Pug

This article is about the dog breed. For other meanings of Pug, see Pug (disambiguation).

The Pug is a small but robust toy dog breed with a compressed, wrinkly face.

Appearance

The Pug's appearance is characterized by a flat, wrinkled face, compact body, and curled tail. Pugs have four color variations: fawn with a black mask and ears, entirely black, silver, or apricot. The silver or apricot-fawn colors should be decided so as to make the contrast complete between the color and the trace and the mask. The breed generally stands between 10 and 11 inches (25–28 cm) tall at the withers with an ideal weight range of 14 to 18 lb (6.3 to 8.1 kg).

Temperament

The Pug is a very sociable dog, as well as being extremely smart and quite stubborn. The Pug is popular as a housepet, as it requires little exercise and is easy to groom, although they shed substantially more than other dogs of similar size. They are also compatible with most children and other animals.

Health

Because they have extremely short snouts, some Pugs easily scratch their corneas, and can develop breathing problems. They are also prone to skin infections if the crevices in their face are not kept clean. Teeth and mouth problems are also caused by the flat faces. Pugs are prone to obesity, and can reach unhealthy weights. Pugs can also suffer from a fatal disease specific to their breed called Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE), which is a chronic form of Granulomatous Meningoencephalitis (GME) (an inflammation of the brain). PDE is suspected to be an inherited disease in Pugs and research is ongoing. The disease progresses rapidly, and there is currently no known cause or cure.

History

Pugs were originally bred in China to be royal companions and royal "bed warmers". For this, Pugs are also called Chinese Pugs.

Miscellaneous

Famous Pugs

• Josephine Bonaparte had a Pug (which met a rather unfortunate end with the chef's Bulldog). The dog's name was Fortune and was used by Josephine to send Napoleon secret messages.
• Percy from Pocahantas(1995 movie)
• Algy from Rubert the Bear

Pugs in the arts

A Pug (Frank) appeared in the popular movies Men in Black and Men in Black II. Celebrities such as Maura Tierney, Carol Kane, and Tori Spelling have appeared in TV and print ads with their Pugs. A Pug was also one of the stars of the movie The Adventures of Milo and Otis.

Winston Churchill, whose wife called him by the nickname "Pug", wrote a short poem about a Pug:

Poor Puggy-wug

Oh, what is the matter with poor Puggy-wug

Pet him and kiss him and give him a hug.

Run and fetch him a suitable drug,

Wrap him up tenderly all in a rug,

That is the way to cure Puggy-wug.