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?

@Sitdowncupoftea

I had a pug. He never had any of the health issues that people go on about ( usually by none pug owners). My pug lived until he was 13. My advice is to wait and find a KC registered breeder. A lot of pugs now you see don't look like pugs as they are back street breeders.

Did you see the statistics upthread where it says the majority of pug owners don't recognise how unhealthy their dogs are?

Did your dog snore, snort, snuffle or struggle in the heat at all?

@Veterinari
The vast majority of pug owners write off their dog's noisy breathing as normal meaning the poor dog is subject to a life of suffering. Ever had sleep apnoea? A panic attack where you can't catch your breath? That air-hunger is evolutionarily hardwired to be a deeply unpleasant experience. Pugs live with it. Every time your pug 'snores' he is demonstrating that his airway is obstructed

This is awful. I have a friend with a pug who once asked me why my dog (a mixed breed stray mongrel) doesn't make any noises. I didn't understand what she meant at first because my dog makes noises all the time, normal dog noises like barking or whining, and I told her this. My friend replied, 'no but when she's just standing there she's quiet'. My friend thought it was normal for a dog to snuffle constantly and couldn't understand why my dog doesn't, because her poor wee pug does and she never realised before that it's because he's struggling to breathe!

Oh, and OP, if you are looking for a smaller rescue dog there is a rescue in the UK that specialise in rehoming small dogs so might be worth having a look- Silver Fox Rescue. My brother adopted his JRT from them. They're on Facebook.

I’ve got a Cairn. He’s smart (when he wants to be), funny, affectionate, incredibly cute, chatty ...... and oh so stubborn! There are also very few about these days and like all puppies they are ridiculously expensive at the moment. I think I paid £800 for my boy and I’ve seen them advertised recently for more than three times that! My advice would be not to buy ANY puppy at the moment as you will almost certainly be ripped off!

@BigBadVoodooMummy

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.

I agree. So sad people are still encouraging breeders when the kennels are so full. They are just sat there waiting for their family !

I’ve had 5 pugs.
1 had very protruding eyes and did need lots of vet appointments.
We rescued 2 and still have them and they are in great health in every way.
They are very affection, sweet and non aggressive.
There is a pug welfare rescue centre where you can register and let them know your preference re age and medical concerns.
If you get a pup you would have to do lots of research

@Skyla2005 it’s a myth about kennels

Maybe this was true before COVID

But things have changed and you can’t get a rescue dog (hundreds of applicants for any dog!)

We really want to stay away from breeders this time, but sadly the kennels have no dogs in and the ones that do, wont allow adoptions to families with children under 5

We feel to start looking at breeders and pay triple for our dog is our only option to get one before the summer.