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Choosing a puppy is a very personal process. Be sure you've looked at plenty of puppies from different sources before making a decision. Never buy on the spur of the moment. Always research health issues associated with the particular breed you're considering so you know what you might have to deal with as adults. Ideally, meet the puppy's parents. Find out what you can about their health history and their parents' health histories. Be prepared to answer breeders' questions about the living conditions into which the puppy will be going. If children are involved, bring them to meet the puppies, too! Can you fall in love with a puppy's picture? Absolutely! And if you are a strongly intuitive person, you might even be able to read a little about the puppy's personality through the pictures. But be sure to see them in person before making a commitment! Puppies of any breed can steal your heart, but wait till you see a litter of pug puppies if you haven't already. They were bred just to be expert heart thieves and they're very accomplished at their tasks!
If your lifestyle and finances permit, you might even consider a companion for your puppy. Another pug dog, a rescue dog, or your existing pets will also make wonderful companions for your pug. They love to interact!
Pugs are generally low-maintenance. As adults, they require some exercise, but not a lot. They require some grooming, but not much. The needs of flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds are different than full-nosed breeds, but they are easily managed if you have regular interaction with your pug. They are NOT made to be outdoor dogs or kept away from family members. Pugs live where you live and love to interact with everyone and everything. Pugs are very human-oriented. Pugs have been bred for centuries solely as companion animals. They REQUIRE affection and attention. If you won't be able to spend time with your pug, then consider another breed. However, once you get around them, you won't be able to resist spending lots of time with them, they have such colorful personalities! If you want a more independent dog, do not even consider a pug. If a breeder asks about fencing, it's not because we think you might be keeping them outdoors (we will have already made that clear - they can't be kept outside), it's because of the pug's very interactive nature. If they see an animal, an insect, a person, a dog, or anything, their inquisitive nature will take them happily trotting to wherever their wanderings take them. They'll wander from person to person, making new friends along the way, until they are positively lost! And there might be stranger who is tempted to take them home!
As with all dogs, they need nail trims, baths, etc. With pugs, their eyes are more exposed to dangers than most dogs, so watch out for anything unusual. Watch for pawing, extra tearing, or discomfort and keep some GenTeal PF (Preservative-Free) eye drops on hand to help flush the eyes when necessary. For any eye trauma, be sure to contact your vet or veterinarian ophthalmologist. We have the dew claws removed from our puppies because it reduces potential threats to their eyes when they are pawing at something on their face.
With wrinkle-faced dogs, the wrinkles need to be cleaned regularly. I've known some examples of each breed that don't need much attention and others that do. When the dog matures, the wrinkles become deeper and either they're in a position to collect debris or they might catch and hold the liquid from the tear ducts emptying. If you maintain them regularly (use baby wipes, commercial pet eye wipes or a water-moistened washcloth followed by something dry), then they will generally hold up well and require little extra attention. If it gets away from you, then you have a nasty, raw skin issue to deal with. For those dogs who dislike having their wrinkles tended, I start by petting them in my lap. Then gently, often without them even noticing, I will run a finger in their wrinkle. If I detect either moisture or debris, then it is time to bring out the wipes. If not, then I know that they're ok and I've continued to handle them in a gentle and non-threatening manner that allows them to be less fearful for the actual cleaning.
I've become a huge fan of the Dremel tool for dogs' nails. With a sandpaper tip, the dogs' nails are filed instead of clipped which is much easier on the dark-nailed breeds. The pugs are all accustomed to it now and it's so much easier to work on their nails without fear of hitting the quick. For great instructions on how to use/introduce your dog to filing/sanding the nails instead of clipping them, please visit Dober Dawn's site!
Be sure to research your food when you decide which brand to feed your dog. Just like humans, they need the right nutrition and building blocks in order to develop/grow and to maintain good health. Just because a brand is expensive doesn't mean it's meeting your dog's needs. But chances are if it's very inexpensive, it's not going to provide your dog even the basics and probably has harmful additives that you'd never let them eat if you knew it was in the product. Experiment with different healthy table scraps to see what your dog will eat. Try using carrots for treats! They add a side benefit of cleaning their teeth! The Veterinarian's Guide to Natural Remedies for Dogs is a wonderful and highly recommended book which will greatly aid you in many facets of owning the dog, including a section on what types of food will benefit your dog and which won't. Also, be sure to gradually change any diets you have a dog on. Sudden changes in diet, including from one dry dog food to another, can result in diarrhea. There is a good list on foods at www.dogaware.com. But for those who want to provide optimum care for their animals, consider raw feeding.
