Contents
History of origin
Looking at the charming faces of pugs, it is unlikely that anyone today will look for the “imperial sign” on them – a certain Chinese character that “draws” skin folds on the forehead of dogs. But for the first owners of pugs from ancient China, this sign was incredibly important. Largely because of him, these ancient dogs received incredible privileges and lived better than most people in the Middle Kingdom.
In China, small dogs with a square body and a wrinkled muzzle were called “Lo Jie”, they were kept at the imperial court, and also allowed to have aristocrats and high-ranking officials. Cute dogs had their own rooms, their own staff of servants, precious collars, because this breed was considered a symbol of wealth and glory. Lo-jie dogs were presented as an imperial gift to other Asian rulers, so they were known in the states adjacent to China, but dogs came to Europe only at the end of the XNUMXth century.
Dutch sailors brought them to the Netherlands, where exotic Chinese dogs received the modern name “pug” and the love of local ladies: one or even several pugs eventually settled in every wealthy house. The popularity of the breed reached France – the beloved pug inseparably accompanied Napoleon’s wife Josephine.
Pugs also reached England during the reign of William III. They owe their “second birth” to this country: when Queen Victoria of Great Britain wished to have a pug dog, it turned out that there were almost no pugs left in England – the fashion for pugs had passed – and dogs were no longer bred. Her Majesty’s interest in pugs was the impetus for the revival of the breed. Under the patronage of Queen Victoria, the first club of pug lovers was created, and a targeted selection of dogs began, in which black pugs brought to Britain at the end of the 1966th century took part. The British Kennel Club, an organization that registers purebred dog breeds, registered pugs at the end of the XNUMXth century, and the International Cynological Federation adopted the pug dog breed standards in XNUMX.
Breed description
The pug dog is a strong, stocky, compact, square type. The pug’s body is short and stocky, with a straight back and a broad chest. The head is large and round. The muzzle is blunt, square, wrinkles on the forehead are clearly defined, the nose is black with large open nostrils. Jaws slightly undershot. The eyes are round, fairly large, dark in color, shiny. Small, soft ears can be of two types: “rose” – a small folded ear that does not close the ear canal, and “button” – a small ear, the tip of which closes the ear canal and is pressed tightly against the skull. The tail is set high and curled over the hips. Legs are strong, moderately long with black claws. The coat is smooth and short, close fitting. Pugs come in four colors: silver, apricot beige, or black. In all colors, a clear contrast is needed between the main tone and the black markings: the “belt” – a dark line on the back from the back of the head to the tail and the mask on the muzzle.
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Character
“Pugs are incredibly friendly dogs, they are ready to be friends with everyone, whether it be cats, other dogs, children and even hamsters,” says Svetlana Osina, owner of the kennel “Sveitana Gale”. – They never show aggression, an aggressive pug is a defective dog. Pugs show their friendliness every minute in the desire to be near the owner, to be in constant tactile contact with him, to put his muzzle in his hands, to poke her into any part of his beloved master’s body. If the pug understands that now you are not ready to communicate, he will not go far anyway – he will sit on your foot or lean against your leg, just to feel that the owner is nearby. Therefore, for people who are not ready for constant contact with an animal, pugs are most likely not suitable. And if you find joy in communicating with pets, then pugs are your breed.
The appearance of pugs as such lazy bumpkins is very deceptive. They are very mobile and active dogs.
“They say that pug puppies can be in several places at the same time, and this seems to be true,” says Svetlana Osina. – In puppyhood and young age – these are some kind of “electric brooms”, not dogs. Of course, with age, their energy becomes less, they begin to be lazy, but still remain very energetic.
Pugs rarely give a voice, of course, there are always exceptions, and each dog has its own character, but in general, representatives of this breed are not very talkative, they calmly react to changes in the outside world, and if they bark, then essentially.
Care and maintenance
“Future owners need to know that pugs shed almost all year round,” explains Svetlana Osina. – Two annual molts, of course, are also characteristic of pugs, but in the intervals between them they constantly drop their hair, so there will be wool on the floor – not huge piles, since pugs have short hairs, but you will have to vacuum more often. To get rid of falling hairs, dogs can be combed out every two weeks with a furminator.
Pugs with high intelligence are perfectly accustomed to walks of various purposes.
“In order for a small dog with a fast metabolism to live comfortably in an apartment, pugs need to be walked three times a day,” says Svetlana Osina. — These walks can be different in time. Two of them are for 15-20 minutes – so that the dog has time to cope with physiological needs, and one main one – for an hour, where pugs can walk, frolic, spend the energy accumulated during the day. But it is very important to remember that pugs should not be walked under the scorching open sun, you should not allow the dog to walk in tall grass so that it does not hurt its eyes.
In food, pugs are unpretentious, the main thing is to follow the diet and not overfeed the dog.
“I feed our pugs with super premium industrial feed,” says Svetlana Osina. – Of course, the choice of a power system is always the decision of the owners. But today it is very difficult to make a balanced diet on natural feeding, and it is almost impossible to control the quality of the products. Therefore, industrial feed seems to me safer and more convenient. And if the dog gets tired of the monotony, you can find food with other tastes in the same line and thus expand its diet.
Education and training
“Pugs conquered me with their intellect, the ability to communicate, to understand everything from the first command, they are very smart and obedient dogs,” says Svetlana Osina. – Many men, when buying pugs in our kennel, condescendingly explained that they take a dog for their wife, emphasizing that this is a decorative “female” breed, and then the pug becomes their true friend, it is so smart, understanding and faithful companion. Pugs in terms of trainability and ability to train can give odds to most service dogs. And their love of food is easy to use to learn even the most incredible tricks – pugs are ready for a lot for a tasty piece. But even without additional incentive, they perfectly understand commands and words, and most importantly, they willingly do what their owner wants. Moreover, pugs are able to build short logical chains and make decisions on their own, without commands, and these are almost always the right decisions.
Health and disease
Like most ancient dogs, pugs are a healthy breed if kept and fed properly.
– Many people have a stereotype that pugs are fat, that they must be plump, very well-fed. Therefore, the owners begin to overfeed the dogs, turning them into sick animals, explains Svetlana Osina. – But in the description of the breed it is clearly stated that pugs have a “strong” constitution. This is a fairly athletic dog with well-developed muscles, and not a couch fat man. If pugs do not have excess weight, then they will not be familiar with any problems with the cardiovascular system, diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Like all domestic dogs, pugs need to be vaccinated annually, anthelmintic prophylaxis, prophylaxis against tick bites and other parasites.
– It is imperative to monitor the dog’s ears – if they turn red, seek advice from a breeder or veterinarian, – says Svetlana Osina. – Pay attention to the condition of the eyes, if necessary, wipe them from secretions. Pay special attention to the fold of skin above the nose – this does not mean that it needs to be constantly wiped, it is necessary that there is no diaper rash in the folds, and if it bothers the dog, call the breeder and ask for advice.
Pugs are prone to food allergies, especially beige animals, so you need to carefully monitor the condition of the pet after feeding and, if necessary, change the nutrition system.
“There is also a genetic disease that pugs are prone to — it’s called “hereditary pug encephalitis” or PDE,” says Svetlana Osina. – Responsible breeders at the first suspicion send puppies for analysis and provide future owners with test results. Fortunately, this disease in pugs is becoming less common and over the past 20 years, its cases have been isolated.
Popular questions and answers
Answered the most popular questions of pug owners biologist, cynologist, author of a book on dog training Irina Makarenkova.