Pug Behaviors Archives - Page 2 of 7

Pug Anxiety

August 25, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Are Pugs Prone To Anxiety?

Pugs are prone to separation anxiety, specifically. Outside of separation anxiety, they aren’t known to be more anxious than other dog breeds. Still, anxiety isn’t unusual in dogs in general so many pugs have anxiety about various things.

Signs of Anxiety In Pugs

Pacing.

Drooling.

Panting despite not being hot or active.

Destructive behavior such as chewing on things they shouldn’t.

Being jumpy or having dramatic reactions.

Whining, whimpering, or crying.

Avoidance. Sometimes pugs will run away from what they are afraid of. Other times they might just try to hide or seek solitude to calm themselves.

Shaking or shivering when not cold.

Tucking their nail low or between their legs.

Excessive self-licking or other self-soothing behaviors.

Common Causes Of Anxiety For Pugs

Separation from their owner or family. Pugs were bred to be companions so they are truly lap dogs to the bone! Due to this, separation from their people is particularly difficult for them. Some pugs may have separation anxiety if separated from other pets in the household that they have bonded with.

Thunder. Thunderstorms are a common cause of anxiety in dogs in general, and pugs are no exception.

Fireworks are another common fear for dogs in general.

Vacuum cleaner sounds. What is this noisy contraption moving around the living room??

Having their nails trimmed. For some this can be due to having felt pain if their nails were ever cut too short. For many dogs, they’ve never been hurt while having their nails cut but it still is just a confusing and perhaps physically awkward experience for them.

Going to the vet. Some dogs remember being injured a the vet, or hearing loud noises while at the vet that scared them. For others, they may sense that their ower is worried about them when at the vet, or they may dislike being put on the exam table. For various reasons, lots of dogs experience nerves while at the vet.

How To Help A Pug With Anxiety

Desensitize them slowly but surely. This can be especially helpful for things that your dog needs to experience sometimes, such as vet visits or nail trims. Allowing them to get a little nervous without letting them get to a full-out panic can desensitize them over time. We did this with nail trimming with my pug. We’d start with trying to trim one nail and would continue if he was uncomfortable but not freaking out. If he started to get ‘too’ worked up, we’d stop and try again a few hours later or the next day rather than forcing him through all of his nails at once.

Avoidance. In some cases, just letting your dog avoid their anxiety trigger can work. Of course, this is only if the source of their anxiety is something they don’t need to have in their lives.

Drown out the noise. If your dog dislikes certain sounds like fireworks, thunderstorms or the vacuum, sometimes playing other sounds for them can help. If you put on loud music while vacuuming, the vacuum may bother them less.

Compression wraps. Some dogs find compression soothing. Thundershirs are a popular brad of compression shirts, but there are many offbrands as well.

Leave them your scent. If you have to leave your pug home alone and they struggle with separation anxiety, leaving them with a t-shirt you’ve worn (or something similar) may be soothing to them.

Positive associations. Try to combine a positive experience with your dogs anxiety trigger. For example, if they are afraid of your neighbor’s dog, you can try giving them their favorite dog treat when they see the neighbors dog. Over time, they can grow to associate the neighbors dog with getting a treat which can help them to have a more positive association with that dog.

Using a kennel or reducing your pug’s access within the home. For some dogs, having free reign of the home while home alone is anxiety inducing. For those dogs, beig left in a kennel or limited to just one area while home alone may be more comforting. You could try using a baby gate or pet gate to keep your dog blocked in one room.

Kongs with frozen peanut butter or other interactive toys can give your pug something to do to keep their mind off their worries.

Leaving sound on when you leave the house. Some feel that their days stay calmer if they have a radio or TV on when home alone. If your home usually has sound happening and then it’s totally silent when your pug is home alone, this may make it feel more unusual for your dog. Keeping some sound in the home may make them less aware of people not being home.

Get them tired before they face their anxiety trigger. For example, if your dog dislikes being left home alone, you may take them on a good walk before you leave. This can give them less energy o focus on their anxiety and may increase the odds that they’ll just nap when you’re gone. I used to find it helpful to tire my pugs out a bit before we went to the vet, too.

