him for many months. Troublesome or destructive adult behaviors are often perfected by young Pugs who have been left alone by owners who are too busy to notice. Pugs are very creative and often find ways to amuse themselves that do not always please their owners.
Adult Pugs who are searching for a new home may have special training needs. While you may bypass some of the behaviors that are associated with mischievous puppies, older puppies may have been poorly socialized, left alone frequently, or allowed to run the household, creating a greater need for structure and consistent training. Changing behaviors in adult Pugs can be difficult, and the amount of time needed to work with some of these Pugs may actually be greater in the long term than the initial time commitment of training a puppy.
PUG POINTER
Pugs are great with children, but parents need to closely supervise any young child’s play with a Pug. The Pug’s exposed eyes are very vulnerable to injury from small fingers. Scratches to the eye can iead to serious problems including loss of the eye or blindness
Pugs for Kids
Many well-intentioned families wait to add a Pug until they believe that their children can help with the day-to-day responsibilities that come with owning a dog. While children may be excited about helping in the beginning, the care and training of a Pug should never be solely the responsibility of any child. The novelty of a new dog wears off quickly, and when a child’s interest moves on to other activities, it’s the Pug who suffers.
All children should learn how to properly interact with their Pug.
A Pug’s small size makes him ideal for life with children of all ages, but his basic needs often exceed the time, energy, and patience of even the most responsible child. That leaves the responsibility of training the Pug to mom and dad, who may struggle to fit the added burden into an already hectic schedule.
Pug puppies love to play with children. Unfortunately, normal puppy play often involves biting and nipping. You must be committed to supervising all play between your Pug puppy and your children, and teach your puppy how to interact with his human family. Perhaps more importantly, you must also be committed to teaching your children how to interact appropriately with their new puppy, and that rough play that involves ear pulling, tail pulling, or grabbing fur and skin will not be tolerated.
Mature Pugs who didn’t have the benefit of being loved by a child when younger may be intimidated by children. Younger children may inadvertently fall on or near your Pug, resulting in a Pug who is frightened and feels the need to be defensive. Adult Pugs who learned to assert themselves as adolescents may guard food or toys when children are playing nearby. Aggression is rare in Pugs, but any form of aggression is difficult to live with, can result in a child being bitten, and should not be tolerated.
PUG POINTER
Aggression is not a behavior that can be “trained” out of a dog. Aggressive dogs require intervention from a veterinary behaviorist or professionai dog trainer, combined with the owners’ management of the situations causing the aggressive response. Do not attempt to physically correct an aggressive Pug or teach him “who is boss.” This can escaiate the aggression, making the problem worse.
Type and Temperament
For centuries. Pugs have been bred for a single purpose—to provide companionship to those who love them. The Latin phrase multum in parvo (“a lot in a little”) is used in the breed standard to describe the adult Pug. Pugs bred with this standard in mind reflect the easygoing, laid-back temperament that has long been associated with the breed.
Pugs have continued to increase in popularity on a steady basis. But as has been the trend with many other popular breeds, this rise to stardom comes with a heavy price. With demand comes an increase in poorly bred Pugs with unsound temperaments. Popular breeds often suffer when unscrupulous or uninformed individuals begin to produce puppies in large numbers, using quantity, rather than quality, as a measurement of breeding stock. “Teacup” Pugs, often bred from undersized or unhealthy parents, are now being advertised on many Web sites, though no such type of Pug exists according to the breed standard.
Over the past decade, many areas of the United States have seen a definite change in temperament related to the “type” or overall structure of Pugs. Owners who have purchased Pugs from breeders who strive to produce healthy Pugs with the smaller, square bodies, that conform to the breed standard, find that those puppies tend to grow up to be more laid-back, with a personality perfectly suited for a home companion. Thinner, leggier, “super-sized” Pugs are often more hyperactive and more independent. As adults, many of these Pugs lack the features that make the Pug unique, such as the flat, pushed in nose or dark, round eye. They are often referred to as “Victorian Pugs” or of “Victorian type.” Their owners still love them, but many will admit that their Pug’s behavior wasn’t what they expected from the breed.
Puppies should be purchased from experienced and reputable breeders.
Pugs come in only two recognized colors: fawn and black.
Color Differences
Pugs are generally recognized in two colors: fawn and black. Both colors make excellent pets; however, some Pug owners and breeders feel that subtle differences in personality and trainability can be related to color.
Fawn Pugs seem to have a more carefree attitude and are often described as clown-like. A fawn Pug may react to a situation without really thinking, preferring to have fun and then to see what happens. Those owners and breeders dedicated to black Pugs often refer to them as “thinkers.” Black Pugs appear to stop and analyze a situation and take a more studious approach to life. Perhaps this perceived personality difference between the colors is related to the larger population of fawn Pugs. While black coat color is the dominant gene, fawn Pugs have always been the more popular color.
One of the Pug’s most appealing features are his facial expressions. At times, a Pug looks at you as if almost human, trying desperately to understand every word that you say. The color contrast of the ears, forehead, and muzzle that is present in fawn Pugs is lost in Pugs who are black. This lack of contrast takes away the black Pug’s ability to create the same facial expressions, which perhaps explains why some Pug owners and breeders believe that the black Pug is more serious.
Both male and female Pugs can make great pets.
Whether you prefer black or fawn, you will find that color has little or no influence on the trainability of your Pug. Both colors can excel in performance events, as therapy dogs, show dogs, or simply as couch potatoes!
Male vs. Female
People tend to have strong personal opinions as to whether a male or female Pug is better suited to be a family pet. Quite often, this bias is based on some past personal experience and reflects problems or concerns that occurred with another dog. We hear others tell tales about their dogs, their behavior problems, their successes and failures, and wrongly assume
