Dog Breed of the Week: Pug
Ah, the wonderful Pug! I am so excited to feature this breed during the holiday season, because the Pug personality pretty much sums up the holiday spirit. These little round dogs are jolly, happy souls. They are affectionate, energetic and even-tempered. If Santa was a dog, he might be a Pug! What's cuter than a Pug dressed as Santa?
Despite their reputation for breathing problems and eye issues, I think Pugs make delightful pets. It has been said that the Pug is "a lot of dog in a small space" - this could not be more true. Pugs are active yet compact dogs that make wonderful companions for all kinds of families. It is no surprise that the Pug was once the pet of royalty and the companion of Tibetan monks.
Are you a Pug fanatic? Tell us about it! Or, better yet, submit a photo of your Pug (with or without holiday dress-up gear).
Photo © inajeep on Flickr
Comments
First, I love pugs! My next door neighbor has a really active but calm and mellow at the same time, adorable and friendly pug. His name is Mo. Don’t like the name but love the dog.
Mo always liked Isaac, my guide dog, and was constantly running to me for affection and to Isaac for play.
Then disaster struck, in the form of a tiny ball of flffy, tiny, and scared, fear-biting and constant excessive barking that was their new Chihuahua. This dog, if possible and I don’t know since I love animals) is the dog from hell! While she used to cringe in fear as a puppy, she has translated that fear response to act in other areas. She refused to be housebroken, even in a litter box, she showed no interest, even with food rewards, in learning even some of the most basic dog social skills or commands.
Still, they breeded Mo the pug with Deedee the chihuahua which resulted in their other dog, an energetic and dominant blue heeler, become so mean to poor little Mo, the pug with the gentle, friendly, outgoing and energetic sweetheart that the two dogs had to have constant supervision.
Mo never used to bark. He was friendly to everybody from the time they got him as a pup. (We’re talking about the purebred pug bought from a reputable breede . Sheila, the blue heelr, ran her other people family members till they literally dropped. She not only kept everybody awake well into the hours of the early morning barking up a storm, but when Mo and Deedee came, their barking escalated and so did Mo’s and their barking was worse when Deedee was around.
Now they breed Deedee with Mo, which yields a cute little male pup they named oso. (Spanish for Bear.) But Oso learned well from his mother. He was antisocial and barks incessantly as well. There was only one puppy with that litter and, thankfully the couple did not choose to breed either Mo or Deedee again, making sure they were spayed and neutered and so is Sheila, the blue heeler, just in case she goes out and has a close encounter with a possibly unhealthy stray.
Thank goodness Ginger, my pet mixed breed dog, gets along with pretty much everybody, though she does bark when someone comes near the door or knocks or rings the doorbell, and I don’t discourage this. In fact, I invite it because, particularly when I’m home alone or when someone comes by whom I’m not expecting, I need the warning. Ginger is, to the vet’s best guess, about eight. I think someone has trained her at one time to be a guard dog. She excels at that. Once she sees that I approve of the person, she’ll step away and allow herself to be patted. But sometimes, like when a friend is here and she knows it, she’ll bark in excitement to let me know someone she know and likes is there.
A new guide dog will soon enter my life. My last one retired earlier this year due to inoperable cancer and had to stop working right away because of the fact that he rapidly developed cataracts and suddenly lost his vision. Thankfully, I had known something was wrong when he started brushing me into objects he had previously avoided or taken me around. While there were no safety issues, I could sense his growing lack of confidence in traffic.
So I applied for what is called a “successor” (they used to use “replacement” but nobody liked that because, while a dog can take over guiding responsibilities, wile you trust your lives literally to their paws and of course, their intelligent educated quick evaluation, decision making and action, they can never take the place in your heart of your first guide.
Now I will soon be enter class with others getting dogs, some for the first time, some who are veteran handlers. It’s always exciting and the class is being conducted by one of my few favorite trainers. So I’m psyched!
