I’ve been dreaming about getting a rescue pug for a while but I’ve never been a pet owner and I don’t know if I can handle the responsibility. What can you tell me about:
I usually am out of the house from about 8 to 6. Will a pug hate that, and would I need to put in a dog door for it?
I tend to be a couch potato; will the pug be bored?
What is the typical pug personality?
How long of a walk would they like?
What is a ballpark on the kinds of medical care procedures and $$ for a pug? Depending on what age a rescue pup would be, they may already have the respiratory surgery and dental work done. Do they have other issues typically?
How stinky are pugs? Do they mind getting a bath? Will they stink up rugs and furniture with that doggie smell? How badly do they shed?
Pugs are stinky, snarly, snotty and in all other ways very very cute dogs. We have a friend with one and she loves him, he’s left in the house for prolonged periods of time and is fine…They are not attention whoring too much. Apparently they don’t like long walks, and are not dogs to take on rigorous hikes. This little potatoe’s personality is very playful, snarly, he snorts alot, and for some reason likes to hop on his back legs when chasing after things.
Someone (here, I think) once described pugs as little clowns always ready to perform. That’s a pretty good description, IMHO.
I’ve had many dog breeds over the years, and the pugs were the best at staying home alone. All of them loved their crates and would gladly snooze the day away.
No, but you may have to get a bigger couch. I don’t know how such a small dog can take up so much couch! Ditto for the bed! They’re lazy little dogs, they love snuggling on the couch.
They’re like big dogs in little dog bodies. They like to think they’re mean tough bulldogs, when in reality, they’re just waiting to get you down to their level to lick you to death. They have very weak jaws and a blind spot right in front of them, which can make them nervous in old age, but they’re not generally high strung ever. Even the noisiest pugs, though, bark with a low-pitched gravelly gruff bark, not a yap. Think if Tom Waits was a dog. That’s a pug’s voice.
Here to the couch is good. No, seriously, they’re not the most active of dogs. Mine liked about 1/2 mile walks at most, less in the summer when it’s hot.
I don’t have a ballpark, but I can tell you a few things to be aware of - they can be prone to respiratory issues and overheating because of their short schnozzles. If you don’t have air conditioning, definitely get a metal crate and keep it in a cool place, or let him have access to a cool tile floor. They’re a little more prone to eye infections and eye strain because of the bulginess of the eyes, but those are pretty cheap to treat. They are prone to ear infections, like any floppy eared dog, and need their ears cleaned periodically. They’re so cute when you clean their ears. You squirt in some liquid (cheap, from the pet store) and they go “Ah! WTF?” then you close the ear flap and rub it vigorously with your knuckle and they go, “Ahhhhhhh…” and roll their eyes back. Then you swab 'em out with some cotton balls. Easy-peasey. Definitely budget for neutering or spay, of course!
I never had a stinky pug. They do shed, a lot. They’re not totally crazy about baths, they’re not water dogs. But they’re so small and so ready to please you that they put up with it pretty well. I always used the splash sink in the basement instead of the tub. The pug would rest his paws on the edge and give me this terribly long-suffering look. However every pug (every dog, really, but every pug especially so) has turned into a total maniac AFTER the bath. Shakes, running around like a mad dog, just the happiest thing on four legs. For about 5 hyperactive minutes. Then they fall asleep.
They love grapes. Seriously. I don’t get it either.
How would anyone ever be able to figure out if one has respiratory problems? They are bred to sound like a 60 year old overweight guy with emphysema and a sinus condition.
We have a pug cross and he’s the best dog I’ve ever owned. He’s got all the best features (personality, cuteness) of a pug without some of the bad (breathing issues, tiring really easily, etc.). My husband had wanted a pug for years but I had doubts. When we found our dog it was the perfect compromise. WhyNot covered most of what I would say about pugs. The best part is definitely their personality. Our dog’s nickname is “funny face” for a reason. As my mother-in-law once said, he always looks like he’s surprised. He’s not a yappy dog at all, though he does like to say “woof.” He’s very friendly, is always up for a belly rub, and loves to give kisses. He’s not very stinky and doesn’t mind baths. He does get crazy afterward and does laps around the coffee table. I didn’t realize that was a pug thing until just now. He does shed quite a bit which is unfortunate because the Dustbuster is his nemesis. He’s a big dog at heart and keeps up with my dad’s yellow lab very well on play dates. He also loves swimming and being in the boat. Geez, I sound like I’m writing a personal ad here.
Cost-wise, we haven’t had to spend much on our dog beyond neutering him. He did have some leg issues for a while but seems to have grown out of it. He used to limp pretty badly at times and didn’t want to put weight on one of his back legs. We were planning on having surgery for him but he hasn’t limped in close to a year so we’re kind of waiting it out at this point to see if it comes back.
Pugs are extremely sweet dogs with great personalities. They tend to slow down as they get older and are usually great at being alone. Like any dogs, some are barkers and some aren’t. I think you have to be careful because they tend to gain weight easily.
I usually am out of the house from about 8 to 6. Will a pug hate that, and would I need to put in a dog door for it?
My half-pug is wonderful at staying at home. I am gone at school from 10-4 or 6, then I work 6-10, so I don’t see her until evening, but my wife is home is home with her during the day until 4, but from 4-10 or so, she is home by herself. She hardly ever has had problems staying home, and she is very well house-trained. The reason could be because we have had her since she was very little, instead of a rescued pug, but it could still be possible to train a pug well.
