Why We Love Pug Breeds

81

By Sunny Robinson

Black pug named Ozzy.  My boy!
See all 6 photos
Black pug named Ozzy. My boy!

The Pug Breed

Haven't you ever seen those squishy-faced breeds and go, "Oh my gosh, they're too freaking cute!" If you've ever owned one, you know what I'm talking about.  Pugs, anywhere they go, have given the impression that they want you to pet them NOW.  And you can't resist it!  There is that magical quality, I am telling you.  They have this sort of spell shrouding them that says, "I have a squishy nose, I snort, I'm cute, therefore you MUST cuddle me".

Oh, they come in so many sizes and colors.  The main thing is that they are rather broad-shouldered, walk funny, have curly tail, and they wiggle constantly.  Sometimes, they either look constantly sad, confused, or surprised.  Personally, I love various breeds like boston terrier, bull dogs, and chow chows that all relatively have shorter and wrinkly muzzles.  I digress, this is about the Pug Breed.

Here's the lowdown, folks.  There are fawn, black, white, silver, blue, brindle, and albino pugs.  The most popular and well-known are the black and fawn pugs.  They come in at least two most well-known sizes: Medium and miniature.  Black pugs have a tendency to be smaller than their fawn counterparts.  The fawns have a tendency to be stockier and a bit larger than most of the other colored pugs.  It may just be how they are bred.

Click thumbnail to view full-size
Black Pug

Some Interesting Facts From Anywhere on the Web

From Wikipedia:

- Pug puppies are often called puglets.

- They have been described as multum in parvo ("much in little"), referring to the pug's personality and small size. Known in ancient China as lo-sze, they may have been responsible for both the modern Pekinese and King Charles spaniel.

From Funtrivia.com:

- Josephine Bonaparte owned a pug who went into battle with her husband, Napoleon. Some people believe that it was Napoleon's dog, while other can't believe that because of how he despised dogs. This pug is famous for carrying secret messages to Josephine from her husband.

- Pugs usually live for about 13 years. In dog years, that's 91! (13 X 7 = 91)

- Pugs are known as Carlin in France. They have been called this in France since the early 1800s. Carlin was the name of a man who played a role in a play as a man with a black mask.


Why Do We Love Them?

If you honestly don't know, take a look at why they are so well-loved.

  • Their antics are video-worthy. They dash from place to place, they sit and stare at you dolefully, they tilt their heads in every angle possible when you talk to them, their wrinkles will flop over their eyes as they glare at you, they wiggle at the possibility of being petted, then they go into over-spaz mode when they are being petted, and they are forever a puppy at heart.  This behavior generally lasts for 5 years or so.
  • They're loyal to a fault. While they love everyone, they tend to stick very close to one or two alpha leaders. This makes them easy to train.
  • They have A LOT of personality. They don't hide it from an early age. It's obvious from the very beginning what kind of personality they have. Most often, they are incredibly inquisitive and can be quite mischievous. They tend to be quite picky, like wet ground when they have to potty and can occasionally be prissy.
  • They somehow make you love them despite their occasional evil ways. For example, you cannot resist a begging Pug. You just cannot! Their eyes are absolutely huge and some can look so damn sad. Their face is perfect for expressions like, "I SWEAR I didn't do it" while making their faces even more wrinklier. Darn it!
  • They have breathing problems. So, when their mouth are hanging open with a tongue flopping to the side and they're breathing hard from running so fast around the house (Pugtona!), you just want to give them a big hug!
  • The noises they make. They give a long drawn-out snort when annoyed or startled. They give short little snuffles when happy. They can't even bark properly, even when they are agitated.
  • Wrinkles aren't just on their faces. Just saying! They have them near where the tail meets their back. There are also quite a few that have them all over their body, somewhat similar to Shar-peis. Which, by the way, is another breed I absolutely adore.
  • They are lap dogs.  They love to be loved on and will love you right back in the form of wet, sloppy kisses.  They also show their love through sneezing on you and trying to lick your ear.

Those are just off the top of my head.  This is why pugs are so lovable.

People Love Pugs So Much We Write About Them!

That's right, people.

Taking a Pug to the Vet : I recently took my pug baby to the vet and had to get him neutered.  He's 3 years old.  Check out how it all worked.  This info may help you make an informed decision.

Pug Care : Another writer took great care to share these tips on taking care of your Pug.  Well worth the read!

Pug Gifts : Yes! There is a whole crap load of Pug stuff out there! Gifts for pugs and gifts for pug owners alike.  It's like heaven for us.  Written by frogdropping.

My New Pug Puppy: Pictures : Ryan Kett of Hubpages has his own pug puppy! Read all about it over there.

Also, they make for cute products.

Pug Mugs: Good Pugs Gone Bad
Amazon Price: $7.71
List Price: $14.95
Pugs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)
Amazon Price: $5.03
List Price: $8.99
Westland Giftware Mwah Magnetic Pugs Salt and Pepper Shaker Set, 2-1/2-Inch
Amazon Price: $8.70
List Price: $11.99

Another Random Fact from Wikipedia

[From Pug Wiki]

Celebrity pug owners include financial talk show host and best selling author Dave Ramsey, comedienne Maria Bamford, broadcaster Jonathan Ross, actress Jessica Alba, actor Hugh Laurie, fashion designer Valentino Garavani, footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, actor Gerard Butler, actress Jenna Elfman and musician Rob Zombie.

