Is a Pug the Right Breed For You?

A pug is:

• a dog that loves and needs human companionship and lots of attention

• a dog that enjoys loving his or her owner

• an intelligent breed

• a dog with a great sense of humor, not perse the same humor as their owners

• a breed that is behaving as a puppy for a long time (more mature behavior often is not exposed until the dog reaches the age of three years old)

• a dog that can be very stubborn and "naughty" - unless its owner knows to make clear to the dog what behavior is rewarding and wished for

• a breed that, unfortunately, suffers from a few different genetic disorders (not all individual pugs suffer from disorders - but for the breed as a whole)

Who would make a great pug owner?

• someone who has a lot of time to share with his* dog

• someone who loves to cuddle his dog a lot

• someone who knows how to let the dog's intelligence work *for* him, instead of against

• someone who's "soft" - but at the same time can be consequent all the time

• someone who is patient - but doesn't give up easily

• someone who can appreciate a dog being clownish and "naughty"

• someone who is aware of the breed's weaknesses and is alert to prevent the pug's illness / death - knows how to recognize early symptoms of disease

• NOT someone who's looking for a dog to keep outdoors

• NOT someone who's searching for a very athletic dog, to go for long walks every day, compete in competitive agility etc.

• NOT someone who's looking for a dog that will "automatically" ** be very obedient (a pug can learn to obey perfectly, but this will only succeed if the owner knows how to train a dog using positive training methods, and will to train the dog regularly).