Pug Dogs

Pug Dogs

It is no uncommon knowledge that the Orient is responsible for giving the Western World some of the rarest and beautiful dog breeds in the world. There are the Tibetan Mastiffs, Chow Chows, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, Akitas, and Shiba Inus, and who can forget the Pug dogs?

Small with an adorable monkey face, the Pug dog might be tiny but it has the heart and soul of a dog that is many times its size.

Origin

Just how Pug dogs came into being was never clearly known. This is common among dog breeds with Asian origins. However, according to one account, the breed may be more than 1000 years old. The Pug was said to be developed from the same stock that produced the Pekingese, and in fact, along with its Pekingese cousin, Pug dogs were once beloved companions of royalty.

Pug dogs are among that group of dog breeds that are collectively known as "sleeve dogs." That's because their size is small enough to enable its owner, a member of royalty perhaps, to fit it into the sleeve. Their diminutive size makes them easy to carry around.

When China opened to trade with the Dutch East India Company, the Pug dogs were probably among those breeds that were traded and brought to Holland. And from there, it was later brought to England where it also became a favorite among royalty.

William III of Holland who assumed the English throne in 1688 brought several Pug dogs with him, sporting orange ribbons, which were symbols of his family, the House of Orange. A hundred years later, Queen Victoria and France's Josephine took the breed as well and made it their favorites. In fact, Queen Victoria passed a law, prohibiting the once popular practice of cropping the ears of Pug dogs.

Profile

Pug dogs are described as multu in parvo, which literally translates to "much in a small package." This is an accurate description of the Pug, which is a sturdy, compact breed with a muscular and well-balanced body. A typical Pug weighs about 14 to 18 pounds.

The most distinctive features of Pug dogs are their heads and tails. Unlike the Bulldog or Brussels Griffon, Pug dogs have a foreshortened muzzle but not laid back. Also, its face is characteristically wrinkled, as though the dog is in some sort of deep pathos or is an extremely wise sage.

As for its tail, it is tightly curled up over the hip. It cannot be straight or slack. Otherwise, it would spoil the Pug look. Its skin is normally loose but not wrinkled, except for its face.

Pug dogs are very easy to groom. They require low maintenance and perhaps a once-a-week bath. They have double coats, comprised of fine glossy outer coat and fine undercoat.