A black Pug

Origins
The Pug breed originates in East China, during the 1600-1046 BC period. This breed got popular in the Tibetan temples and was later on brought to Japan.

During the 17th century, in Europe, the Pugs got imported by merchants, in Netherlands. The merchants also spred the breed all across Europe, from England (1688) to Spain, France, Germany. It was one of the favorite royalty pet, portrayed by many painters and artists.

The pugs arrived in United States during the 19th century and was present in many dog shows. Nowadays, the Pugs are seen in many dog shows, and used for tracking people and animals.

The Pug has various names: Carlin, Dutch Bulldog, Mini Mastiff, Mops, Puggu, Chinese Pug, and Puglets for puppies.

Appearance
The Pug belongs to the small dog breeds category, with a height of 25-27 cm and a weight of 6-9 kg, with small differences for females. It is also preffered as a toy dog.

The Pug has a small body, but the musculature is strong and sturdy. The body form is compact and square. The legs are straight and small, moderate in length, ending in pads, with black nails and split toes.

The face is kind of funny and interesting to observe. The Pugs lack a long muzzle (the face is flat, blunt), so the respiratory system is also compact. Most Pug dogs have a type of fur wrinkles all over the face, around the eyes and under the muzzle and mouth. The ears are folded on the sides. The eyes are large and protruding, colored in black.

The coat is sleek and short, glossy and fine and the color varies from black, silver, fawn and apricot, with several markings on the ears and face.

Grooming
This is a major concern, especially for fawn Pugs (who have both overcoat and undercoat). There is a variation when speaking of the shedding seasonality. Most Pugs shed all year round, but this can be lowered using a proper diet, coat trimming, special shampoo for the fur and brushing the dead hair on a daily basis.

Also, Pugs need a special care attention to the face area: cleaning the eyes and face wrinkles is a way to avoid any eye infections and skin problems that could appear.

Health Facts
The Pugs have a lifespan of 11-13 years. These dogs can be prone to several health problems, ranging from eye infections and lesions (entropion, cataracts, scratched cornea), respiratory issues (reverse sneezing – not harmful; lack of air), brain lesions (brain inflammations – PDE – pug dog encephalitis), spine malformations (hemivertebrae – a congenital vertebral anomaly with serious neurologic effects), skin problems (demodex mange).

The Pugs can also develop an intolerance to several medical drugs and vaccines; also, the hot weather can cause heatstrikes, rashes and skin burns.

Temperament and Lifestyle
The Pug looks funny and acts playful. It adapts to any living environment, being sociable and really suitable for small children. A Pug isn’t fit to be a guard dog, due to the size and lack of aggressivity and the interest for all things that surround him.

The Pugs respond well for any dog obedience training efforts. They respond to a low voice tonality.