just as problematic. A specific sex within many breeds may have a predisposition to behavioral problems, but that does not mean that every breed has the same correlation.
A preference for female Pugs seems to be more common. This may reflect a misconception that all male dogs “mark” or leg lift inappropriately. While inappropriate marking behavior is often associated with male Pugs that are intact, neutered at a later age, or incompletely housebroken, female Pugs can also exhibit this behavior.
Choosing a female Pug does not eliminate potential housebreaking issues.
A Pug is a lapdog, bred to provide endless hours of companionship and love. Once again, many owners believe that this takes a “lady’s touch.” Don’t underestimate the affection of the boys! Male Pugs often freely display more outward affection than their female counterparts, making them a favorite of many breeders and owners.
Determining which sex is right for you will be a matter of personal preference, unless your family already has a canine member. The sex of the Pug should be carefully considered when adding to a household that already has a dog. Pugs of both sexes can have very strong personalities, and these are often reflected in their interactions with other dogs. To avoid continual conflicts between housemates, it may be a good idea to add a Pug that is the opposite sex from your current dog. When it comes to conflict between two dogs in a household, female Pugs will often prove more troublesome than male Pugs.
Double Trouble
There is a saying among Pug owners that “Pugs are like potato chips; you can’t have just one!” Many Pug owners eventually have more than one Pug at a time, as the breed can become quite addicting. Working families often think about purchasing two puppies at the same time. They realize that the puppy will spend a significant amount of time alone during the day, and to minimize the loneliness, they believe that a second Pug puppy, perhaps two littermates, would do quite nicely. They also believe that the time it takes to train two puppies really would not be much more than the time needed to train one. Oh how wrong they are!
Pugs are like potato chips—you can’t have just one.
Properly raising two puppies is much more difficult than raising one. Puppies close in age, brought into the same household together, will always bond to each other before they bond to their human family. There is little or no incentive for them to bond with you or your children, as most, if not all, of their social needs are met by the other puppy. You simply become their source of food and a place to sleep. Housebreaking is also infinitely more difficult. Unless each puppy is treated independently, with adequate time separated from the other, their constant interactions and play behaviors increase the need for frequent potty breaks. Properly supervising two active Pug puppies is nearly impossible!
A well-socialized puppy becomes a well-behaved adult.
The only way to raise two puppies at the same time is to remember that they are individuals—not one puppy with eight legs. This means two of everything! Two crates, two leashes and collars, two sets of food and water dishes, and double the time and expense! You must be able to budget the time and energy to meet each puppy’s individual needs. Raising them correctly means that each puppy will still spend some time alone each day, defeating the original purpose for buying two puppies. You really need to ask yourself this question: If adding a Pug puppy to my family means that he needs a canine sibling in order to be happy and healthy, should I really be contemplating the addition of a puppy at this time?
Socialization
There are two important goals to shoot for when purchasing a Pug puppy. The first is to purchase a puppy that has the best chance to live a normal life, free from disease and hereditary conditions. The second is to select a puppy with a stable, social temperament. A properly socialized Pug puppy has the temperament to tackle any “job” he is given. Whether he is to spend his life as a beloved family pet, perform in obedience or agility competitions, or provide affection to others as a therapy dog, he must have the confidence to interact with people and be comfortable in locations outside of his own home.
How a puppy is treated before he joins your family directly influences your puppy’s ability to learn. Critical periods of development occur at specific ages in a puppy’s life. If a puppy is too stressed during these sensitive periods, it can negatively influence his trainability for even the simplest tasks can be negatively influenced.
Pug puppies separated from littermates before eight weeks of age miss the opportunity to learn about interactions with other dogs. Social interactions with humans should begin as early as three to five weeks of age. By nine weeks of age, puppies form a distinct preference for the location of elimination (inside vs. outside) and for the surface they prefer to eliminate on (newspaper, grass, concrete, gravel). The exploration period, when puppies are comfortable learning about new places and objects, begins as early as ten weeks of age, and continues until a puppy reaches four to five months of age.
PUG POINTER
Obedience classes with a curriculum geared specifically toward puppies aged ten weeks to six months are offered by kennel clubs, boarding and training kennels, veterinary clinics, and local park districts. These classes, known as Puppy Kindergartens or Puppy Socialization, teach basic obedience commands while offering your Pug puppy a chance to play with other dogs of similar age.
Puppy classes are a terrific way to socialize your Pug properly after you bring it home. A well-run class provides a safe environment for your puppy to play in, and gives you an early way to begin training your Pug.
A properly run puppy class has a maximum of six to eight puppies per instructor and is located in a space that is large enough to accommodate safe play. The instructors should be knowledgeable about dog behavior, proper dog training techniques, and be able to communicate these in a clear manner. The curriculum should include instruction on how to handle common puppy problems, basic obedience commands, and should be taught in a positive manner.
Using these guidelines, you can begin to understand why some Pugs may be difficult to housebreak, anxious about new people or places, and appear to learn more slowly than others. Some Pug puppies may be slow to housebreak if they are only used to eliminating indoors, on newspapers, at twelve weeks of age. A Pug puppy with little contact with strangers before being sent to join his new home may always be apprehensive of new people. The Pug puppies offered through pet stores are usually separated from their littermates before eight weeks of age, which may make it difficult for them to properly interact with other dogs.
Positive new experiences need to continue after you bring your puppy home. Exposing your Pug to new people and places, and avoiding situations which may be too frightening or stressful, lays the foundation for your Pug puppy to accept new rules and succeed in becoming a well-trained Pug.
Where to Buy Your Pug
While Pugs have become more popular, their availability from reputable sources has not increased to meet the demand. Remember that what happens to your Pug before he joins your family can directly influence his training once he comes home. Choosing a Pug from the right source must be considered a part of the training process.
The Show Breeder
Purchasing a puppy from a show breeder can be a lengthy process. These breeders often keep puppies longer, as they observe them
