Anyone own a Pug?

[Divamomto3]

My family and I are interested in this breed. Any DISers proud owners of a cute pug that may want to share a few stories and some insight with me?

 

[poohandwendy]

Pugdog's ears are probably burning right now...I am sure you will get some great advice here!

 

[Katy Belle]

Lots of people on this board have pugs so I'm sure someone will help you soon! Our neighbors have a pug, Benny. He is the sweetest thing. He doesn't bark, he makes "happy noises" a kind of growl/squeak, too cute. He spins in circles when you come to see him. He is really a great dog, I'm considering getting a Pug when we return to the USA. Good luck!
Katy

 

[Crankyshank]

There's a bunch of pug owners here on the board. I'm partial to beagles, but my parents' pride and joy is their almost year old pug named Remy

This dog is a rock star. People actually cross the street to come say Hi to him wherever he goes. They take him on the ferry to Nantucket with them (actually he's been on the plane too but didn't like it), on their sailboat, to the Cape, etc... He is very even tempered and fairly laid back as long as his schedule isn't too out of whack. He loves people, but does get what my mother calls "too much birthday syndrome" where he gets burned out and nuts if he has too many people paying attention to him or if he's been extra social. He's an awesome dog.
He does shed a lot more than you would expect, he is stubborn and was hard to potty train. Even now at 10 mos they have some poop issues. He has some minor health issues - he had a nose job when he was neutered to widen his nostrils (very common in not only pugs but other "smooshy faced" dogs. He's also prone to ear infections (has his ears cleaned every day and still gets them) and skin problems (you need to make sure his folds are washed)
Pugs are not normally exercise dogs. Remy is unusual amongst my parents' pug group in that he puggy runs about a 1/4 -1/2 mile every single day. They are very sensitive to extreme heat. he wears a sweater in the winter when he goes out and they have to be really careful about when he goes out in the summer especially and where they keep him during the day (my parents do not have ac). Remy has his own personal doggy sized fan and after 20yrs in their house making their children suffer through no ac they are going to get central air hooked up for the dog My poor brother has been ousted from the favorite child position by a dog!

 

[Sandy22]

My friend has one. I've never seen a dog shed so much!

He's a great, funny, personable dog.

 

[newholidayx2]

Nana has a black pug named Bear. He sounds like a pig

 

[pixiemomma]

We have an almost 2 year old pug. I was never a pug person but let me tell you you, after having this little guy in my life I'm not sure if I'd ever own another breed. He is exceptionally friendly. He loves everyone, even cats. (I have photographic proof of this)

He is very dominent though. My stepdad has a Newfoundland and my dog is definatly the boss of him! If they are both outside using the bathroom together, my dog will pee on the Newfie as the Newfie is peeing, essentially marking the Newfie! He was easy to potty train but he has been known to uh mark new territory. (He isn't neutered yet) He is a heavy breather. He falls asleep sitting up sometimes.

Pugs are awesome dogs. Really, I'd recommend one to anyone with a lot of love to give.

 

[Hootiss]

This is Winnie, she is very very very loud lol. I was never a small breed dog lover, but she is fantastic. I have had her since she was 2 weeks old, her mother was killed during Charlie. I was really worried she would not adjust well but she did just fine. She loves kids, our 2 other dogs and our 2 cats. She is on the rather small end (about 12lbs) but adorable. Pugs are very hard to potty train, even at a year she still has accidents. She loves to swim, she will jump right in the pool. She also loves to run/race with the other dogs. As far as shedding I feed her Chicken Soup For Dogs and really don't have a problem. I do worry about Florida heat, but so far no problems, she loves to be outside. Be warned Pugs snore so loud it is beyond hysterical. You can hear her clear across the house(2500 sq. ft) with a tv on. She loves to cuddle, does well in the car and is wonderful with the kids. I highly reccomend this breed. Just do your research on medical issues ( breathing, spaying etc...) Good luck!! Any more ??? just let me know! ug: ug: ug:

 

[minkydog]

Oh my gosh! Don't let my DD12 see this thread! She has been wanting a pug for 2 years. My mothers neighbors do Pug rescue, so they always have 3-4 at their house.DD just loves those dogs. I had heard they were hard to housebreak--my poodle would rather implode than wet the floor. How do you prevent accidents, crate-training? Shedding i could live with, but stepping in pee-pee is too much.

 

[Crankyshank]

minky, my parents tried crate training but it didn't work for them (he literally cried all night long - loudly for months). They did what we call "Puggy lock down" instead, which was a play pen and then he graduated to a gated off section of the kitchen. They kept a record of what time he peed and pooped and kept him on a strict walking and feeding schedule.
It was difficult at first because they got him in the winter and it was too cold for him to go out when he was a baby, so he was first paper trained and then housebroken. That's why it took longer to get him housebroken, but in their case they really didn't have much of a choice. He only has poop accidents now on occasion.

 

[ziggystardust]

The photo below is Ziggy. We adopted him at about 2 1/2 years. (people were throwing him out )Anyway he is the best dog ever! We've been lucky that he doesn't have any breathing problems or major skin issues. His nose isn't as pushed in as some other pugs- so I think that helps. He's a big pug too, about 28 pounds. (not so much fat but tall - he's built like a bull dog)

He loves to sit on anyones lap, needs to in fact. Hes the best thing if you are tired, b/c him sleeping on your stomach - he'll put you to sleep in a second.

Please though, if you decide to get any dog, please DO NOT go to a pet store. If you want a pure bred, either find a pug rescue or a reputable breeder. Ziggy is an amazing dog and we got him out of an abusive household. Any ?s, PM me. My DBF has had many pugs over the years.

 

[Divamomto3]

My friend has one. I've never seen a dog shed so much!