Check the vet. medicine site ASAP. I am posting an extremely serious warning from a reputable source (authenticity has been check in many ways, including on the site truthorfiction.com, which I I and some other respected trainers and others in the field, think is better than scopes for up-to-date information on dangerous animal products marketed as healthy ones. Will post the full text on vet med blog or forum, the ones on about.com, or will send directly To Janet for her to post appropriately or in case she wants to check with her reliable sources before putting the item up, which, if she does, she’ll find that it is a real threat.
Briefly, it concerns a flea and tick product which came out during this year called Promaris. (sorry, haven’t had time to check for proper spelling but you’ll recognize it when you see it. This product has been directly responsible (and there are vets and pet guardians who will corroborate this, the product has made numerous dogs and cats very ill. In one case, a woman who has seven dogs and several cats said that within a few symptoms of exposure to the medicine, the dogs and cats began frequent vomiting, were staggering, dizzy and disoriented, and all had to be hospitalized for observation at an animal hospital. Some stayed longer than other, treatment for all being sub-cu fluids. All are safely home. But, had this person been either away afrter applying the preparation or away for the day working, the animals almost surely would have died. There have been other cases, though most I’ve heard about did not result in death. However, this woman’s vet bills were thousands of dollars because of the adverse effects of this product. Please, if you have it, return it to your vet. It is vet prescribed and not sold in stores. If you see the symptoms mentioned above, get to your vet fast! Hopefully, all of these products will soon be recalled and totally out of vet’s offices. In the meantime, if your vet wants to prescribe this, show him your Internet research-based evidence, which can now be found on several sites, and refuse the product, aski for a well-established alternative and strongly urge the vet to pull this product from his/her shelves if that has not already been done.
Thanks.
Marda
I have an ori ~ pei ~yep~ those crazy designer pups and he is 1/2 PUG 1/2 shar pei ! He is a wonderful addition to our family. He has a sweet disposition loving at times and he can be mischievous at others. That is what makes him unique! The pug half and the shar pei half. Would not trade him for the world. Even though he is a full bred ori pei, his origins come from 1/2 pug and he is just a cutie for sure Love him!
I have a 6 yr old black pug and he is my best
friend, the love of my life. I wanted a pug for several yrs and my father and I were extremely close and right before he passed
away he bought Buster for me. He must have known that Buster would be a big help to me in my life and he sure is. Pugs are so awesome I can’t say enough about them. Katie
Rescued a black pug 5 months ago that was dumped at the city animal control. He had eye, ear, and skin infections, his teeth were covered in tartar, most of his hair had fallen out from fleas and was skin and bones. After several hundred dollars in vet bills and alot of TLC, I have discovered this little guy is the best dog I’ve ever owned. He is very well behaved, loves to ride in the car, and has the best personality. He almost seems to understand human language and knows eactly what I’m saying. His demeaner is so much different from any dog I’ve ever owned. He does snore but that just makes him cuter.
We have a seven week old female pug, all black except a white line on her chest. She is very playful and is responding to house training very well. Sh sleeps in the crate and does not object to going in for a nap.
My question concerns pug’s ability to swim, I was told due to the big head and short neck, they cannot swim. Any truth to this, I have searched the internet for an answer, but could not find it.
what are the 8 dog breads that make up the pug
I just love pugs myself. Whenever I watch any family dog movie that has pugs, I immediately adored them even though they are puppies as well. Also they are so cute doesn’t matter what color there is but eventually I might considered to buy each one of them and name both from Disney’s ” Lilo and Stitch” .
I have a pug who is 5 years old. He has been having seizure and I’m really worried. The vet said its normal but its still upsetting. Anyone else have this problem???
Lisa - to be on the safe side, perhaps you should ask for a referral to a veterinary neurologist. He/she can help determine if there is an underlying cause or at least help to better manage the seizures.
Good Luck!
Jenna