Considering getting a pug puppy - any advice?

[OldEvilOwl]

Hi we are looking at getting a puppy in the next few months. We had our 15year old JRT put to sleep before Xmas, and my first dog was also a JRT. As children we had border terriers & labradors. I would love a pug, but understand they can have health issues from the way they are bred. Does anyone have much experience of them?

You will need to do a LOT of research to make sure you're getting a very healthy puppy, but I think you're going to struggle at the moment.

Pugs have numerous health issues - heart issues, breathing problems, eye problems and skin issues to name a few. This means they can be very expensive to insure.

IMO you also need to weigh up the morals around deliberately choosing a dog which is bred in such a way that it struggles to walk and breathe normally.

considering getting a pug puppy - any advice
Don’t.
They way they are built means they all have impaired breathing/BOAS to some degree even if they appear not to have issue.

If you HAVE to have a pug I’d go for a so called ‘retro pug’, they tend to be predominantly pug x Jack Russel.
They look very much like pugs but with longer noses and longer legs so they are much better choice health wise.

Examples:

Oh, and I do know someone with a pug.
It’s breathing makes me want to cry and it has only a couple of teeth (another direct result of breeding for the flat face - overcrowded teeth)

Ok you have convinced me - no pug! I do like a small dog if anyone has any other good recommendations, or I'll probably get another JR they are great dogs

I have been looking at rescues but there are not many small dogs that are not too old. Our old dog had diabetes and didn't do much for the last 4 years. I would like the kids to have a dog that can go on big walks and play with them

English Cocker spaniel, the show lines are less bonkers but they are happy fun dogs.

Cavapoo

@OldEvilOwl

Ok you have convinced me - no pug! I do like a small dog if anyone has any other good recommendations, or I'll probably get another JR they are great dogs

If you like terriers, what about something like a Cairn? Fairly hardy things, small, don't shed much - can walk for hours happily if you want them to, or can cope on smaller walks on days where you're busy.

I walk one and she's fantastic - her only health issue is a bit of hip dysplasia but you honestly wouldn't know she has it. She can run and keep up with my beagle easily and loves to play fight! She does bark at the door but it doesn't last all that long and I'm sure she could be trained out of it, but her owner finds it quite useful

Depending on coat/grooming preferences, you also have dogs like bichon frise, miniature poodles, shih-tzu's or even cocker spaniels if they're not too big and energetic for you.

@sunflowersandbuttercups

You will need to do a LOT of research to make sure you're getting a very healthy puppy, but I think you're going to struggle at the moment.

Pugs have numerous health issues - heart issues, breathing problems, eye problems and skin issues to name a few. This means they can be very expensive to insure.

IMO you also need to weigh up the morals around deliberately choosing a dog which is bred in such a way that it struggles to walk and breathe normally.

Vet nurse ,absolutely agree with this , jack Russell's are great ,tough , hardy , huge characters. Some of the pugs / pug x we see really struggle with breathing , skin and some of them have such protruding eyes . It's shameful what is happening in the dog world .

It's shameful what is happening in the dog world

It's horrible. I remember meeting a pug once that was being walked by a young couple. It's face was so deformed that it couldn't even breathe - it was snuffling and snorting and looked SO uncomfortable. It was actually really upsetting to see.

How can you look at a dog like that and think it's living a good life?

Border terrier is a good bet, as is a cairn terrier.

West highland white terrier?

I have two, ask away..

I would be inclined to avoid any brachycephalic breed full stop. I find the current trend for these maimed, unhealthy dogs utterly bizarre. And before someone jumps on me, yes, I know that some can be ok - but the fact that they are so fashionable and desirable doesn’t encourage good breeding, it encourages bad breeding as demand outstrips supply - avoid avoid avoid.

I've heard most modern day pugs described as 'anatomical disasters'. The one pictured above is so different from the ones I see being dragged around our local park.

I think breeding dogs with that kind of extreme deformity should be outlawed, but the least you can do is not buy into it. Can you not get something healthier?

Avoid the poodle crosses, you're almost as likely to end up with an unhealthy mess of a dog as you would with a brachycephalic breed, and for the same reason - they are far too fashionable for their own good and thus the market is flooded with opportunistic dodgy breeders and importers. I love Labradors, as you might have already guessed from my nn ! If you're used to JRTs why not look into one of them again? Usually pretty healthy.

Oh if you like terriers get a Parson terrier. My DF has one and he is the best dog ever. Runs for miles (you do have to make sure they're secure), funny and inquisitive but will also sit on your lap for hours. Very good with her kids too.

@MrsAntiSocial

Examples:

Oh, and I do know someone with a pug.
It’s breathing makes me want to cry and it has only a couple of teeth (another direct result of breeding for the flat face - overcrowded teeth)

Wow these pics are so unlike the pugs I see out and about, it's actually quite upsetting

Cocker Spaniel!

Definitely think about getting a jug - pug x jack russell. Apparently a jug is what a pug looked like before the inbreeding etc. I've got one, and he has no health issues. He is stubborn though, so you need to train him. He also likes consistency. He's adorable and loyal and loves a cuddle!

Check out rescues in the summer, when lockdowns have lifted. There will be LOADS more small breed dogs available. It's too mental in rescue at the moment.

I got my amazing Pug through a rescue. His face isn't squashed, he's crazy active with really long legs - and 100% pug (I had his dna done)

He's the picture of health (and adorableness). We joke in our house that we're the elderly Chinese lady for the evening - as he just sprawls on you.

I can't believe how affectionate they are.

Please don't buy a puppy. Get a dog from a rescue centre, they are over run right now and the right dog for you will come up if you just be patient.

@LaurieFairyCake

I got my amazing Pug through a rescue. His face isn't squashed, he's crazy active with really long legs - and 100% pug (I had his dna done)

He's the picture of health (and adorableness). We joke in our house that we're the elderly Chinese lady for the evening - as he just sprawls on you.

I can't believe how affectionate they are.

He's gorgeous, is he definitely a full pug? He looks too healthy to be one to me!!

This is the only type of pug I ever see!