He's a great, funny, personable dog.

I wouldn't think they would be huge shedders, but apparently they are! I didn't think anything could be worse than my sister's giant Golden Retriever.

 

[ziggystardust]

I wouldn't think they would be huge shedders, but apparently they are! I didn't think anything could be worse than my sister's giant Golden Retriever.

Ziggy sheds like crazy. He actually sheds more than my Chocolate lab. He's hair is a mix between the fawn color and the black so maybe I just notice it more.

 

[Divamomto3]

Thank you for all of the excellent advice! It's a big decison for us, and one I'm not going to jump into or take lightly. My DH always liked big dogs, but my son and I want a smaller one. It's going to be a lot of months of research and soul searching to make sure I'm ready!

 

[Crankyshank]

pugs are actually a really good compromise. They certainly don't act like little dogs!

 

[Mimi Q]

Our family got our first dog last year. As you can see by the adorable picture in my signature, we got a pug. I consider myself a cat person and let me tell you I LOVE our pug. She is the sweetest dog- gets along great with the cats and is devoted to our children ages 3 and 13. The only down side is the shedding. We investigated the breed before we bought her, so we knew what we were getting into. I wouldn't trade Miss Puggles for any other dog I've met. DH and DDs are trying to convince me to get a black one, too. ug:

They are sensitive to heat and do not require much in the way of exercise. Easy as pie to housebreak. Very few accidents when she was a puppy.

 

[Mimi Q]

Thought of a few more things I wanted to add. These were things I read about the breed before I got a pug and have found to be true with Miss Puggles:

*She doesn't bark much.

*She doesn't have a good sense of direction- we never take her outside without a lease on. Not a dog you can just stick outside unless you have a fenced in yard.

*Sleeps a lot. Miss Puggles sleeps about 12 hours a night.

*Doesn't like to be left alone often. I only work one day a week, and she doesn't like that.

If you have any specific questions, I would be glad to answer them.

 

[Crankyshank]

Thought of a few more things I wanted to add. These were things I read about the breed before I got a pug and have found to be true with Miss Puggles:

*She doesn't bark much.

*She doesn't have a good sense of direction- we never take her outside without a lease on. Not a dog you can just stick outside unless you have a fenced in yard.

*Sleeps a lot. Miss Puggles sleeps about 12 hours a night.

*Doesn't like to be left alone often. I only work one day a week, and she doesn't like that.

If you have any specific questions, I would be glad to answer them.

-Remy barks a little bit. It's a strange bark. He makes a "woo woo" sound when he can't reach a toy and wants you to get it for him.
- he also sleeps alot, but so do my beagles
- definitely doesn't like to be left alone often either. He's ok during the day because he's used to it, but if they are going out for longer than a few hours at night my parents have me or someone else pug sit.

 

[RUDisney]

I am going to tell you about the downside of having a pug. I have two of them and they are completely my babies. They are snuggly and wonderful companions. Everything that everyone has said so far is true, but I want you to know the whole story and not just the good parts.

First off, look for a good breeder. Pay the extra to get a pug who is from a solid lineage even if you have no desire to show the dog. Pugs are prone to pigmentary keratitis (PK) and dry eye. My pugs have both. Puggles will be 10 in December and Prancer turned 7 in May. The only help for this condition is cyclosporine ($33/tube or dropper bottle.) Not cheap, but it helps slow the process of the PK. Eventually, this leads to blindness. Prancer is almost blind at this point, although she gets along spectacularly well.

The reason that pugs snore is because they are brachiosephalic (sp?) This means that they have short nasal passages. Puggles breathes much better than Prancer. When Prancer is worked up because of playing, or just plain heat, she breathes so loudly that you can bearly hear the TV over her.

Both of my pugs have allergies. Prancer is allergic to everything under the sun. Really, for a long time, I couldn't buy dog food for her. I read about 6 dog nutrition books and came up with my own kibble. She did very well on it, but let's face it, who has time to bake kibble all the time? Luckily, I've found Azmira and can buy food to which she is not allergic. Puggles is allergic to wheat. That's easy to find substitutes for, but now, I feed both of them the same thing. Puggles has crystals in her urine. I have found a homeopathic remedy for this, also from Azmira. 3 drops a day has relieved this issue. She is also prone to fungus. We have just started her on another homeopathic drop from Azmira to see if we can't correct this, too.

Puggles was purchased from a pet store, before I knew that these dogs are all from puppy mills. All things considered, we have been very lucky with her health. Prancer was the runt of the litter from a reputable breeder. She was bread to show, but just didn't turn into a show dog. She is beautiful now, insofar as confirmation is concerned, but she's so wall-eyed that it makes her even cuter.

So, if I haven't scared you with my story, and I didn't tell it to make you afraid, I would say that you could definitely be a pug person. They are like Lay's potato chips, though. Once you have one, you'll need to have more. They shed, they snore and they give more love in their little bodies than some people would ever hope to receive.

My girls bark infrequently, but they do try to chase cars when on leash and when they are in the fenced in yard, Puggles chases birds that are in the sky and occasionally has decided that the Moon is her enemy ... as is the vacuum inside.

My kids brag about our dogs all the time. They think the pugs are the coolest things in the world.

 

[RUDisney]

Oh, another thing. My pugs are crate trained. They love their crates! They have me trained, though, to give them a baby carrot whenever they will be crated. Many nights, if I am looking for them before bed, they can be found sleeping in their crates, just because.

I can leave my girls alone any time. I only get someone to stop by if we'll be gone longer than 8-hours. They even stay home alone when we go on vacation. Our neighbor comes over several times a day to let them outside, feed them and play with them. I like this situation better than putting them in a kennel.