The pug is a small and chunky hound that is appreciated for his great friendliness, joviality, and good character. Playful, affectionate and sociable, he is a very pleasant life companion, especially suited to life in an apartment. This little dog requires certain comforts and constant attention to grow happily.
The pug’s heritage is ancient: he was created and bred in China (and was particularly valued among mandarins), but he is also very popular in Holland and England. These two nations have each claimed to be the creators of the race on the basis of the very good selection work they have done over many years. Finally, Britain prevailed and the paternity of the pug breed was attributed to those troubled isles. The pug may have experienced difficult times over the years, but today he is celebrated for his true value; however, potential owners should give serious thought as to whether they wish to encourage the breeding of these troubled brachycephalic beings.
FCI breed nomenclature
FCI Group
Group 9 - Companion and Toy Dogs
Section
Section 11 : Small Molossian type Dogs
Physical characteristics of the Pug
Adult size
Female :
Between 10 and 13 in
Male :
Between 12 and 16 in
Weight
Female :
Between 13 and 18 lb
Male :
Between 13 and 18 lb
Coat colour
The coat can be silver, apricot, fawn or black.
Black
Blue
Red
Sand
Type of coat
The coat’s hair is short.
The coat is shiny, thin, smooth, and soft. The hair must not be hard, nor woolly, if the pug is to match the official standards of the breed.
Short
Eye colour
The eyes must be dark in colour.
Brown
Description
This small hound is "multum in Parvo" which translates as a big deal in a small space. His body is compact and chunky, and his musculature is visible. The Pug’s legs are neither too long nor too short, and he should not be skinny.
Good to know
Due to the reproduction of increasingly ‘exaggerated’ dogs (their muzzles increasingly flat), dogs of this breed are born with obvious impediments, given their heavy respiratory problems.
In this small hound, the condition causes quite significant snoring and a very loud sound as he breathes. This is mainly due to the narrowing and tightness of the nose. This may look amusing, but it is the result of a real malformation, caused by the unscrupulous efforts of some breeders to produce more and more pug-like pugs.
Temperament
100%
Affectionate
The pug is a particularly friendly dog, very attached to his masters and fond of everyone. As long as he is the centre of attention, he feels good.
100%
Playful
This little hound is a real clown who loves to amuse the audience. He can get along very well with children since he likes to play and ‘make jokes’. He is very playful so he will delight both the young and old.
66%
Calm
The pug puppy’s behaviour can be somewhat turbulent but he is calm once grown.
66%
Intelligent
This small dog’s intellectual capacity is well-known but often too little exploited. He is very docile and he understands what is expected of him if we take the time to teach him properly.
However, his stubbornness has been known to stand in the way of him completing tasks as instructed.
33%
Hunter
The Mops, as he is adorably known in Germany and Poland, has no predatory instinct. If he encounters what he might consider a prey, he will show himself to be indifferent, somewhat intrigued and curious but never predatory.
33%
Fearful / wary of strangers
This dog is neither fearful nor aggressive when around strangers; he welcomes them enthusiastically, especially if they spoil him with treats and a fuss. However, if people do not show him any interest, he is quite prepared to ignore them.
33%
Independent
It is only with his masters that this small format hound will be happy. He is very attached, sometimes overly so, to his social group. In fact, the risk of developing hyper-attachment is very much present.
Behaviour of the Pug
33%
Tolerates solitude
The Pug is not a great loner, he lives very poorly in the absence of his masters and vindictively when they return. The ideal scenario for him is to be always surrounded by his masters at home or for them to take him everywhere.
100%
Easy to train / obedience
This dog is, against all odds, and contrary to common belief, easy to educate! You just need the right attitude and patience to get results.
Education should be firm and constant to compensate for his occasional stubborn side but you must never be brutal. Since he is very sensitive, the Pug needs an education based on respect of the principles of positive education: the reinforcement of good deeds and not the systematic sanction of the bad ones.
Finally, it is important to note that despite the small size of this dog, he must complete his schooling if he is to fit in to society.
In fact, small dogs are often not educated as much as large ones simply because the consequences of poor education are considered to be less dangerous. Regardless of what you have heard, this is incorrect and early education must be put in place, no matter the size of the dog.
33%
Barking
Very discreet; the pug barks very little. He may be noisy at the arrival of guests but not to excess.
33%
Tendency to run away
He is very attached to his master but also to his comfort, and thus this little hound prefers not to move away from his family cocoon. To find himself alone outside would be the worst thing that could happen to him.
