Purina

Other names/Nicknames:

• Carlin
• Mops

Country/Date of origin:

• China
• 1500’s

Height:

• 10 to 11 inches

Weight:

• 14 to 18 pounds

Personality:

• An imp.
• Loyal and affectionate.
• Friendly to strangers.
• Intelligent.
• Stubbornness makes this breed hard to train.
• Extremely playful.
• Always ready for a game.

History:

Thought to have originated in China.  The Pug was popular in China, Tibet, and Japan for almost fifteen-hundred years before Europeans discovered it.  The Pug arrived in Europe via Holland in the fifteen-hundreds.  It became the mascot of the Dutch ruling House of Orange when one of these dogs supposedly saved the life of a prince by warning him of Spanish invaders during a battle.  When William of Orange became King of England, he brought Pugs with him.  The breed reached the height of its popularity during his reign.  The pug has been recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) since 1885 and has had ups-and-downs in popularity.  At the present, it is ranked twenty-sixth in popularity.

Body Type:

• Largest toy breed, the Pug is a stocky dog with a massive head, embellished with deep wrinkles.
• Button or rose ears are not altered.
• Tail is tightly curled and carried over hip.  It is not altered.

Coat:

• The short coat is soft and fine.
• Allowed colors are: solid black, apricot, silver-fawn, or fawn.
• Fawn coloration must include a black line, called a trace, down the center of the back from the head to the tail.
• Minimal grooming.
• Sheds heavily for a short haired dog.
• Facial wrinkles must be cleaned daily to prevent fungal infections.

Health and Wellness:

• Hip dysplasia.
• Brachycephalic airway obstruction syndrome.
• Legg-Perthes disease.
• Cleft lip and palate.
• Mast cell tumor.
• Pug encephalitis.
• Luxating patellas.
• Pigmentary keratitis.
• Atopy.
• Skin fold pyoderma (facial and tail).

What you should know:

• Very long-lived dog.
• Snores up a storm.
• Not suggested for homes with cats as the eyes of a Pug are easily damaged.
• Empress Josephine’s pet Pug, Fortune, carried secret messages under his collar to her husband Napoleon when he was imprisoned at Les Carmes.
• Darlings of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Pugs became a fashion statement in the 20th century.