Also known as the Jack-Pug, JackPug, and the Jack Russell Pug, the Jug is an intelligent, playful, and affectionate breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The exact origin of the Jug has not been well documented. The Jug was created by crossing the Pug and the Jack Russell Terrier. Enthusiasts believe that the breed was developed within the United States and may date back as far as the 1960’s, though this has never been proven scientifically or otherwise.
Throughout its history, the Jug has been most commonly kept as a family pet and companion, proving its superior abilities to provide both entertainment and warm companionship.
Today, while the Jug is slowly attaining an underground popularity among the endless number of hybrid and designer dogs, the breed remains somewhat rare world wide.
Personality Traits
Best known for its playful and spunky nature, the Jug is an energetic breed that is full of character. These dogs thrive on strong and dependable relationships with humans, love to receive attention and play the role of lap dog during down time. This breed is very intelligent and generally easy to train. As a pet, the Jug is obedient, loyal, loving, and very affectionate. The Jug is not suited for full-time indoor or apartment living, as it enjoys spending time outdoors, playing games such as fetch and tug-of-war, and having plenty of room to roam, run, and play.
Due to its need for human attention and willingness to learn, the Jug generally responds well to basic training and commands. This bright breed has the ability to learn to perform most any task its trainer is willing to take the time to teach.
Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Jug. These dogs require a confident, patient, and caring handler with a stern yet gentle approach to repetitive exercises and tasks.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Jug, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. This curious and adventurous breed is always on the go, and often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. These intelligent dogs are obedient by nature, easy to train, and capable of learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks. When properly socialized from a young age, the Jug gets along well with children and other pets, known for its sweet and gentle approach to small children and its ability to make friends quickly with other animals due to its social nature. The Jug is obedient, loyal, loving, and very affectionate, making an excellent family pet and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Jug. These active and energetic dogs require large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play outdoors. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Jug not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, digging, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
For reasons unknown, the Jug loves to dig and is quite good at doing so. It is not unusual for this breed to dig a hole under a fence within the matter of only a few minutes. The Jug must be supervised or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
As previously mentioned, the Jug remains rather rare world wide and can prove quite difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, extremely high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
While the Jug is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they may suffer from a few health problems, including: hip dysplasia, patellar luxation – dislocation of the knee, epilepsy, progressive retinal atrophy, glaucoma, cataracts, vision problems – sometimes leading to blindness, likeliness to develop cancer, cryptorchidism – failure of one or both of the testicles to fully descend, and various dental issues.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Jug? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