I tend to be a couch potato; will the pug be bored?
Mine is pretty un-bored most of the time. I’m kind of a couch-potato, but if I just throw a ball across the room for her, she is ecstatic.
What is the typical pug personality?
IME, Friendly but defensive of family. Ours loves everyone that comes over, but only if they are friendly to us. Our upstairs neighbors are not friendly, and she will do anything she can to bark at them and “scare them away” - pugs tend to believe they are large dogs trapped in a small dogs body, but they are loving and very happy little dogs
How long of a walk would they like?
It depends - ours goes for a walk around campus once a week, just because I have to go down on Fridays and drop stuff off, so she goes for a walk with me. We don’t walk more than 10-20 minutes though.
What is a ballpark on the kinds of medical care procedures and $$ for a pug? Depending on what age a rescue pup would be, they may already have the respiratory surgery and dental work done. Do they have other issues typically?
Ours caught parvo, but it didn’t cost use more than a hundred and some change to get her care (overnight with IV drip and all that) - she hasn’t had any problems otherwise, but she is only 2 years old.
How stinky are pugs? Do they mind getting a bath? Will they stink up rugs and furniture with that doggie smell? How badly do they shed?
I don’t think pugs stink. They definitely don’t smell as bad as some dogs, but ours is inside most of the time. The biggest stink is their breath, which is awful. We give her doggie breath mints a lot. She doesn’t mind baths, but doesn’t love them. She does shed a bit. It is extremely noticeable because we have a brown couch and she sheds white, but it isn’t anything more than an average dog.
My friend had a pug for a few years and it up and died at age 4 or so…can’t tell you why because I didn’t ask - she was devastated.
But she got a new pug puppy…omg it is the cutest thing ever. I’ve never thought pugs were too cute, but this puppy was so frickin adorable I could hardly stand it! Just had to say that because I can’t believe how cute that little bugger was.
Cool. Thanks for answering a question I forgot. My neighbor’s high-strung dog barks like a maniac if she sees anything remotely alive for miles and it drives me nuts. She’s medium-sized though, so I guess a pug might not be as loud?
Our little dog’s best friend is a pug. Our dog is very gregarious and sometimes gets the pug to actually play but for the most part the pug is as placid a dog as I’ve ever seen. We are seriously thinking about getting one just to keep Sweet Pea happy during our absence.
No, most of them are gruff and soft. In fact, most of my friends would get worried and say things like, “Is your dog okay? I think he’s choking - he’s coughing at the mailman!” And I’d laugh and say, “No, that’s his bark! He’s a big fierce beast, you know.”
And, for the most creative girlfriend retaliation ever captured on film: Pug Bowling. (No pugs were harmed in the filming, but your sides may be aching from laughter if you watch it all the way through.)
I used to have a pug. She was the cutest thing ever.
Most of your questions have been answered but I’ll throw in a few tidbits.
On walks.
She didn’t like to walk for very long what with her stort little legs and her not so awesome lungs. Once we got about 15 minutes out from the condo she would turn around and start heading back and all I could do was follow her back.
I lived in a small condo and just throwing toys around for her to run and fetch for about 10 minutes seemed like enough exorcise to her and then all she wanted was to curl up in my lap.
If she wasn’t outside taking a dump or chasing a toy she was in my lap or laying on the couch waiting for me to sit down so she could crawl into my lap.
When I had to move into an apartment and the ex took the dogs I got a cat to replace my past lap blanket, but the cat I got hates being in a lap. I miss my lap blanket.
Our neighbor down the street just got a Pug puppy. Dang if it’s not the cutest thing, especially when it gets excited and snorts uncontrollably.
However, an old girlfriend from college had one and aside from what seemed to be pretty serious breathing issues, I’m thinkin’ she also said that it had some sacs or something in it’s rear that she occasionally had to clean out with Q-Tips. Anyone have any experience with that? If true, it’s something to… ummm… consider.
My dog can play with a grape all day but she never eats them. She throws them around with her nose and chases and barks at them. I’ll have to take a picture.
I think banana’s are safe. At least I’ve never heard that they weren’t safe. The only fruit my dog likes are pears.
lieu, those would be the anal glands and they can need expressing occasionally. The condition isn’t specific to pugs, though. My current pug has no problems. (I’ve had two.) (I see Why Not has already covered this.)
Respitory problems are generally due to a very large soft pallete and propensity to collapsing trachea. There is also a nostril issue that can be corrected with surgery. The soft pallete/trachea problems are greatly relieved if the dogs NEVER wear a collar of any kind. A harness is the preferred wear for dog-walking.
The ears have been covered but the wrinkles also need attention as well. Wiping them regularly with a wipe or damp cloth can keep grunge out of the folds and prevent infection.
The eyes have been covered but one additional possible problem actually has to do with their curly tails. Apparently because of how the bone segments are shaped and arranged in the tail, the dogs “can” (but necessarily will) suffer from spinal problems.
Nonetheless, IMHO, they are probably in the top ten companion dogs because they are just so easy and such happy little beasts. The only problem with them is that it is very hard to just have one.
They’re lazy little dogs, they love snuggling on the couch.
