of America (PDCA), the current parent club for the Pug, was established as the breed’s principal promoter and protector in the US. The first members of the PDCA were prominent Pug people such as Dr. Nancy Riser, Filomena Doherty, Mrs. Joseph Rowe, Suzanne Bellinger, Dr. James Stubbs, Ralph Adair, Mary Lou Mann, Miriam Dock, Mr. and Mrs. John Madore and J. Hartley Mellick, Jr.
JOSEPHINE’S “FORTUNE”
A Pug by the name of Fortune belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte’s first wife, Josephine. Fortune was reputed to have had a somewhat possessive nature, and when the dwarfish man who was to become Emperor entered the bedchamber on his wedding night, the dwarfish dog promptly bit him!
William Hogarth’s famous Self Portrait with his dog, painted about 1740, may be the most celebrated of all Pug renderings.
By the 1940s, Pug breeders began producing consistent winners. Such kennels as Catawba, Winna Pugs, Paramount, Gin Rickey, Lucky Ace, Clavone and others began to dominate the show scene in North America. The following decade, breeders such as Filomena Doherty, Frederic Soderberg, Mrs. Edwin Pickhardt, Gordon Winders and Rolla Blaylock produced top winners, including an early Best in Show winner, Ch. Pugholm Peter Punkin Eater. To add to the growing Pug fraternity, Peter and Carolyn Standish, Ann Crowley, Shirley and Rayne Thomas, Esther and Gus Wolf, Hazel Martens, Barbara Minella and Agnes Miner represent just some of the important breeders responsible for the Pug’s climb to fame in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.
Since those decades, the Pug has remained a popular breed, frequently seen in the show ring and counted among the top 20 breeds according the AKC’s registration statistics. Although the Pug is not as flashy and intense as other top contenders in the Toy Group, including his relatives, the Pekingese and Shih Tzu, the breed does well in conformation shows and has racked up an impressive number of Best in Show awards over the years. In 1981, the first Pug ever to win the famous Westminster Kennel Club Show was named Ch. Dhandys Favorite Woodchuck, owned by Robert A. Hauslohner. To date, “Chucky,” as his friends called him, is the only Pug to receive this great honor. He was bred by Mrs. W. U. Braley and Mrs. R. D. Hutchinson and was handled to the win by Robert Barlow.
Pugs are photogenic and blooming with personality. There is no wonder that they have won the hearts of many throughout the years.
The Pug’s popularity continues to grow and there are quality specimens in most countries around the world. This handsome Pug was photographed in the Netherlands, a country with which the breed has strong ties.
Pugs are fairly odor-free, so much so that the family cat doesn’t even mind sharing a cat nap with the Pug, if he’s also well mannered.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PUG
Described by some breed enthusiasts as “the perfect blend of dog appeal and wistfulness,” a Pug will readily keep his owners amused and entertained for hours on end with his clown-like personality. Ownership of Pugs often runs in human families, with several generations having happily owned the breed. This is a personality dog, one just as comfortable living in a small home as he is in a spacious one. Some Pug dog owners call their Pugs “little people,” and, when you know the breed, it is easy to understand why!
The Pug’s bark is a surprisingly deep one for the breed’s size. Indeed, a Pug is usually rather a good watchdog, ready to bark when the doorbell rings or when someone approaches the house. If you are a light sleeper, it might also be worth bearing in mind that although not all Pugs snore, many do!
An exceptionally clean little dog, the Pug is remarkably free from doggy odors. Some consider the Pug a very suitable breed for elderly and disabled people, though you should not forget that Pugs, like all other dogs, require some exercise. All things considered, a Pug usually seems happy to be whatever his owners need. He can be content to roll up in a ball at your feet while you are knitting or watching TV, he will enjoy a lively ball game or he can just be a friendly clown, providing entertainment for his audience at home.
Although the origin of the breed lies in China, the Pug differs considerably in personality from many other breeds from the Far East in that he does not display the usual reserved air of superiority. The Pug is a unique breed in many ways and has numerous admirers, in part because of his puckish sense of humor and irresistible, engaging ways.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Small, squarely built and cobby, the Pug has well-knit proportions and a certain hardness of muscle, making him a strong little animal and quite different from the majority of breeds falling into the Toy Group. Ideal weight is 14–18 lbs, but certainly some are rather heavier, and there are probably few males weighing under 18 lbs. Although the breed standard does not differentiate between the size of dogs and bitches, generally Pug dogs are somewhat larger than their female counterparts.
You should always remember that Pugs usually enjoy their food and might be considered rather greedy. Hence, it is necessary to keep strict control of your Pug’s diet so that the dog does not become overweight. Once a Pug has reached the stage when he carries too much weight, it is extremely difficult to get the weight off again!
The chest of the Pug is wide and the body is set on strong legs. The large, round, wrinkled head with dark, globular eyes is offset at the rear by a high-set tail, curled tightly over the hip, with a double curl being highly desirable.
TAKING CARE
Science is showing that as people take care of their pets, the pets are taking care of their owners. A recent study published in the American Journal of Cardiology found that having a pet can prolong his owner’s life. Pet owners generally have lower blood pressure, and pets help their owners to relax and keep more physically fit. It was also found that pets help to keep the elderly connected to their communities.
COLORS AND COAT
Pugs are found in silver, apricot-fawn and black, although presently silvers are few and far between. Although not mentioned in the breed standard, apricot-fawn and silver Pugs have a double coat, which consists of an outer weatherresistant coat and a softer, insulating undercoat. Black Pugs have a single coat.
Colors are clearly defined and should have a black line extending from the back of the head along the top of the back to the twist of the tail, called a trace. The mask (or muzzle) should be as black as possible, as should the ears, moles on cheeks and the diamond or “thumb mark” on the dog’s forehead.
Many breeders consider the overall quality of today’s black Pugs to be not as good as once it was. However, there is still a handful of top-quality black specimens that are well capable of holding their own with the best, comparing favorably with those of years gone by. Unfortunately, today