Medication. When needed, vets can provide anxiety medication for pets.

Are Pugs Annoying?

August 19, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Are Pugs Annoying?

What you consider annoying can be really subjective. Some people find pugs annoying, while others won’t find them annoying at all.

If you’re considering a dog, it can be helpful to think about what traits you do and don’t like in dogs, and then look at common traits of different breeds. If you think you might find pugs annoying, I’ll go over some of the traits that some people may friend annoying about pugs.

Ways Pugs Are Annoying

They breath heavily. Getting a pug from a breeder who breeds to extend the nose can reduce this, but many pugs have a difficult time breathing unless they have surgery to expand their nasal passages. I remember a scene in a movie where a pug was breathing really loudly while people are trying to talk. Someone asked if the dog always breathes that way and they said yes. That’s always stuck with me so I do like to tell people that breathing loudly 24/7 is not normal for pugs.

It is common for them to breathe heavily after exercise, or while excited or nervous. My pugs would get excited by simple things like when I stood out of bed for the day and when I headed to bed at night. They’d pant for a few minutes afterward, every single day. They’d also get excited or nervous (or both) when new people would visit so I’m sure guests might think our dogs breathed worse than they really did, as they only saw them while they were amped up. Same thing with our vet! My dogs breathed so loudly while at the vet. Anyway, while it’s not constant, they do breathe harder than other dog breeds which can be annoying to some people.

They snore. How much varies from one pug to the other. This isnt’ always a direct correlation to how well hey breathe while awake, oddly enough. I had one pug who breathed heavily when excited or nervous, and she never snored. My other pug would only breathe heavily if he got really overheated, but he snored more frequently. In general though, pugs are more likely to snore than some other dog breeds.

They are stubborn. Pugs can be a little challenging to train, but it’s not that they are stupid – they’re just stubborn. They can be a bit willful. At the same time, they really love their person so they do really like to make you happy. They’re also food driven dogs which can make training with treats really effective. Anyhow, if you want a dog that is highly obedient, you may find pugs annoying.

They are food obsessed. They may beg for food anytime they see a person eating unless you don’t train them not to. They may also whine/cry like they’re starving between their meals. They’re likely to get way too excited for their meals, too.

They hate having their nails trimmed. If you get a pug as a puppy and work on this, they may not be so bad…but many pugs absolutely have having their nails trimmed. If you’ve seen the videos of the pugs screaming like maniacs while getting their nails trimmed….that isn’t super rare. My male pug would scream like that if we had his nails trimmed at the vet. Thankfully, he grew to tolerate us trimming his nails at home without screaming.

They may scream. Yes, some pugs can bark in a way that sounds like screaming. Only one of my pugs did this, and he only did it while getting his nails trimmed. While rare, it was very loud.

They’re messy with water. I can’t even imagine what it’s like to own a bull dog or other dog with really big jowls, because my pugs didn’t have big jowls but they could get water all over the place! They weren’t trying to make a mess or anything, but just drinking out of the water dish and then walking away would leave a rail of water all over the kitchen.

They want your attention all the time. I have a whole blog post on how pugs want your attention all the time. They were bred to be lap dogs, so they really exist just to keep you company. With that in mind, it isn’t surprising that they don’t really know what to do with themselves if they don’t get a lot of human interaction on a regular basis. Most pug owners find this endearing, but it’s understandable to me that not everyone wants that type of a pet. If you want a dog that is more independent, a pug will probably annoy you.

They want to be close to you. Similar to watching your attention but more specifically they want to be able to physically touch you. They’d love to be in your lap 24/7, and if they can’t sit with you they want to still be as close to you as possible. Mine would often literally sit on my feet while I was cooking or washing dishes.

Separation anxiety. Again, pugs were bred to be companions. They exist to be with you, so if left alone they often will suffer from separation anxiety. This can be frustrating for some people, especially if they act out while anxious. It’s common for dogs to “misbehave” while anxious. They might chew on things they shouldn’t or get in the garbage, among other things.

