The Pug – Cute Determined Heros
Pugs are piggy looking sweet little dogs, with piggy personalities to match. They are affectionate, smart, and extremely prone to overeating.
The body of the pug is stocky and compact, thick, and square-set, with a very soft and sleek short coat that may be black, fawn, apricot, or silver. The muzzle –among its most defining features – is flat, short and black. Its ears are velvety, short, and pendant, sometimes in a rose shape. The Pug’s eyes are dark and shiny, and are also quite prominent and expressive. The back of the Pug is short, and its top-line is parallel to the floor. Its legs are straight and muscular, with its own unique rolling happy gait. The Pug’s tail curls tightly over onto its back.
Although quite small, Pugs have a lot of personality packed inside. They are extremely energetic and eager, while also loyal and loving. Very bright, they learn training exercises quickly, but rapidly become bored by repetition. It is unnecessary to use any form of harsh punishment on a Pug, because they are extremely sensitive to their owner’s tone of voice. A stern word is usually enough correction.
Among the older dog breeds, it is commonly believed that the Pug has been around in Asia since before 400 BC. There are a large number of theories about the ancestry of the Pug, ranging from thoughts that it is a small bulldog, to ideas that it is a short-haired Pekingese. There are even some people who believe that Pugs might be a miniature form of the Dogue de Bordeaux, a rare form of French Mastiff. No matter where the Pug came from, it seems that Pugs have always been popular. They were pets in Tibetan monasteries, and popular among upper Japanese society, then traveled to Europe where they were extremely fashionable in many different courts, reaching its peak in popularity during the Victorian era. In fact, the Pug was named the official dog breed of the Dutch House of Orange. This was declared after William of Orange’s life was saved by a Pug who alerted him to the approach of the Spanish army in 1572. Josephine, Napoleon’s wife, used a Pug to smuggle secret messages to Napoleon while she was in prison by tucking the notes under the dog’s collar.
The lifespan of a pug is, on average, around twelve to fifteen years. They are very sensitive to temperature extremes, and can easily catch the common cold. They are also prone to allergies, both year-round and seasonal. The shape of the Pug’s muzzle frequently leads to chronic breathing issues. Pugs typically have difficult births and usually require c-sections. Pugs are prone to skin problems and inflammation of the cornea (also known as keratitis), as well as weeping eyes. Pugs are pigs when it comes to eating, and will eat much more than is healthy, so it is important to closely monitor your pug’s weight so as not to shorten it’s life.
