Our new addition

[TheBodyBag]

After a year of family discussion this is our new addition. My children are now busy arguing over names. Top 3 are Betty, Dolly or Dottie.

I would welcome any new puppy tips as we prepare for her coming to her new home. It has been about 12 years since we had a puppy in the house.

Aw she's really cute. I love squishy faced dogs, used to have a lovely Boxer boy.

Get her insured.

I know it's not what you want to hear but it's very clear that She's a poorly-bred brachycephalic and therefore very likely to develop significant health problems

There's an excellent FB group called 'Dog Training Advice and Support' which has a wealth of great articles here. I'd recommend the puppy raising, toilet training and crate training ones in particular to start with.

Also (and I'm really sorry to be negative) make sure you get excellent insurance. Her nostrils are fairly pinched and pugs are already at very high risk of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome because of their shortened faces. It's worth double checking with the insurer that they will cover congenital/inherited issues just in case.

Hi TheBody, it looks like you're getting some good advice on here, I don't know anything about this so I've just popped on to say Hello new beautiful little puppy!

www.theveterinaryexpert.com/nose-and-throat/brachycephalic-dog/

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/21/vets-ask-prospective-dog-owners-to-avoid-pugs-and-other-flat-faced-breeds?client=safari

Thanks for all the useful links and advice.

We are definitely getting her insured and have already had some quotes. We did spend a lot of time thinking about whether we should choose a pug due to the potential health issues. Also read a lot of threads on here and know there is some strong feeling about pugs and their airway issues.

UFAW - Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome

Were both parents fully health tested?

Both should have been hip scored and x-rayed as per the breed club hemivertebrae scheme plus had DNA tests for degenerative myelopathy, May-Hegglin anomaly, pug dog encephalitis, primary lens luxation and pyruvate kinase deficiency.

Out of interest OP, after all of your research why did you go with a breed that is strongly discouraged by vets because of the suffering this type of selective breeding has on quality of life?

As a vet myself I cannot fathom why people would spend money to support the suffering of a pet that they will grow to love. I know that sounds giant but I am genuinely interested. Are you just hoping that your pug will be different?

Giant - goady
Sorry

In the short term, you'all need to put lots of time into toilet training - toy breeds usually take much longer to learn.

Also check out www.thepuppyplan.com for effective socialisation guidance

I find it strange too. I grew up with Pekineses and all I remember is them snuffling and snorting and struggling to breathe. Wouldn't touch a dog like that with a barge pole.

I would imagine most families choose a breed they are familiar with or feel will best suit their family. Obviously we don't want a poorly dog with lots of health problems, most breeds seem to have some associated health conditions etc.

I have taken the time to speak to people I know who own pugs, none of which seemed to have suffered significant health issues. We haven't rushed into buying a pug and certainly not from a back yard breeder.

Trionic that is a very comprehensive list. Parents have had some health tests but I couldn't say for definite that every one of the conditions on your list have been tested for.

Just had a quick look at the Puppy plan link and it looks great, thank you

Unfortunately OP it's well-documented that owners of these breeds fail to recognise the significant suffering of their own pets and often dismiss respiratory noise for example as 'normal for the breed'.

www.rvc.ac.uk/News/PressReleases/pr1205_BreathingProblemsInDogs.cfm

Unfortunately these problems are 'normal' but that doesn't mean that they're acceptable or that they don't cause suffering - I expect many of the dogs whose owners you have spoken too will have significant health issues. It will simply be that they are dismissed or discounted unless their dog actually undergoes surgery due to poor conformation - 'significant' is a pretty subjective term

Unfortunately there's a huge amount of denial in the pug community about the extent to which dogs are negatively affected by their conformation. It's often accepted as normal that they snore, snort, have noisy breathing and overheat quickly but these aren't normal. They're all indicative of compromised breathing as a result of the extremely flattened face.

Presuming the parents are KC registered you can look up their health test results here on the KC site. I'm not sure the breed club hemivertebrae scheme results would show up but everything else should if it's been done.

At the risk of labouring the point, I'm highlighting the below - the failure of owners to address the significant health problems their dogs face is an ongoing source of suffering. I'm highlighting it in the hope that you and any other owners who have selected breeds with upper airway deformities recognise these problems, and take steps to alleviate them. Chronic sleep deprivation and exercise intolerance caused by oxygen deprivation are horrific in terms of the dog's experience - but the only signs you might see are reduced activity and 'snoring' - after all, it's not like these dogs are able to communicate their distress in other ways is it?

*The researchers found the marked disparity between owners’ reports of severe clinical signs and their perceived lack of a ‘breathing problem’ to be of great concern.

All affected dogs were reported by their owners to ‘snore’ (some even when awake), compared with less than 2% of unaffected dogs. Over two thirds of affected dogs were also reported to show breathing difficulties during exercise on a daily basis. Yet, 58% of owners of affected dogs stated that their dog did not currently have, or have a history of, breathing problems, despite reporting high frequency and severe clinical signs consistent with BOAS. This suggests that most owners of dogs with BOAS do not recognise the problem, and do not seek veterinary advice to help alleviate welfare issues associated with the condition*

Yes she is KC registered so will definitely look at the results. The breeder did show us a lot of different certificates and papers but we haven't actually collected our puppy yet so i've not got them.

I hear you both loud and clear. I have read everything you've written and the articles you've linked to. I will look out for the signs of BOAS and seek advice. We will be registering her with our local vet and hope we would be considered to be responsible owners.

I do feel a bit like you've 'pissed on my chips' for want of a better phrase but I do appreciate your advice and point of view.

Thanks TheBodyBag I appreciate that it's not necessarily a point of view that you agree with and you're excited for your cute little pup.

If I wasn't dealing with the chronic suffering caused to dogs and cats by humans wanting 'cute' looking brachycephalics, on a daily basis then I'd probably be more enthusiastic. Unfortunately for me the decision to spend hundreds of pounds on an animal that looks a certain way and will suffer horribly for it, is bewildering. The veterinary profession, animal welfare experts, and the vast wealth of scientific evidence agrees with me. I don't apologise for pissing in your chips if this information stops someone else from buying a deformed dog destined to experience a life of exercise deprivation and air-hunger.

Unfortunately the majority of the general public, the media and most brachycephalic owners and breeders agree with you - so if it's any consolation there'll probably be plenty of other folk who tell you that your dog is gorgeous and it doesn't matter if she snores.