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About The Breed
About The BreedPrimary Function:
As a member of the Toy group, the pug is a tolerable "watchdog" who will alert to the presence of strangers, while being an excellent companion in a family situation. They have been accepted in programs as therapy dogs, as well as hearing aid dogs. Originally, they were bred for lap dogs.
Personality:
Pugs are extremely people oriented dogs; they even go through stages of maturity. Puppies are especially playful and always underfoot for want of human company. If you have another dog, a Pug puppy will often seek out their company for play and adventure. The puppy stage can often last until the Pug is about 2 years old, so be prepared with plenty of patience! Older dogs seem to "settle" into a daily routine, and can be almost invisible until you want them. Pugs want nothing more than to please their owners, but you will have to show them just what it is you want. Pugs do need to have a bit of firmness, in that they really should have some training, or they'll try to run the house. But you have to show them what to do - they are not mind readers, but they are very smart dogs.
Ownership Situations:
First and foremost, a Pug is not a dog to be left outside! Heat and high humidity can easily cause death in this breed, due to the flatness of their faces. If you don't want a dog in the house, you don't want a Pug. But, if you have limited yard space, if you want little grooming, if you want an intelligent companion who's just a little hard headed, if you want a dog that doesn't yap (usually - there are exceptions to every rule!) but sounds instead like a bigger dog behind a closed door, if you want a dog that is very tolerant of people, then you want a Pug. Left untrained, they do not track (except cookie crumbs); they do not hunt (except the food bowl); they only fetch if they really want to (and then it is still up in the air as to whether you get to have it back!). Pugs think for themselves, and are smart enough to get into trouble. But, they will make you laugh at them, for they are natural clowns. They will give you every ounce of love they have. They will steal your heart and that of your family, and they still won't come to you if they've gotten into trouble!
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