PUG FAQ:

Country of Origin: China
Life Expectancy:l 13 - 14 yrs
Height Range: 10 - 11 in
Weight Range: 13 - 18 lbs
Colors: Silver, apricot, or fawn, with black mask, or solid black
Trainability: Average; very sensitive
With Children: Good
With Other Animals: Generally good
Climate: Very sensitive to heat
Indoor or Outdoor: Prefers indoors, but loves outdoor time
Exercise Required: Needs fair amount of exercise, and may have to be motivated
Grooming Required: Occasional brushing, eye and dental care. Heavy shedder

Basic Requirements:

Pugs do well in smaller homes and apartments, although they still need a moderate amount of exercise. They cannot be left outside for long in hot weather as they can easily overheat. Weekly brushing and occasional bathing will help to control minor to moderate shedding

Temperament:

Pugs are generally happy, lively people-oriented dogs. They make good family pets are are usually good with children.

Behaviour:

If you're thinking about getting a Pug, and want to know more about their temperament, here are some personality traits and other things we have found in our Pug:

-loving
-constantly crave attention (which needs to be given!)
-very playful
-outgoing
-very sociable, especially with people
-excellent companionship
-non-agressive, good natured
-somewhat devious at times (in a good way!)
-gentle and caring (whenever we're sick, he always stays with us and comforts us)
-very intelligent (sometimes it's hard to tell what he's planning next!)
-very human-like (everything they do is just like a little person from facial expressions to playing)
-they love to lie down on pillows and they enjoy sleeping in your bed
-they like to be part of every family activity (they always want to go wherever you go)
-very sensitive to people's emotions


General Information:

The pug is a toy dog that many consider ugly but it is actually a clownish dog. It has a good temper, is charming and also playful. It is a young dog perpetually trapped with an old man's face. It is a tame housedog that loves indoor living and is content exercising within the confines of the apartment or house. If you want all the good qualities of a good guard dog but have limited living quarters, the pug is the dog for you.

Most people are initially put off by the face of the pug. Actually the exterior is a mask for its playful nature. It knows how to adapt itself to its human companions. It is a good dog for a child and also for the elderly. The pug will make its human master the center of its attention.

The pug is so brave that it may approach other bigger dogs to socialize with them. If provoked, it will defend itself or its territory against all enemies. It is helped by its inherent nature of being adventurous and stubborn.

When you buy a pug puppy, you'll have an entire 2 years of pug puppyhood to enjoy with it and also to take care of it. Pug pups are mischievous and always attention seeking. They want company to play with. Sometimes, you may feel that it gets in your way. Adult pugs are more dignified and prefer to be silent escorts.

A pug's short coat requires minimal grooming with just brushing about twice weekly. Its unique facial wrinkles need regular cleaning because they trap dust, food and other types of dirt. Your pug will suffer discomfort or start to smell if its face is dirty.

A pug has a short nose so it experiences breathing difficulties with strenuous exercise. It is preferable to exercise and train your pug when the weather is cool in the early mornings or evenings. It needs short rests in-between exercises. You also need to bring a portable water container for it to lap up water to quench its thirst as well as cool its body.

Health Issues

EYES: The adorable big eyes of the Pug can also be a curse, Pugs are prone to so many eye problems it is almost worthy of a section all by itself! Any Pug worth his salt will stick his face into anything that interest them, unfortunately this means putting there vulnerable eyes in harms way. Running into obstacles as a puppy can be a problem but even in adult hood Pugs need to be careful of thorns, claws and many other objects.

PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) is the degeneration of the vessels around the retina. It usually begins with night blindness in younger dogs, their vision progressively deteriorates eventually leading to blindness. (All Our Pugs are PRA Eye Tested Clear)

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (Dry eye), This is caused by insufficient tear production and is characterised by red and painful eye with some discharge.A vet can measure the tear production to accurately diagnose this condition and can prescribe topical tear substitutes. (In hot Weather we use eye drops to PREVENT dry eye in our pugs)

MUZZLE: ESP (Elongated Soft Palate) This is Common in Brachycephalic: pron, bra-key-se--phalic; (short muzzled breeds), The cause is the obstruction of the dogs’ airways. The standard snoring of a Pug is a mild form of this condition,more severe cases can be heard through sounds such as honking, gasping for air and the blocking of the dogs’ vocal box. This condition can be corrected through surgery.

LEGS: Luxating Patella This is common in Pugs, and other breeds of small dogs. it is the dislocation of the small movable bone in the knee called the Patella from the femur. The Patella is normally held in place by ligaments.

General symptoms of can be seen by favoring the affected leg when walking or running. Affected Pugs may also have difficulty sitting down and getting up, Some Pugs have also been seen to run in a rabbit or bunny hop manner (lifting both legs up at the same time and leaping).

