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With that movie star package & the cute commercials come the problems
associated with the pug breed. The newness of "cute" soon wears
off as medical expenses and care become a reality. Here are some
facts compiled by owners and rescuers closely associated with this
breed.
Pugs demand your time and attention. Key word here is demand.
Pugs were bred solely as companion animals. They are "in your face"
all the time. Pugs are not satisfied to be pets; they have to be
family members. If your schedule is one that requires you be away
from your Pug the largest part of the time, this is NOT the dog
for you. In rescue we repeatedly see emotional scars left after
years of confinement and isolation. If your idea of quality time
is 12-14 hours in a crate, you are wrong.
Pugs cannot be left outside for any extended length of time in
extreme temperatures. Those short noses and "ran into a wall" faces
just do not allow the Pug to heat or cool properly. Left out in
weather extremes a Pug can die; and at the very least, suffer severe
respiratory and eye problems from exposure. Many Pugs enter rescue
with exposure ulcers caused by "dry eye" often resulting in loss
of the eye.
Pugs shed all of the time, 365 days a year, each and every year.
This hair will stick to every object you have, no getting around
it. Black or fawn, they shed. If you have purchased or adopted a
Pug and are astounded to discover this, you did not do your research.
You will not find a Pug that does not shed. It is just not going
to happen.
The more wrinkles the cuter the Pug!! Cute soon fades when the
daily care becomes a necessity. These folds of skin are just an
invitation to the growth of yeast and bacteria. These areas, along
with their ears, must be cleaned regularly.
Stamina is not a word you will find as one of the reasons to consider
this breed. While there is a small percentage of Pugs with athletic
abilities, and some actually do excel in agility and obedience,
most will ask "why bother?"
Health concerns are a given part of this breed. Pugs are born with
the strong tendency to develop not only eye and skin problems, but
often require knee repair, and corrective surgeries for such problems
as too small of nose holes, too long of a palate and the list goes
on. Sadly, with the increase in their popularity comes the increase
in backyard breeding and puppy mills. We are seeing an increase
in pug dog encephalitis, a fatal and breed specific horror. Liver
abnormalities are on the rise. Our rescue organization has treated
and currently is fostering four dogs with portosystemic liver shunts.
Housebreaking is not a way of life for this breed. Nothing in a
Pug's world is ever taken seriously for very long, and if housebreaking
is expected to be perfect, you will be taking a chance with this
breed. That silly personality has a side of stubbornness that is
above all. Again, they often take the "you want me to do what and
where?" approach to housebreaking.
Interaction with other breeds must be guarded. Pugs just do not
care how big the other dog is. Remember this is a breed bred to
be a companion. Many an unprotected Pug has been mauled by larger
breeds due to their curiosity and attempt to befriend all. Our rescue
organization has strong concerns when it comes to placing these
Pugs in homes with larger animals of any kind.
Diet in Pugs reflects "they are what they eat." Pugs are prone
to allergies and this includes food allergies. If you feed your
dog a poor quality food, the end result may be poor quality health.
Pugs have the tendency to gain weight and keep it on, and for a
breed already born with a stressed respiratory system, this can
prove to be deadly. We see many emaciated Pugs enter our rescue
and while our nurturing instincts tell us to make up for lost time,
we feed them small amounts frequently through the day to allow their
metabolism to adjust. Pugs who gain weight too fast will gain it
in all of the wrong places. Weight gain and the building of muscle
mass should work together for the best results in returning to a
normal weight. The feeding of table scraps not only encourages bad
manners, but can result in refusal to eat anything but "from the
table" and eat too much of the wrong thing. Various health concerns
such as pancreatitis, diabetes, bladder stones and kidney problems
are just a few problems that can result from too much of what we
may think is a good thing.
Still interested?
If you decide that you want to purchase a puppy, do your homework
and do it well. Stay away from pet stores as most (if not all) are
from puppy mills where pugs are inhumanely bred with no forms of
socialization. See our "Puppymills/Petstores link. A reputable breeder
will require as much from you as you should about them. Check veterinary
references, ask about parentage, ask to see the parents when possible.
Find out the age of the mother at the time the puppy was born. Will
the breeder give a health guarantee and will they take the dog back
in the event it is too much for you?
Lastly, consider adopting a rescue. That very reason that brought
you to the 'have to have one" frame of mind is the very reason that
sadly there is an increasing need for reputable purebred rescue
organizations. Pugs are just one of many breeds that have become
too popular for all of the wrong reasons. Stop the cycle by finishing
what someone else started - rescue for the life of the dog.
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Available Pugs