Pug Dog Breed Facts

The pug dog breed generally has a great personality. They are sociable and playful, but not susceptible to the hyperactivity that many small dogs exhibit. The most striking feature of the pug is its face. The face, usually black and covered with deep furrows give the pug a look of great age and wisdom. There is also a uniqueness to each dog, because of the facial wrinkles, making distinguishing members of the pack easier. Pugs are lap dogs, being short and compact. A healthy pug will have a squared appearance and be heavily muscled.

Although pugs are able to get along with other animals they prefer the company of humans. They will often follow their masters from room to room or attempting to get on their laps. Pugs are comfortable running and playing with small children, but are also suitable for adults without children. They are comfortable with new people, but will alert their owners if a stranger enters the home. Because of this, the pug has been used as a guard dog in the past.

Care has to be taken not to allow pugs to become overweight as obesity is a big problem in the pug dog breed. Being an indoor dog, they are prone to laziness if not exercising regularly. You will also want to ensure that you do not feed it any scraps from your plate. The diet of a pug should consist of a quality dry dog food suitable for the age of the animal.

Pugs crave attention from their owners. They enjoy being spoken to by their owners and patted. A pug will be perfectly content to curl up with its master on the couch and watch a movie. Since pugs are prone to shedding this quiet time with master is a great opportunity to brush out the coat. Pugs can overheat very quickly and therefore should never be left in a locked car or a home that is too hot. If your pug begins to overheat, fill a tub with cold water and submerge the dog up to the neck. This will prevent heat exhaustion.

Pugs are very smart dogs and can be trained easily. They do however, possess a stubborn streak. The best way to deal with this is to start obedience training as early as possible. Remember to always project the image of pack leader to the dog. Treat the dog, like you would a child. Pugs are highly attuned to tones, so harsh discipline should not be required to correct behaviour.

The pug dog breed has a long and storied history which stretches into the mists of antiquity. They were originally bred by the Chinese royalty, possibly as early as 700 BCE. They were imported to Europe by the Dutch merchant marines in the 16th century. Pugs became a popular pet of European royalty after a pug alerted William III of kidnappers in the home.