There are Mild and severe cases and they are differentiated by the Patella moving back into place on it’s own (mild case). In severe cases the Patella will come out of place frequently, even after being popped back in by a vet. Severe cases require surgery. this not only corrects the problem and relieves the pain, but also prevents the onset of arthritis. Surgery is delicate and expensive but is normally found to be successful.

This condition can be brought on by excess weight. Pugs will often eat excessively if allowed and therefore have weight problems.

General Care
 
Pugs like any other breed require ongoing care and attention. At first glance it might seem like a lot but can actually be a rewarding bonding experience for both Pug and parent and only takes a few minutes each day.
 

Facial Wrinkles
The wrinkles on a Pugs face are called folds, These folds serve as a great place to gather all sorts of unwanted stuff as your Pug pushes his face everywhere it should and should not be. Along with tears and mucous you end up with a pug who’s face smells like a damp umbrella. It is the parent’s job to keep these wrinkles clean. This is an easy task but getting the Pug used to it at an early age is a good idea as cooperation will make the task much easier.
 
Some owners recommend using an Ear Bud or Q-Tip, We would not recommend this as the slightest struggle from your Pug could cause an eye injury, instead use a flannel or a wet wipe with it’s corner dipped in cooled previously boiled water and run the corner of the flannel through the folds. We tend to do this weekly and usually find if done regularly that if thier is loose hair and dirt embedded inside it is removed.
 

Eyes
Great care must be taken with a Pugs eyes. They should be cleaned regularly, preferable in the morning to remove sleep, you can use an eye wash or previously boiled water. Clean around the eyes ONLY, DO NOT put anything into the eye. ALWAYS use a DIFFERENT cloth for each eye. NEVER use same cloth for both eyes, as you could potentially cross infect. If you notice the dog squinting or any discharge at all, bathe with, cooled, previously boiled water with a pinch of salt. IF IN DOUBT SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. We always carry a tube of Golden Eye cream or eye drops with us for emergency use.
 

Ears
Some Pugs will require there ears cleaned more often than others, every Pug is different, you can use ear cleaner dispensed by your vet or use previously boiled water and a flannel. You should clean as far into the ear as possible but not past the point of entering the cavity within the head. If you are unsure you can ask your vet or veterinarian nurse to show you how it is done. As with the eyes, use a new cloth for each ear, to prevent potential cross infection.
 

Teeth

This is one of the most overlooked and undervalued area of Pug care (indeed other breeds also). A high quality dry food diet can assist with cleaning there teeth but it is still necessary to clean them using an appropriate paste. Again it is best to get your pug used to this during puppyhood but you may find that you can’t find a small enough brush, if this is a case use a little past on you little finger to apply the past and get your Pug used to being handled in this way. You should use toothpaste designed for dogs and is available in many flavors such as chicken, beef or turkey to help encourage your Pug. NEVER use HUMAN TOOTHPASTE as it is not designed to be swallowed. Regardless of how well you pug is trained, it's unlikely you'll get him/her to rinse and spit!

 
Most people do not realise that plaque on your Pugs teeth will release harmful toxins into there digestive tract and bloodstream. This can be potentially life threatening. Also, regular cleaning will help prevent your pug from requiring a general anesthetic to have their teeth cleaned.
 

Nails/Claws
Pugs nails grow fast and are one of the strongest materials known to man. You’ve got 3 choices here. You can start learning how to do this yourself, take your Pug someplace to have it done such as the Vets or groomers which is recommended if you are squeamish. If you’re not squeamish, and your Pug does not mind too much, you can buy a good set of clippers and do it yourself, If you accidentally cause a nail to bleed you can put some Potassium Permanganate Powder on it to seal the vein and stop the blood flow. You should only cut the very tip (curved part) cutting off just a small amount more often is probably the best way (about every two weeks).
 
All Our dogs have average exercise for Pugs so once past the puppy stage and out walking you can take advantage of the 3rd option and let them wear down naturally.
 

Coat
It is recommended you brush your Pugonce a week or as needed, this will help keep fur around the house to a minimum but more importantly keep your Pug looking good. This once again can also be enjoyable for both Pug and Parent. A soft stainless steel brush or a grooming mit should be used. You should groom in the direction of the coat. Being lapdogs a little of a high quality doggy deodorant can also be used there are a few good ones on the market that contain Aloe Vera and/or Tea Tree Oil.
 
If you’re going to use a table to put your Pug on for brushing, make sure you hold your Pug securely, get down to their level and brush them on the floor or on your lap.
 

Bath Time
We have bathed our Pugs from 6 weeks old. Whilst a puppy your Pug will need bathed often and should be done as necessary. Once they are able to clean themselves you can still bath them once every couple of weeks with a good quality shampoo, we use human baby shampoo with a no tears formula, this does not seem to be too harsh or strip their coat of important oils needed to stay healthy and look good. ONLY bath coat as required. Our pugs need regular bathing as we live in the countryside and run through woods and farmland everyday. You will find the more pugs you have together the more you have to bath them :-)