Pugs

[Myusernameisunique]

So DH and I have been looking for a family pet for a while now. We've settled on a pug after a lot of research. I've been on touch with an amazing and very knowledgeable breeder who has recommended a breeder to us who has pups that are ready to go. She knows the breeder well and her dog was the stud for this litter so I feel like we'd be making a good choice taking on a pup from this line.
We go to visit in a few days with the possible plan of bringing him home if we decide we want to take him.
I now need to hear from you all about pugs. I would like owner experiences and want to know everything. The good, bad and the ugly! I think it will be a lot more helpful than the articles I've read online. Anything is appreciated so thank you very much in advance!

I should probably add that I'm a sahm with two DDs who are 7 and 2 just in case that helps with what anyone has to tell me!

Get insurance with a high level of cover. They are not the healthiest of dogs.

I've looked into that already but thank you for the advice. These pups have had the new health checks as have their parents and have the lowest scores (NN) for pde. One of the reasons I chose this breeder as they're very knowledgeable and care a lot for their pugs.

1. Why is puppy not sold already?
2. What makes you think breeder1 is so good? Thus breeder2?
3. Where did you find out about breeder1?
4. When you say " We go to visit in a few days with the possible plan of bringing him home if we decide we want to take him ." - do you mean breeder will let you leave with him same day as you view him?
5. Have the parents both had all relevant breed health tests? (Not just a vet check up but the actual breed related tests)?
6. Are pups KC registered? (there is never a good reason not to register a pure bred but lots of really bad ones - like over breeding the bitch not only compromising her health but the health of the puppies)
7. How old is puppy?
8. What's the inbreeding coefficient of the litter?
9. why did they breed their bitch?
10. Why did they pick that particular stud dog?

^ These questions are all really important.

When you view you also need to watch mother dog and puppies interactions, how the puppies are in their surroundings, etc as there are people out there who are dealers for puppy farms and pretend they have raised pups in their home when really pups have been raised on a puppy farm, prised away from their mother too young, placed in a home environment with a stunt bitch (pretend mother who is never actually bred from, just there to look pretty). Pugs are particularly high risk for this kind of scenario as they are one of the latest fashionable dogs, so high number of puppy farmed ones.

They should also really grill you on why you want puppy, how you will look after puppy, what kind of and length of walks you'll do, your lifestyle, how much dog will be left at home? Also how you will manage DC and dog, to ensure the DC don't harass dog, bother dog when dog sleeping or get over boisterous playing with dog resulting in some one getting hurt?

They should also have a contract that states dog must be returned to them if you can't (or don't want to) keep it. There should also be a clause where you can return dog and get full refund if vet finds a health problem within a certain time frame (usually about 1 week). Really exceptional breeders may even have a no questions asked refund period, to make sure if it doesn't work out you don't try to sell the dog on gumtree, preloved, etc to recoup costs but do actually return to them.

Also what socialisation have they done with pup?

Thanks for that. A lot of those questions already covered by myself and the breeder but definitely going to view with an open mind. The pups are ready to go and breeder is a good distance from us that's why we could take the same day. They've had breed related health tests not just vet checked. I'll definitely bare your advice in mind when viewing! I really just want advice from actual pug owners though about general day to day care and things. I don't need a grilling about buying the pup as I've covered everything you've already said. This has been over 6 months of research to ensure I'm getting the best pup possible. I'm not going into this blind.

Hi I have a 14mth old pug and he is the sweetest boy. Very gentle and playful and I adore him. From what I read before we got him, pugs can be stubborn and difficult to toilet train but luckily this wasn't the case with him. Be prepared for the amount of fur they shed as well. Ours is fawn and wearing black is something we try and avoid! He loves his toys, not particularly interested in balls, although he quite likes chasing after a soft football. His favourite is a ball on a rope that he likes to try and catch and tug.

Well I'm glad you've covered that. I think you'd be surprised how many people say they have researched and found a really good breeder, but actually don't realise any of that stuff.

The bit I find concerning is the bringing home same day but if everything else is definitely good then it's probably not so much as a red flag as it would otherwise be.

Have you thought about crate training? Particularly since you have a 2yr old DC.

Puppy will likely be mouthy in the early days - make sure DC understand this. My DS (was 4 at the time our pup came home) found it quite upsetting even though he knew about it before puppy came.

I have spaniels so will leave the pug specifics to someone else.

I'll definitely be crate training!

Be prepared to never be alone! Mine even sits on my feet when I go for a wee! Ever heard of zoomies? If not Google or YouTube it :D. Our little lady is sooo stubborn but the most loveable puppy ever. She doesn't know when to stop eating tho so watch your little ones dropping food etc, they get fat very quickly!
Anything else you want to know?

Oh yes, sooooo greedy but the positive is that it does help with training. We didn't crate train but had a big puppy pen. Chewing wasn't much of a problem and with the early puppy nipping/chewing he was easily diverted with a chew toy.

@MRSJWRTWR how bad is the shedding? This is my only real concern. I've read about the toilet training but I think with perseverance it'll be ok.

They can join my 2 year old in my toilet audience then!

Don't have a Pug myself but a friend has one. Has constant weight issues so your little ones simply can't leave food around as a furry hoover WILL snaffle it. Watch for foods that dogs shouldn't eat as they're toxic like chocolate and raisins. He also really struggles with breath and definitely can't run around as much other breeds as he's winded fast, especially now he's older. You really have to be careful in the summer months as well as flat-faced dogs can't cool themselves down as well as normal-faced dogs so are prone to overheating.

