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Our Breeding Program
Our breeding program begins with the proper diet and nutrition. We feed our pugs MAXIMUM NUTRITION™ dog food and have found it to work very well as far as content and nutrition are concerned. It contains real meat as it's first ingredient. Over the years, we have tried all the other big name brands, and always come back to this brand. MAXIMUM NUTRITION™ can be found at your nearby Wal-Mart store.
The adults are fed the adult food until the female goes into heat. At that time, we put her on puppy formula so that the puppies get the added proteins and nutrition they need even before they are whelped (born). This gives the mother added nutrition as well. This way, the mother is fed the puppy formula from heat to whelping, and for several weeks afterward to ensure proper nutrition. Once the puppies are weaned from their mother, they are started on a dry puppy food. Again, we use MAXIMUM NUTRITION PUPPY FOOD™ for their first taste of dry food, and we recommend that the new owner continue using this food for the first year of life. A starter package is sent home with each puppy on delivery. We suggest that if you or your veterinarian decide to use a different product, that you introduce the new product gradually so as not to disrupt the disgestive system too suddenly.
At whelping, the mother is kept under constant attention. This is because sometimes, a pug is not always able to open the embryonic sac on her own, due to the natural shape of the pug's nose. We then open each puppy's sac upon birth and ensure that the puppy has clear airway and is breathing on it's own. We cut the umbilical cord and tie it off so that the mother does not instinctively tug at the cord and cause hernias in the puppies. The mother takes over from there.
As soon as possible after whelping, we take the mother and litter to the vet to be health checked. The vet checks for the obvious signs of any deformities or health problems, as well as checks the mother to see that she is properly cleaned out and not hemorrhaging at all. Then the whole family comes home and the mother takes it from there, but still with constant supervision from us.
At 10 days old, the pups eyes are usually opening, and they have become more active in crawling around, etc. As they grow older, it's fun to watch them learn how to use their legs and then begin to establish a "pecking order" amongst themselves. This is when you see the different personalities come out. There is always a dominant pup, and always a submissive one, and everything in between.
We give their first round of shots and wormers, and bring them to the vet at about 6 weeks to check for any problems that may have not been noticed at birth. The vet will give us a signed certificate of health at this time. We leave the dew claws on the pups, because contrary to popular belief, this is not something that is done with all dogs, nor is it a sign of a better breed or whatever. The removal of dew claws is common and necessary in hunting or working breeds that spend a lot of time running through tall grass and weeds. Tall grass and weeds can catch the dew claws, therefore tearing them and injuring the larger animal. This is not necessary with a pug, therefore it is not done.
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