The origins of the Pug is a much debated subject, some believe it was bred to adorn the laps of Chinese Emperors as far back as the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 BC), its popularity moving on to Tibet, Japan and then Europe. It was probably descended form the shorthaired Pekingese but some believe its ancestors were small Bulldogs. It is thought that is was Dutch traders who brought the breed to Europe from the east in the 16th and 17th centuries.

They became very popular in Europe and had some aristocratic owners. It became the official dog of the House of Orange and one Pug allegedly saved the Prince of Orange’s life by barking at an assassin. A breed also travelled with William III and Mary II when they travelled from the Netherlands to ascend the English throne. In Spain they were painted by Goya and in Germany they sat by the coachmen of the rich, dressing matching jackets.

Marie-Antoinette had a Pug called Mops and before her marriage to Napoleon, Josephine had a Pug, fortune, who carried messages to her family when she was being held in Les Carmes prison. The dog was the only one with visiting rights. The English painter William Hogarth owned many and painted his self-portrait with one of his dogs, Trump, which now hangs in the Tate gallery, London.

Queen Victoria’s devotion to owning and breeding Pugs helped to establish the kennel club in 1873, her favourite were fawn and apricot varieties while the aristocrat Lady Brassey preferred the Black variety which brought back from China. A Pug’s coat is short, fine and soft and can be apricot, fawn, silver or black and should be smooth and glossy. Different types shed to different degrees with the fawn ones shedding the most, this can be managed by grooming, using special shampoos and controlling the diet.

They have a wrinkled face and large eyes, and while the wrinkles were especially prized by the Chinese as they seemed to spell out the character for Prince, they can sometime cause adverse health effects. The fold of skin should be cleaned regularly to avoid dry and itchy skin. They are also prone to eye injuries due to their flat faces and the compact nature of their breathing passageways can cause breathing difficulties. Pugs also sometimes have trouble regulating there temperature so should not be left outdoors in hot weather or in hot cars. The breed can also suffer from a breed specific problem which is an inflammation of the brain called Pug dog Encephalitis (PDE) for which there is no cure and dogs with this problem usually die or are euthanized within months.

The pug is a sociable, happy and cheerful dog and will get along with anyone but can be stubborn about certain things. They can become jealous but do well when meeting new people. They are good around children and other dogs and are intelligent so succeed in obedience skills. The breed generally prefer the company of humans to other animals and like a lot of attention but can occupy themselves when left alone. They are very attentive and like to follow their owner round from room to room and sit on their lap.

These are lively dogs but do not need a big garden to play in, they are active indoors but do love long walks as long as water is provided as the breed can have breathing problems so tires quickly. Pugs are a good choice for an apartment environment but they adapt well to any environment although it is important to make sure they get enough exercise as they can become lazy and overweight. Well looked after Pugs can live from 10 to 15 years. They have appeared in several films and TV shows, one of the most famous being Frank, the talking dog in the ‘Men in Black’ movies.

Steve Batchelor is a dog lover and the webmaster at http://www.dogbreedguides.com where you can find some great information on many different dog breeds. He also recommends petinfogoldmine for more info on dog training, obedience, health care and many other subjects.