Have you seen pictures of this litter yet? Have you seen how flat their faces are yet or if they're a bit bulgy eyed? There's a reason there's so many one eyed/no-eyed pugs around. Another thing to watch out for if your kids leave lots of toys around - those eyes are more fragile than normal-faced dogs. If the pup is running about and crashes into toys, they're more likely to have eye injuries.

Pugs can barely breathe

We have two in our home, age almost 3 and 9 months. They are incredibly social animals and love company. They dont tend to do well left alone. Characters are very different: one is my shadow and has no idea of personal space, the other loves to sit next to us in the evening but will spend most of the day in the garden if he can. They shed. They can be difficult to toilet train. They need top level insurance and we have used it for both. I cannot imagine ever being without them. They light up the house with their characters which are full on. Enjoy your puppy x

I was surprised by how thick his coat was when we got him. It seems to go in cycles - a big shed in Autumn and in Spring when I was combing him (I bought one of those 'furminator' type brushes) almost every day. Worth doing this outside if you can.

It doesn't bother me particularly. We have mostly hard floors downstairs and leather sofas and he tends to lie on his own blankets as long as they are near you. You just have to try and avoid cuddling him if you have dark clothes on! I don't know whether black pugs are as bad.

There seem to be two types of coats, our black pug is more silky while the fawn is more like a soft carpet. The fawn definately sheds more.
Yes they will eat anything so you need to be careful and firm about snacks. There is no need for them to be overweight.
Pugs are notorious for breathing issues but it varies between dogs. There is a simple op which can be done if it is bad. You do need to watch them in the summer and keep them cool.

My dog loves to play with pugs. No idea why he likes them so much but he does. They often join in with the game of chase, but they can never keep up as they always seem to get out of breath and tire very quickly. They clearly want to keep playing but just can't physically manage it, which I find very sad. It's like watching a disabled child at a nursery school who can't join in with their friends and doesn't understand why.

I was at the vets the other day. One of the dogs in the waiting room was a pug, and it had breathing problems so severe it sounded like a pig at feeding time. Constantly. You could hear it from the next room with two closed doors inbetween. It just couldn't breathe properly. Clearly an extreme case, but it does illustrate what can go wrong with these flat faced breeds.

Bringing home same day, and pup not spoken for yet ring alarm bells to me.

I am very strict about how much and what I feed him and try and ensure he has at least 2-3 good walks a day, one of which will be off lead playing with other dogs in the park.

Although he obviously isn't as fast as his labradoodle friends he certainly doesn't get out of breath and have to stop. People have actually come up to me and said that they didn't realise pugs could actually run as fast as he does (his tail uncurls the faster he runs!).

You cant hear his breathing, although he does sometimes snore when he is asleep depending on what position he's in.

A pug not being able to breathe properly is not an extreme case, it's a usual case. The data from the Cambridge BOAS studies is terrifying. Sorry, you asked for the bad and the ugly as well - have you fully considered the impact of having a brachycephalic dog who will likely suffer from a host of conditions related to their extreme physiology?

www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/bva-community/bva-blog/the-truth-about-loving-a-pug/

www.fitzpatrickreferrals.co.uk/soft-tissue-service/brachycephalic-syndrome/

I love the personalities of pugs I have known but dearly wish they weren't so limited by their bodies, it is not an exaggeration to say that some of them (in fact most, according to the studies) suffer every single day.

It can be hard not to turn a question like this into a pug-bashing forum but as you asked for the honest experiences. My close friend has an 8 year old pug and she did all the research in the world, chose a brilliant breeder etc. She got a dog that has an awesome temperament - a real clown but gentle and friendly with it. Very funny. Very willing to please. Loves all people and great with children. Personality-wise this dog is beautiful.

But...

The dog struggles every day with the breathing restrictions and it is desperately sad to see. I know she has said several time she would not have another pug because she finds it so distressing to see an animal she loves so dearly NOT live it's life to any kind of full potential.

It cannot run for more that a few mins without being so out of breath it has to stop.

It cannot go out during the day between June and September because as soon as it gets above about 18 degrees outside the dog cannot cope with the heat.

It barely eats because otherwise it puts on weight so easily and everything else gets worse.

She has had 3 separate eye injuries, one of which cost almost £2000 to fix.

She has to use special wipes on it's face otherwise it gets a horrid smelling and very sore pyoderma in the skin folds.

It snores very badly, which isn't a problem in itself but causes everyone in the house to worry the dog cannot breathe while asleep.

She has teeth problems because they are all crammed up in her short mouth so really hard to keep clean.

She chose a pug because she honestly thought that if she kept it active and healthy then it wouldn't suffer like this . She has found it virtually impossible to do so and likens keeping the dog to 'constantly stopping it from dying' rather than enjoying being alive. It honestly breaks her heart and every time we walks the dogs together she is constantly commenting on all the things my dog can do that hers cannot - and they are simple things like run hard for a ball. The pug can neither run nor carry a ball back because of the way it impacts the breathing.

It is such a shame because if these "brilliant" breeders just gave the dogs a slightly longer nose (like old day pugs used to be) then so many of these problems would go away and the breed would be functional once more. I know there are a few breeders out there doing so now - more power to them.

I met a pug puppy at the vets last week. He was 11 weeks old and already had an eye ulcer. He had no nose to prevent him from damaging his eyes. I can't bear to think about the pain that little one has already gone through, and will continue to go through.

I think all flat faced breeds should be allowed to die out. It’s hesrtbreaking to hear them struggle for breath.