According to the American Kennel Club, pugs are the 15th most popular dog breed in the United States. Pugs are becoming more popular in the media including making their grand appearances on movies like “Men in Black,” “Milo and Otis,” and Disney’s “Pocahontis,” just to name a few. People often describe them as being so ugly that they are cute. If you’re thinking about adopting one of these flat-faced critters, do take into consideration some of the following before welcoming home your new pet:
Cleaning
Pugs require a special type of cleaning. Though their wrinkles are what makes a pug simply irresistible, they require periodical cleaning. Once a week, take your pug and gently lift up their wrinkles to check for any sores, redness, smells, rashes, or areas of abnormal baldness as this could be a sign of infection. Take a damp cloth or Q-Tip and run it along the inside of the crease. Both of our pugs (one has since passed) were also extremely prone to ear issues, so be prepared to clean heavy wax out of them every few days.
Shedding
Regardless what anyone has told you otherwise, they shed a lot. I vacuum up so much dog hair that collects on the sides of my walls and stairs that I swear I have enough to make a whole second pug sometimes.
They’re Clingy
Be prepared to have a second shadow. They follow you everywhere around the house — to the bathroom, kitchen, in bed, there’s no stopping them. Whenever I stand in the kitchen to cook, my pug Mushu stands literally between my legs. Every time I try to put my baby down for a nap, she’s standing outside the door sniffing and scratching. If I lay on the couch to relax, he’s immediately begging to lay between my legs. I love my dog, but you have to learn to do the tango around them or you’ll be tripping flat on your face.
Indoor Breed
This breed was meant to be indoors. You can’t adopt one and toss it outside in a dog house to sleep at night. No way, no how.
Low Energy
Though they may have little spurts of energy here and there, most pugs are pretty low energy. They don’t make good running partners and can’t catch a frisbee very well.
Health Issues
Brace yourself for a myriad of health issues when they get old. Of all the pugs I have met, most of them go blind, deaf, or both. Several pugs I know, including our older one that passed away last year, developed diabetes requiring daily insulin shots. If you don’t think you can handle the potential health issues when they get older, this breed may not be for you.
While I adore the pug breed more than any other out there, my hope is to never have an owner adopt one, realize he can’t handle dealing with their potential problems, and having to re-home or give it up to the pound. Before you adopt a pug, or any animal for that matter, please take into consideration their potential challenges and ask yourself if you’re up for it. But often times, in the end, the challenge is worth the reward.
