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Originally from China, the Pug is known to have existed for more than 1800 years. The first reliably recorded instance of a Pug as a breed occurred in 1572 when William the Silent’s pet Pug barked to warn him of a night attack by Spaniards. The Pug is a dignified, yet mischievous breed that possesses great charm and personality.

ORIGIN
The Pug’s origin and the derivation of its name are clouded in mystery. Today’s Pug is recognised as an Oriental breed, possibly a descendant of the Chinese short coated Pekingese type dog known as the Hapa-dog. These were reported in China as early as 1116 BC. Similar to most breeds associated with early China, Pugs were often owned by Emperors and were treated as VIPs. The first Pugs found their way to the Continent, particularly Holland, probably because the Dutch East India Company was active in trading. Pugs first appeared in England at the time of William and Mary, about 1688.

They were also favourites in France where one of the best known French Pug fanciers was Josephine, wife of Emperor Napoleon. Josephine’s Pug, Fortune, bit Napoleon on the leg when he climbed into Josephine’s bed on their wedding night!

GENERAL APPEARANCE
The Pug is classified as a Toy breed. It is a small, compact cobby little dog, perhaps best described by the Latin term ‘multum in parvo’, a ‘lot in a little’. This, however, should not be misconstrued to mean fat but rather compactness of form and hardness of muscle.

There are two main parts of a Pug that immediately attract interest — his wonderfully expressive head and his tight curly tail. A Pug’s head should be large and round with clearly defined wrinkles and a short flat muzzle. His eyes are dark and lustrous. They can be soft and caring, literally sparkling with delight, or full of fire. The tightly curled tail sits tightly over the hip, on either side, and can wag profusely in greeting. A Pug’s coat is fine, smooth, short and glossy and comes in a variety of solid colours ranging from fawn to apricot and silver with black mask on the face and black ears. Black Pugs have no markings.

SIZE
Ranging from 6.3 to 8.1kg.

TEMPERAMENT
Pugs are very much a house dog. They are loving and have an even tempered, fun loving disposition. They are loyal and protective of their family and enjoy going for walks and playing games.

CARE AND GROOMING
They are basically a low maintenance breed. A daily brush and regular baths is sufficient to keep the short coat clean and shiny. The Pug’s nose wrinkle needs to be kept clean and this should be done daily, simply by wiping and putting some vaseline on it.

This hardy breed suffers few problems, howeve care should be taken with its eyes and it is imperative that on hot days it has access to cool places and water.

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