Aww, even George Clooney loves him some Pugface!
Aww, even George Clooney loves him some Pugface!

Pug Lovers On the Net!

  • Stuck in the Middle

    Henry to the left of me, Benny to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you. Having brothers is fun isn't it? I don't think Luna minds too much, though. She runs a tight ship and does a good job keeping them in line. - 23 minutes ago

  • Here I Come to Save the Day!

    I love to watch Baby Benny gallop! Despite Benny looking spry and chipper in this photo, I don't think his thyroid meds have started to kick in. We haven't really noticed much difference in his energy level yet. It probably is too early for his "energy" pills to be effective, but I am very anxious for them to get into Benny's system and work their magic. - 24 hours ago

  • Caption This #236

    Looking forward to your captions in the comments. - 2 days ago

  • Waiting

    Cappy waiting at the grocery store.from the Pug Blog Photostream. Cappy waiting at the grocery store.from the Pug Blog Photostream.

  • Roscoe the Pug With Ice Bag On His Head- Miserable in the Seattle Heat

    To make Roscoe more comfortable in the Seattle heat, I put some ice cubes in a Ziploc bag and put them on his head.from the Pug Blog Photostream. To make Roscoe more comfortable in the Seattle heat, I put some ice cubes in a Ziploc bag and put them on his head.from the Pug Blog Photostream.

  • Cap'n the Pug Watching le Tour

    Cap'n the Pug was also amazed by that stage today, watched the jersey presentation until Ben Stiller came out, then she lost interest.from the Pug Blog Photostream. Cap'n the Pug was also amazed by that stage today, watched the jersey presentation until Ben Stiller came out, then she lost interest.from the Pug Blog Photostream.

Comments

sid_candid profile image

sid_candid 19 months ago

Pug is certainly one of the most adorable dog breed.

Michael Adams1959 profile image

Michael Adams1959 Level 2 Commenter 19 months ago

We have three Pugs love em a lot

Sunny Robinson profile image

Sunny Robinson Hub Author 19 months ago

sid, I agree. I would love to have another. Or maybe a bull dog.

Michael, three! That must make for tons of fun. We have 7 dogs and 1 cat. Two australian shepherds, one shih tzu, one pug-tzu puppy, one pug, one schnauzer, and one poodle. The cat is a orange tom. We also have another pug-tzu puppy in the care of my friend who is living with me.

lorlie6 profile image

lorlie6 Level 3 Commenter 19 months ago

My very first word was the name of our pug, Johnny. I screwed it up to such a degree that it was quite cute. I so want a pug now that I'm an old lady.

I had no idea there were white and brindles.

I think I'm partial to fawn, though.

Awesome hub, Sunny!

dallas93444 profile image

dallas93444 Level 6 Commenter 19 months ago

Absolutely pugnacious... Seriously, I enjoy most dog breeds...

Summer Wolf profile image

Summer Wolf 19 months ago

I absolutely love Pugs! I'm nuts about Pugs. When I had my little girl I collected everything pug. I don't have a Pug right now. When my girl died I wasn't ready to get another Pug yet. Now I have three dogs and none are Pugs, but will have another when I can. Another snub nose, cute and heck breed is a Japanese Chin. I have one of those. Would love a flock of pugs and chins. That would be fun.

Summer Wolf profile image

Summer Wolf 19 months ago

Another point I'd like to make. I used to go to Pug Thursdays at the park. It's really amazing how Pug owners are the friendliest people. I've approached Pug people with and without my Pug. Yes, they are friendly when you don't have your Pug, but when you do, it's like you are a long lost friend with the laughs and the giggles and the trust and friendship. Pug owners are the best!

dnewman profile image

dnewman 19 months ago

Fiesty and sweet all at the same time...and those eyes! They just have to look at me and I melt!

Sunny Robinson profile image

Sunny Robinson Hub Author 19 months ago

Lorlie, I made myself want a fawn badly in writing this. I remember reading about the white pugs, along with the black and fawn when researching pugs (back before I got my Ozzfest). However, brindles and the others, I didn't know until now.

dallas, indeed! Pugnacious, indeed. Thank you for commenting.

Summer Wolf, I am so itching to buy me that kissing Pugs salt and shaker thing. I also love everything Pug! Lol, I don't know about the flock of chins and pugs, though. That's a lot of work, but possibly well worth it.

Pug owners do seem to be much more mindful of how to take care of their puggies. I wonder if the happy nature of pugs attract the happy people?

dnewman, I'm with ya there! My Ozzfest kills me with his face. So sweet.

Blue Laser Pointers 19 months ago

very like

mikesssb profile image

mikesssb 14 months ago

I've never owned one but have always thought pugs to be the cutest of the toy breeds!

Sunny Robinson profile image

Sunny Robinson Hub Author 14 months ago

They're really more medium-sized than toy breeds. But yeah, I agree, I believe pugs are the most adorable flat-faced puppies out there.

Contemporary Htls 10 months ago

I have a black pug, he is my 7th dog i have ever owned and is by far my favourite. He isn't much of a fan of the Aussie summer but we go to the beach instead, loves a good swim. It is winter now and he can keep up with our cattle dog/kelpie cross. One fit pug!

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