Pugs: What's Good About 'Em, What's Bad About 'Em

Sometimes playful and clownish. Sometimes calm and dignified. Always sturdy and stable, good-humored and amiable. This is the Pug.

Though peaceful with all the world (people and other animals), the Pug will sound off with his rather odd-sounding bark when visitors arrive. Then he will welcome them inside with snorts, snuffles, and grunts.

As is the case with most short-faced dogs, his large expressive eyes, wrinkled forehead, cocked head, innocent expression, and strange sounds bring out parental feelings in many people.

Indeed, a Pug is very childlike and always wants to be with you. If not spoiled too much, he can be depended on to maintain his sweet, comical, charming personality.

Though stubborn, Pugs seldom get into real mischief. Adults spend much of the day sleeping.

Gassiness can be an embarrassing problem, and housebreaking can be a challenge, especially in the rain, which Pugs detest. The biggest concern with this breed is their many serious health problems.

If you want a dog who...

Keep in mind that the inheritance of temperament is less predictable than the inheritance of physical traits such as size or shedding. Temperament and behavior are also shaped by raising and training.

• You can avoid some negative traits by choosing an ADULT dog from an animal shelter or rescue group. With an adult dog, you can easily see what you're getting, and plenty of adult Pugs have already proven themselves not to have negative characteristics.
• If you want a puppy, you can avoid some negative traits by choosing the right breeder and the right puppy. Unfortunately, you usually can't tell whether a puppy has inherited temperament or health problems until he grows up.
• Finally, you can avoid some negative traits by training your Pug to respect you and by following the 11-step care program in my book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy.

More traits and characteristics of the Pug

If I was considering a Pug, I would be most concerned about...

1. Health problems. Unfortunately, breeders deliberately breed these good-natured dogs to be deformed. As such, they suffer more than their share of health problems – not only with their breathing, but also eye diseases, joint diseases, and a devastating (fatal) neurological disease called Pug Dog Encephalitis. Read more about Pug Health.
2. Gassiness (flatulence). All short-faced breeds gulp air when they eat, and that air has to go somewhere, after all. However, commercial diets make flatulence worse by including fibrous or hard-to-digest ingredients. Pugs who are fed a homemade diet of real meat and vegetables have much less trouble with gassiness.
3. Constant shedding. It usually comes as a shock to new Pug owners just how much a Pug sheds. Most dog breeds have two shedding seasons per year where they shed the majority of their dead hairs. But Pugs are constant shedders who drop a moderate amount of hair all year. You need to be sure that you're okay with this!
4. Pug "sounds". Pugs snort, snuffle, wheeze, grunt, and snore loudly. The sounds are endearing to some people; nerve-wracking to others.
5. Housebreaking. Pugs can be slow to pick up the concept of housebreaking. Expect several months of consistent crate training. Read more about housebreaking your Pug.
6. Stubbornness. Though they seldom get into real trouble, most Pugs are at least mildly stubborn. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say. Food is a great motivator with this breed, but too many cookies equals a fat Pug. Also you don't want a dog who only obeys when you're waving a biscuit at him.

   Instead you should establish the right relationship between the two of you, where you are the leader and he is the follower. In other words, you must teach your Pug to respect you. Read more about Pug Training.