At the beginning of 2007, with the scare of the pet food recall, we made the switch to raw feeding and are so very happy that we did. We have chosen prey model raw feeding which consists of a variety of meat sources (chicken, pork, beef, rabbit, fish, etc.) and has a basic composition of 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organs (offal). This combination provides all the nutrients a carnivore needs as long as there is a good variety of meat and organs are included. This is also the most easily digested matter that can be fed a carnivore, so if your dog is having any digestion problems, some ground chicken should be very easy on their tummy. Raw feeding also maintains a good balance in their system and aids their immune system. Breeders with generations of raw-fed dogs no longer need flea preventatives because a healthy dog does not attract pests. A healthy system also makes it very difficult for parasites to thrive. Dogs don't have a doggy odor when being fed this way, and their stools are not only much smaller, but naturally dissolve very quickly outside. And a puppy fed raw and given raw meaty bones for chewing will maintain beautiful pearly white teeth that may never need a dental! We are happy to share with you what we've learned. Another good place to start would be with this brochure: http://www.usrmb.net/brochure1.pdf
Better quality of food can also lead to lower amounts of shedding. If you haven't heard it from multiple sources by the time you hit our page, let me tell you - Pugs shed. No way around it. Puppies aren't bad. Adults have much more. Good food, ensuring that the dogs are getting their essential fatty acids (fish oil is a good supplement for both kibble- and raw-fed dogs), and regular brushing with a decent shedding comb (like this small one from PetEdge) will help keep the hair under control. Some people have given up and only buy clothing that matches their pug :) Another handy tool to keep around is the Pet Hair Magnet. For the double coats, I also have read good reviews on the Furminator. And although they still shed on raw, they shed much less than they did on kibble.
Consider which type of collar you plan to use. We recommend a harness (a type that adjusts in both the front and the back). Brachycephalics have enough issues with breathing, don't add to it with a choker collar. Be more creative in your training because a choke collar can cause them to have more issues than just training issues! They have been linked to collapsed tracheas. Sometimes collars and harnesses can rub in the wrong places and cause a loss of hair (around the neck, under the arms, etc). Often, this hair will not grow back, so work with a local pet store rep to help you adjust the harness and ensure that it fits your pug properly. We have used all sorts of harnesses, but we do enjoy the Puppia harness (but it can hold in too much heat in the summer), Lupine with their lifetime guarantee, Eastside from PetEdge for their styles and fashions, and we have used many of the generic harnesses from PetSmart which seem to fit well around the neck and chest.
This section could be a whole web site! There are the general maladies that can affect any dog such as allergies, cysts, cleft palates, mange, dermatitis, entropion, hip dysplasia, etc. A person can really stress out wondering if their puppy is going to have a myriad of problems. Pugs are prone to some things more than others and there are issues relating to their brachycephalic (flat-faced) state that vets need to pay attention to, but overall a good guideline is to look at the parents to see the potential of what you dog will be both health-wise and personality-wise. Look at the sire and the dam. Play with them. Are they scratching all the time? Do they play easily? Do they breathe hard? How is the condition of their coats, their eyes, their general well-being? They might be carrying something genetically that can be passed down to their offspring, but with each generation of those undesirable traits not appearing, the greater the chances that they won't appear in your pups, either!
Ask specifically about allergies, pug dog encephalytis (an awful disease known only in pug dogs where the membrane around the brain dies and is fatal to pugs), luxating patella (congenital kneecap issue), stenotic nares (did any dogs in their line need their nares snipped to allow them to breathe more easily? Also beware of vets trying to resolve this issue before the pup is a year old - many times they will even out as the dog grows into its adult body without needing surgery), legg-perthes disease (a problem with the hip joint), entropion (inverted eyelid that rubs against the eyeball causing damage), elongated soft palate (all bracycephalic breeds have an elongated palate from where their noses have been shortened, but you should ask if any in the line have required surgery for correction).
A resource I can't recommend enough is Pugs.Com. Become a member (it's free!) and research all their articles and forums pertaining to your questions. There are years of experience on the boards and they are more than willing to educate those who are searching for information. It's a gold mine! There are detailed lists on problems in pugs, explaining what each problem is. There are people who have dealt with these problems. One terrific example was a breeder who took her dog to an emergency clinic during a problem birth and c-section. The dog was unconscious and unable to breathe and the new doctor wanted to do emergency palate surgery but it turned out that the dog was having anaphylactic shock from the medication used in her c-section which had caused her throat to swell shut. So there are vets who will see your dog walk in and jump to the conclusion that all pugs, or most, need palate and nose surgery when that is not the case. Be sure you have a vet who is familiar with the breed and not quick to charge you as much money as possible.
I would also encourage any current or potential dog owner to research health and nutrition. It's amazing what can be prevented through proper diet and care. Too many vaccinations can undermine the immune system and have a domino effect on health. Poor diet will result in a myriad of problems, including chronic skin, eye, and ear issues. Keeping your dog at optimum health will pay off in so many ways - reduced vet bills, happier and healthier animals, longer lives, stronger bones/joints/muscles, and a better companion for you!
The folks at PugVillage.com have written a good, basic guide on 10 tips to keeping your pug healthy. Please investigate their whole site because they have posted some wonderful information. Basically, keep your dog fit and trim. It should be filled out and muscular as an adult, but not tubby and fat making it difficult on his joints to get around.