They may need to go to the vet often. If you’re looking for a dog with minimal medical needs, a pug isn’t a good breed to go with. It’s not that pugs are constantly at the vet their whole lives…but they do have more medical issues than some other breeds, especially as they age. My pugs got through many years with only one wellness visit, but once they hit age 14 or so, both were at the vet at least every 3 months or so.

They may need expensive food. Not all, but some pugs will have allergies or sensitivities. Some pugs will have skin or digestive issues unless they’re on a really high-quality diet which can be expensive. If you’re looking for a dog that can get by on cheap food, a pug may not be able to and you may find that annoying.

Pug Biting & How To Stop It

July 25, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Are Pugs Bad About Biting?

Most pugs aren’t prone to biting. Pugs are a docile breed. It is common for puppies to nip while playing, though. They need to be trained from a young age that nipping people isn’t okay, or they’ll continue the behavior as they get older.

When Do Pug Puppies Stop Nipping?

You have to train your pug to stop nipping. Often nipping is related to teething, and most pugs stop teething by around 8 months of age. They’ll stop mouthing items they should’t around that age, typically. Still, if you don’t train them to stop nipping, or if you have accidentally encouraged their nipping by making it into a form of play, it will likely continue until you train them differently.

Is it Biting or Nipping or Mouthing?

People often refer to nipping as biting, but they are different. There is also mouthing which is different yet!

Biting is when a dog bites down hard on something. This will usually break the skin, and is usually done out of fear or protection. True biting is a much more serious problem than nipping, but it’s quite rare in pugs. A pug that is truly biting likely feels unsafe or mistreated.

Nipping is a quick shut of the jaw, without locking down on something. This will hurt, but it won’t break the skin. This is commonly done as a form of play in puppies. While the intent isn’t “bad”, it’s painful and may cause mild injuries to young children so it’s best to train out.

Mouthing is when a dog puts their mouth on something but doesn’t bite down at all. You may feel their teeth but there won’t be pressure and no pain at all. This behavior is similar to human babies who put toys in their mouth. It’s a way of exploring an object. For most dogs this behavior will stop when they are done teething.

How to stop your pug from biting

Dog trainers often recommend a bite inhibition method. This basically means squeel when they bite you. Puppies like to play-bite other dogs, and when the other dog squeels in response to a bite, that’s how the dog learns it went too far. If left with other puppies, dogs will learn bite inhibition by about 18 weeks old. However, in many cases today puppies are rehomed by about 8 weeks. This leaves them without enough experience in learning bite inhibition from their litermates and their humans need to take over this training.

You can mimic the experience that puppies would get from their littermates squealing when your dog nips you. This can teach your dog that they went too far, even if the nip wasn’t painful. The goal is to squeel anytime they nip at all, to teach them that nipping people is not acceptable.

Try to get everyone in your household to squeel if your pug nips them, and to be consistent with it. This will increase the odds that your pug will learn to stop biting sooner.

Alternatively, you can firmly say ‘no’ or ‘stop’ each time they nip. If your puppy seeks reassurance or pets afterwards, it’s best to ignore them. This can feel mean, but this is how you make it clear to them that their behavior was unacceptable. This is really effective for pugs because pugs love attention from their owners. They were bred to be companions, so they are often really hurt by being ignored. While it won’t feel good for you or them, it will effectively teach them.

Don’t hit your dog for biting. Dogs don’t understand physical punishment, and it may even make them so fearful that they will bite more in response.

Don’t play with them if they nip. This can be hard because pug puppies are trying to play when they nip you. When we understand that they’re playing, it can make us want to play back. However, this can encourage the behavior. Keep in mind that as your pug gets older their teeth will get bigger and their small bits will become more painful. For this reason, it’s best to discourage their small biting before they get bigger.

Direct them to chewing toys. It’s natural for dogs to want to bite, but it’s important that they learn what is fair-game for biting and what isn’t. You don’t want them to learn that your hands or any other part of your body can be bitten. Offer them chew toys instead.

Give your pug time around other dogs. Dogs like to rough plan with other dogs and this can help them get out their desire to bite in a safe way.

Keep them entertained. Sometimes nipping will happen because they are bored and seeking attention. Keeping your puppy entertained can reduce the frequency of their nipping.

