dogs regulate their temperature, Pugs may have trouble controlling their temperature. Pugs are bred to be indoor pets only, and must not be left outside in temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, despite loving to "sunbathe", and should never be left inside cars on hot days.
Pugs living a mostly sedentary life can be prone to obesity. Therefore, it is important for Pug owners to make sure their pets have regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Pugs can also suffer from a chronic form of granulomatous meningoencephalitis (an inflammation of the brain) specific to the breed called Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE). There is no known cause or cure for PDE, although it is believed to be an inherited disease. All dogs tend to either die or are euthanised within a few months after the onset of clinical signs.
The Pug, like other short-snouted breeds, has an elongated palate. When excited, they are prone to a "reverse sneeze" where the dog will quickly, and seemingly laboriously, gasp and snort. This is caused by fluid or debris getting caught under the palate and irritating the throat or limiting breathing. "Reverse sneezing" episodes will not hurt a Pug, but it will scare the dog, and maybe its owners, a good deal. The quickest way to stop these episodes is to talk to them calmly and gently rub the throat to induce swallowing. Otherwise, the reverse sneezing will usually resolve on its own. It is important that future and present pug owners recognize this phenomenon as a pathological symptom rather than value it as a seemingly endearing behavioral pattern.