As mentioned above, be sure that they are eating a well-balanced diet. Poor diets will exacerbate and even cause problems such as allergies, dry skin, brittle fur, listlessness, and general malais. We feed raw food, and they get occasional supplements based on what we feel they need at the time, including fish oil tablets. A great line of supplements are made by Bloom; we have used VM Supreme, M121 and Wate with success.
We've discussed issues with flat-faced breeds, but there are also issues with short-backed breeds. Pugs, french bulldogs, and other breeds for which breed standard indicates that they should be more square than long in the body, also deal with susceptibility to back problems. Think about it this way - all that weight is distributed to a much smaller area. When a dog jumps off a bed, the weight is compacted in their back and they can have back problems and knee injuries. Some vets might mis-diagnose a knee injury for luxating patella which is a congenital issue. Sometimes a slight luxating patella that would never need surgery is flared up by an injury that could have been easily prevented. We haven't seen this condition in our dogs but we still, however, highly recommend assisting a pug or a frenchie in leaving a sofa, a bed, or any other height. We personally don't have the heart to train them to stay off totally because we like the cuddling as much as they do! Watch them closely with stairs until they are old enough to navigate them easily.
Here are some excerpts from our puppy page:
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All puppies will be AKC registered. | |
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Puppies have been weaned on a raw food diet. Our adult dogs also receive occasional supplements as required to give their bodies the building blocks they need for optimum health. If we were to choose a dry dog food as an emergency source, it would be the type you would find at a health food store - Wellness, Solid Gold, Innova, etc. | |
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Puppies will already have received vet attention, will have their dew claws removed and we will have run a fecal test through the vet. If there are indications of parasites, we will treat them accordingly, but it has been our experience that very few raw fed litters will have any parasites in their system and we choose not to administer a chemical de-wormer that will aggravate their intestinal lining "just in case." We have changed to a minimal vaccination protocol which will be lined out in an information brochure for prospective buyers. | |
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We require that you take the puppy to a vet within 72 hours of picking them up. Please arrange for your appointment before picking up the puppy so that you're certain the vet can fit you in. If there is a reason for a delay, please let us know so we can work with you on that issue. | |
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Most puppies will be ready to leave between 8-12 weeks old. All puppies must be fully weaned from their mothers; we don't rush the process in an attempt to wean the puppies early, preferring to leave them with their mothers until they are ready to leave. In cases where the vet has instructed us to wean early, we have put them on a program to give them optimum health. We will also hold onto show prospects longer to see how they are developing. | |
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Please plan to pick up your puppy from us. If shipping is an absolute requirement, then please contact us to work out the details. We will come up with a solution that does not include cargo shipping such as pet nannies who travel with pets, etc. | |
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Once the litters are born, we accept $100 non-refundable deposits to go toward the total purchase price of the puppies. Checks are acceptable for deposits. For final purchase amount, please plan to pay with cash or money order. Checks and PayPal can be used if enough time is given for the payment to clear before the puppy is picked up. |
As mentioned above, join Pugs.com and participate in the forums and read the articles. It is the most comprehensive source that I've found on pugs so far! And there are many great people there. Have fun with it!
Build a web page for your dog on Dogster.com. Post pictures, build a personality profile, write a diary. What a great way to share the adventures of your dog with your family and friends!
Here are some books that we have found very helpful or just plain fun. They can be purchased on Amazon.com.
The first is Amazon's recommended choice of the day for the subject matter "dog training."
There are some cute pug gifts here. And with some gifts, there are proceeds that go to rescues.
For this particular litter, Daisy ran into a problem with her calcium when the pups were 3 weeks old. The puppies were given several different mixtures of food which contained any of the following: Esibilac puppy formula, yogurt, vitamins, colustrum, cottage cheese, dry baby cereal (reconstituted with puppy formula), raw egg yolk, and baby food (such as Gerber Chicken & Rice, etc.), puppy chow soaked in water to a mushy texture. They preferred formula mixed with the oatmeal baby cereal for the first 3-4 days of weaning. After that, they enjoyed a little something extra in the food and they tried many different varieties of the above menu selections until they started accepting more puppy chow. At 5 weeks of age, they were on puppy chow processed in a food processor with water to make it at least partially mushy. By 6 weeks old, they were able to eat regular puppy chow but still preferred it to be soaked in water. Please see a book for better timetables, but from 0-3 weeks, they should be fed at least 4 times daily. From 4-8 weeks they can be fed 3 times per day. Let the puppies eat as much as they feel comfortable eating unless there is an obvious reason not to.
Be sure to include probiotics in the diet for the puppies. This will help establish beneficial flora in their intestine. I have found that when supplement with this, and switching foods, that the puppies could go into any home and easily adjust to a new food without the commotion of diarrhea.
Now that we have made the switch to raw, we are looking forward to the benefits that come along with it when raising puppies. For one, the mother can eat the food, then regurgitate it for the puppies as it is done in the wild. With this tool, mom decides the proper time for the babies to be introduced to food, and the breeder doesn't have to guess. Also, she will bring them whole foods when she feels they need to learn how to chew. We will still add probiotics to ground meat to ensure that their systems are getting a good, strong foundation.