Understanding Pug Body Language

July 19, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Pug Body Language Explained

Tail wagging is usually happiness, but not always! Tail wagging shows heightened emotions in a dog, and most dogs will have high emotions when they’re excited to see you, or excited to go for a walk or things like that. However, if you see your dog wagging it’s tail extremely quickly and in short motons this is a sign of VERY heightened emotions and may be a sign of major distress or aggression. The angle of their tail can give you a clue on how happy they are, or not. Happy tail wags are done with their tail really high.

Tail tucking (meaning they have lowered their tail really far down or even between their legs) is fear. If you have a pug who has started to consistently leave their tail down, this can be a sign of pain or pug myelopathy.

Showing their belly is trust…usually. Sometimes it’s a fear response where they are trying to show submission.

Showing their front teeth in a growl/snarl is a warning. They may feel unsafe or protective over their space or belongings. However, this is very different from when a pug’s lip gets stuck and this causes them to show teeth. Most pugs have underbies so it’s easy for their lower teeth to show by accident. When this happens, it is a neutral expression.

Here’s an example of when Frank’s teeth were showing just due to his lip getting stuck – there was no aggression here!

Lots of face-licking. If your dog keeps licking its own face, it can be a sign of nervousness. It could also just be itchy or trying to clean itself. Pug wrinkles require special care, and if not kept up with their faces can get itchy or even infected. Check out my pug wrinkles blog post to learn more. But if there is no physical cause, it’s usually anxiety.

Yawning is often a sign of stress. If your dog is yawning around other dogs or people, make sure they have space to hide or get away from the interaction as they may want to get away.

A relaxed body position (such as laying around) is a sign of a content to happy pug.

A stiff body suggests anxiety, upset or aggression.

Licking your face is a sign of affection.

Raised hackles is a sign of high emotions. Hackles are the strip of hair that run down your dogs spine. If your dog’s fur on that strip are raised, this tells you that they are having heightened emotions, but it could be positive or negative.

Following you around means you are their person! Pugs are bred to be lap dogs so if a pug is following you around 24/7 this means they’ve decided you are their primary person and their job is to sit on your lap and make you happy.

Whining or whimpering. This can be a sign of fear, but is often a way that pugs communicate longing. My pug Frank would whine while sitting next to his food dish when he wanted food. He’d whine when sitting near the exterior door to let us know that he wanted to go outside. He’d look at us and whine if we were sitting on the couch or a chair and he wanted in our laps. If you have a lot of crying happening with your pug, you might want to read my post titled pug crying.

Bottoms up. If your pug puts their front legs down and sticks their rear-end in the air, this is a sign that they want to play.

Prancing or walking quickly in a small area, such as doing little laps is a sign of excitement or happiness. My pugs both would prance around in a circle when they were excited to see someone.

Exaggerated sneeze. Pugs can sort of fake-sneeze when they are irritated or annoyed. Frank would do an exaggerated sneeze if we were ignoring him while he wanted in our laps. It was sort of his way of saying “heck you!”

Partially closed eyes or slightly squinting eyes is happiness or calmness.

Frank is awake but his eyes are so squinted they’re almost closed because he was really enjoying this cuddle and being pet.

Staring. When dogs stare with wide-eyes for a long time this is a sign of aggression.

Ears back is a sign of anxiety or submission.

Beans ears were up and slightly back, here. She did this more as she got older and blind, when she heard or smelled something. She didn’t seem truly afraid, but she would be on guard or cautious more often after losing her sight.

Ears pushed far forward is aggressive.

Ears up is curiosity or interest.

Beans and this puppy both had their ears up as they were checking each other out – both were curious and occasionally cautious, but friendly.

Wiggling ears is often a sign of curiosity or interest. My pugs would wiggle their ears a bit when sniffing something new.

Tilting their head may be a sign that your dog is listening closely! (Source: SmithsonianMag.com)

How pug body language is different from other dogs

Forehead wrinkles are said to be a sign of aggression in most dogs, but pugs have forehead wrinkles all the time.

A tail that is ‘up’ is said to be excitement or aggression, but pugs have upturned tails so their tails’ default or neutral position is up.

Source: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/how-to-read-dog-body-language/

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