Table of Contents
FOREWORD
K9 EXPERT EDUCATION
If you are considering a Pug to join your family, or have already succumbed to the Pugs many charms, congratulations. You are part of a wildly enthusiastic, worldwide group of dog lovers who refuse to consider the Pug a mere canine. Confidant, companion, cuddler extraordinairethe Pug is all these things and more.
The American Kennel Club breed standard uses the Latin phrase multum in parvo to describe the Pug. That translates to a lot of dog in a small package. Truer words were never written. Even owners who dont typically consider themselves small-dog people happily make an exception when it comes to the Pug.
This is a dog with tremendous heart, personality, and appeal. Few Pug people can stop at just one. Perhaps its a fawn and a black, or a male and a female. Something seems to compel lovers of the breed to share their lives with a pair of Pugs, or a peck of Pugs, or a pack of Pugs.
Live Pugs then give rise to the accompanying passion of collecting Pug stuff. From pillows to pins to prints to planters, there are goodies out there in every medium to buy, sell, and trade.
Once adopted, Pugs get taken everywhere by their adoring owners. Although classified as a breed in the American Kennel Clubs Toy Group, Pugs are big-boned and chunky. Still, they are wonderfully portable, and so youll see Pugs with their owners riding the bus and the subway in major cities, as well as being transported by car and airplane. Many owners take their Pugs to work with them, and certainly most vacation in Pug-friendly destinations. The truth is: Pugs are just too much fun to leave at home.
The Pug is an equal-opportunity lover. This is one of the few toy breeds sturdy enough to make a good pet for kind, considerate children. No worries about bubble gum destroying a glamorous hairdo that trails to the ground. The Pug is a spit-and-polish breed, requiring just a weekly brushing, along with eye and ear cleaning and nail trimming.
Pugs are also exceptionally sociable. Introduced early to other pets in the household, Pugs are happy to hang out with the family cat, or dogs of other breeds no matter the size. No one told Pugs they were a small dog. No Napoleon issues here.
I wont go so far as to say that Pugs are for slugs, but exercise is not a chore with this breed. So if youre the kind of owner who drives by the local gym three times a week, a Pug will probably thrive in your household. A couple of short walks a day will suffice. If you live in a hot or humid climate, make sure those walks are taken in the early morning and the cool of the evening. No midday walks in the sizzling sun for this short-muzzled, flat-faced breed.
With this Smart Owners Guide, you are well on your way to getting your Pug diploma. But your Pug education doesnt end here. Youre invited to join
Club Pug (
DogChannel.com/Club-Pug), a FREE online site with lots of fun and instructive online features like:
forums, blogs, and profiles where you can connect with other toy-dog owners
downloadable charts and checklists to help you be a smart and loving Pug owner
access to e-cards, wallpapers, and screensavers
interactive games
Pug-specific quizzes
The Smart Owners Guide series and Club Pug are backed by the experts at DOG FANCY magazine and DogChannel.comwho have been providing trusted and up-to-date information about dogs and dog people for forty years. Log on and join the club today!
Is the Pug a comic, a clown, a portable companion welcomed everywhere, or a barometer of his loved ones every mood? All of the above. Non-Pug owners consider him just a dog. Thats where Pug people beg to differ.
Allan Reznik
Editor-at-Large, DOG FANCY
CHAPTER 1
A PUGGY PERSONALITY
Pugs are possibly the luckiest dog breed on the planet. They have their own parties, they arent expected to work, they can snore as loudly as they like and wont get relegated to the living room couch, and their owners love them with a loyalty and passion thats almost religious. Fortunately, the loyalty and love are reciprocal, and Pugs arent shy about showing it.
For the Pug Pious, the Pug isnt just a dog, but a person disguised as a Pug; and not just any type of person, but royalty. Most Pug households have more than one Pug in residence: kings and queens of Pugdom teach their humans how life should be lived, Pug style. Even smart owners are often outwitted, being the dumber of the two species, of course, and because they dont always follow the Pug Rules of Life, which include, The Pug gets the best spot on the bed, and The Pug shall have access to all contents of the refrigerator on demand.
Breed enthusiasts describe the Pug as the perfect blend of dog appeal and wistfulness. A Pug will readily keep his owners amused and entertained for hours on end with his clown-like personality. Ownership of Pugs often runs in human families, with several generations having happily owned the breed. This is a personality dog, one just as comfortable living in a small home as he is in a spacious one. Some Pug owners call their Pugs little people, and when you know the breed, its easy to understand why!
In the 1997 movieMen in Black, a Remoolian alien took theform of Frank the Pug, played by a Pug named Mushu. Director Barry Sonnenfeld liked the little dogs performance so much that he expanded the part in the MIB sequel five years later.
Pugs are known for their huge and sparkly eyes, as well as their huge and lovable personas.
The Pugs bark is surprisingly deep for the breeds size. Indeed, a Pug is usually a good watchdog, ready to bark when the doorbell rings or when someone approaches the house. If you are a light sleeper, its worth bearing in mind that although not all Pugs snore, many do!
An exceptionally clean little dog, the Pug is remarkably free from doggie odors. Some consider the Pug a suitable breed for seniors and the disabled, though you should not forget that Pugs, like all other dogs, require some exercise. All things considered, a Pug usually seems happy to be whatever his owners need. He can be content to roll up in a ball at your feet while you are knitting or watching TV, he will enjoy a lively ball game, or he can just be a friendly clown, providing entertainment for his audience at home.
