Breed Breakdown – Pug

APPEARANCE: Short muzzled (squashed) wrinkly face, compact square body, stocky, large protruding dark eyes, curled tail, short fine smooth coat. They can come in almost any colour but fawn and black are the most common.

TEMPERAMENT: Friendly, playful, gentle, affectionate, loyal, intelligent, quite, sociable.

AVERAGE LIFE SPAN: 12-15 years

MAINTENANCE: Medium. Pugs can overheat easily due to their squished face and should not be over-exercised and need to be kept cool. Their protruding eyes need to be kept clean and their eyes can “pop out” due to any extreme trauma. The wrinkles and folds in the skin need to be kept clean and dry to avoid skin infections. It is recommended to brush them daily to keep their coat in good condition.

SUITS: Pugs are suitable for anyone from children to the elderly. They do not cope well in extreme heat or cold so they like to be able to come indoors. They can live happily indoors with no yard so are suited to apartments. They also enjoy the company of other dogs.

INTERESTING FACT: A group of Pugs is called a Grumble

Originally published in My Pet Magazine Spring 2014
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