pugs

Pug dog breeds History Appearance and Health Information

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Do not get trapped by this innocent wrinkled face of your dog. Pug is happy, laughing and want you to laugh with him. These dogs are fun loving, which makes them popular among other breeds. Pugs are the best choice if you are looking for a pet for your apartment. They get happier when being surrounded by a human family and will chase you from one room to another. No doubt Pugs are cutest dog breed with their attractive black, white and grey color having a charm of the black mask on face. People who once had a Pug will never go for any other breed.

History and Origin

“A lot in a little” is a maxim used for Pugs, which describes much about them. Through many years, Pugs have different names in different countries like MOPSHOND in Holland, DUTCH PUG in England and MOPS in Germany. But the most commonly known name “PUG” is considered to be derived from Latin word PUNGUS which means fist. As the face of Pug seems like a human fist.

There is no specific belief about forbears of Pugs, but many consider its originated from ASIA. China is known as the first land of Pugs where they were kept as home pets. Pugs are popular and admired in China because of its wrinkles, Wonder why? Because the pattern of wrinkles on Pugs face is similar to “prince mark” in Chinese figures.

Pug was first brought in Holland by the Dutch East India trading company. It became a pet to William III in the 16th century. Later it was known as an official dog of House of Orange. When William became king of England, they brought Pugs with them making it trend to pet a Pug. In 1970 Pug became popular in France as it served Napoleon, wife for conveying messages, while she was in prison. In England, Pugs become fashionable in the Victorian era. Since then, Pugs become a lovely home pet.

Personality and temperament of Pugs

You may get attracted to Pug because of its unique appearance. And no doubt it will win your heart by its fun-loving and charming personality. No matter how you dress up a Pug, it will make you laugh, while keeping the charisma of its personality.

Pug takes time to get trained. Pugs become little messy while eating and you may not succeed to stop them from getting grubby.
You can better handle a Pug’s mood if you understand its body language. Doing this will help you to get your pug housetrained, like when they want to go out or when to have a rest.

Have you started thinking that Pug is a perfect fit for your home? Well. You might be wrong. Yes! Because like any other breed of dog, Pug also has a habit of barking, digging and stealing food. They are known as more stubborn and hard to handle if not trained properly.
So, start training your dog the day you bring him home. The best way to train and instruct a Pug is to make him socialize. Pugs are very good at learning and adopting things so; they can get trained if you make them socialize in early ages.

The physical appearance of Pug breeds

pug

The main feature of Pug personality is its wrinkled face, which makes him charming and eye-catching. It has big round eyes, as his eyes are a prominent feature on the face, they can easily get injured so, proper care for moisture of eyes is needed. Pugs have an average height of 11 to 12 inches. Their weight varies between 14 to 18 pounds. They have squashed face with natural floppy ears. Its coat is fine and smooth with fawn and grey colors. Pugs have black marking on nose, ears, cheeks, and forehead. They carry a short curled tail.

Taking care of Pugs

As you know Pugs are fun loving and friendly. They are sensitive and gentle as well. This breed requires proper care and nutrition. Some basic things to consider in this regard are:

Diet

pugs diet

Pugs love to eat and a lot to eat, but they are an easy victim of obesity. So, you must keep an eye on calories consumption and weight gaining of your Pug. A good quality dog food is the best option for Pugs, whether you prepare it at home or bought it from the store. Take care about which human foods are good for the Pug and which are not. Diet should be according to the age of dog to avoid obesity. Clean and fresh food and water is a must for good health of the dog.

Exercise:

As discussed above, Pugs are fond of eating and relaxing, which leads to obesity. It is necessary to make them involved in some exercises like walking, running or playing in the courtyard. Although they love to snooze they are fun lovers as well. While taking them out for exercise keep in mind that Pugs are not a breed of hot or humid weather. In such seasons keep them in a cool place.

Training

Pug is a loving dog and wants to be loved. It feels happy when surrounded by family. It will chase you with affection wherever you go. As it always tries to make you laugh and happy it is easy to train them. Pugs are sensitive so tough and harsh training methods should not be used. The best option is to have puppy training classes.

Grooming

pug grooming

Pugs don’t need to get a bath daily. A slight brush can be used to remove hair from his smooth coat. If you feel any odor from your Pug, it is better to bath him once a week. Brush and clean his wrinkles especially. Trim his nails because long nails can be harmful to you as well as for him.

Health concerns

Pugs have an average life of 12 to 15 years. In this lifespan, they often get some health issues. One of the most observed problems is a Corneal ulcer. Pugs dark and prominent eyes may get dry. As Pugs have flat surface face due to which they may suffer from breathing problem especially in humid weather. Time to time check-up and medical tests are necessary to avoid Corneal Ulcer and serious diseases.

Buying a Pug Puppy


If you are so interested in buying and keeping a puppy Pug then you may go through the following procedures:

  • Use the web to search a good Pug on different sites or post it on social media about your interest. And you will get results in no time.
  • You can ask some local persons to help you get a dog. These may be a dog walker, dog reseller or, might be your neighbor.
  • The best available option now a day is to ask breed rescuer. They must have a perfect Pug for your apartment, and they will cooperate with you in your questions about characteristics and training of this particular dog.
pug puppy

FaQs

  • Are male Pugs bigger than females?
  • When should Pugs be neutered?
  • Do Pugs wrinkle require any special care?
  • Does Pug make a good watch or guard dog?
  • How long do Pugs normally live?

Also, read about the Golden retriever

Picture Credits: Lauren Miller/Flickr, Pixabay.com