Pug Behaviors Archives - Page 2 of 4

Pug Begging

October 20, 2021 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Do Pugs Beg A Lot?

Pugs can be bad about begging compared to other dog breeds. However, how much they beg can have a lot to do with how you respond to their begging.

When we first got our pugs, I was amazed at how many sounds they make compared to other dogs. I have three posts about different noises pugs make! Pugs bawling, pugs crying, and pugs screaming like humans. Haha! Pugs aren’t usually bad about barking a lot. However, they are expressive in a lot of other ways, such as sighing and making other subtle sounds. For example, my pug Frank used to make soft sniffle-like sounds that we called his ‘purring’ when he was really happy.

Here is a video of my pug Frank begging to go outside.

Why Pugs Beg

Pugs beg because they want something, and think they might get it (or know they will!) if they beg. Quite simple, right? Depending on what they want, they may beg for all sorts of different things.

Why Pugs Beg For Food

Pugs beg for food because they are very food driven. It’s natural for all dogs to want food that they see or smell. Pugs are particularly excited by food, so that may lead them to beg for food more often than other dog breeds.

How To Train A Pug To Stop Begging

Don’t Give In. Pugs beg because they think that it will get them what they want. If you give them what they want when they beg, it will teach them that begging is an effective way to get what they want, and they’ll continue to do it. On the other hand, if they are begging for something that is acceptable, it’s okay to give it to them. For example, in the video above where Frank was begging to go outside, I responded by taking him outside. I am 100% fine with him getting my attention by begging if he needs to go potty, so I don’t mind ‘encouraging’ that behavior by taking him out. However, if he were to beg for human food while I was eating, that would be a behavior I would ignore.
Ignore. Pugs are very social creatures who want almost constant attention. Because of this, ignoring an undesired behavior can be really effective for pugs. They don’t like being ignored! Also, if you’re ignoring their begging then that means you aren’t giving in to it, so it won’t prove to be an effective way for them to get what they want.
Avoid temptation. If your pug begs for the same thing regularly and it’s not something the dog needs to be around, it may be easier to just avoid letting your pug get tempted. For example, if your pug begs for your cat’s food, it may be easier to just keep your dog from being able to see the cat’s food bowl.
Only feed them from their bowl. If you ever give your pug food from your hand, or from the kitchen floor, they will learn that food they see in your hand or in the kitchen may be theirs, sometimes. If you only ever feed them from your bowl (including putting any treats in their bowl) they’ll know that food is only theirs if it’s in their bowl. This can reduce begging when they see food in other places.
Sit, stay command. Tell your pug to sit and stay to keep them away from temptation. For example, if they beg for human food when it’s your dinner time, tell them to sit and stay in the living room before leaving to eat dinner. If you haven’t trained your pug on those commands, it may be worth teaching them so that they can be used in these scenarios.
Kennel them. If severe enough, you may need to remove your pug from a situation where they’re begging. If they can’t/won’t obey the sit/stay command, putting them in their kennel or otherwise leaving them in a safe, secure place away from temptation can be an option.
Reward them for NOT begging. This can be a little tricky to do, but if your pug has a habit of begging in the same situation regularly, it may be possible. If your pug consistently begs for something and then stops – use that break in their begging to reward them! Of course, don’t reward them with what they are begging for. Rewarding them with rubs or ‘good girl/boys’ may be best. You want them to associate not begging with a positive reaction, to teach them that not begging is good.
Be patient and consistent. Pugs can be challenging to train, but not due to low intelligence. They have pretty typical intelligence for dogs, but they are stubborn! This means that being patient and consistent with training is often the key to success.

Pug Acting Strange (In Many Different Ways!)

October 4, 2021 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Anytime that your pug is acting strange, it’s natural to be concerned. How concerned you really should be may depend on what they are doing (or not doing) that is unusual for them. To get a better answer to why your pug is acting strange, it’s most helpful if you can pinpoint exactly what they are doing that is strange.

Most of this article will focus on a variety of different strange behaviors your pug may be having, and will suggest causes to why they may be acting that way.

Pug Is Acting Weird

First though, I thought I’d address the possibility that you know your pug is acting strange, but you can’t quite pinpoint what is off. If that’s the case, I’d recommend that you ask yourself these questions:

Is your pug eating and drinking as much as usual?
Are they going to the bathroom as much as usual?
Are they sleeping as much as usual?
Do they seem more withdrawn or quiet than usual?

These are some of the more common symptoms that may make you think something could be ‘off’ with your pug. If those don’t seem to help you find out what is strange about your pug’s recent behavior, you may find that just browsing the subheadings in this article will help you to recognize what is off about your pug.

Pug Acting Lethargic

If your pug is acting lethargic, it’s likely that they aren’t feeling well. They could be feeling nauseous or they could be experiencing pain. Or, they may simply have less energy than usual as a result of their body using energy to fight a infection.

There are a variety of different specific causes, but lethargy is often tied to illness or injury, so a trip to the vet makes sense.

Pug Acting Disoriented

If your pug is acting disoriented, this is a major cause of concern. They may be experiencing some sort of neurological issue. Definitely head to the vet!

The exception to this would be if you know your pug has a “safe” reason why they may be acting disoriented. For example, my pug Frank acted disoriented after we picked him up from surgery. We knew he had been given medication to go to sleep, and that it would slowly wear off throughout the day. So in a case like that, lethargy can be expected and not a cause for concern. Without a very specific, known cause that is ‘safe’, though? Head to the vet as soon as possible.

Pug Acting Drunk

If you pug is acting ‘drunk’ this is a big cause for concern and you should head to the vet as soon as possible.

Pug Acting Confused

If you think your pug seems confused, ask yourself if they seem to be acting more silly, or more disoriented. If you’d describe their confusion as disoriented, see the section for that above. It’s a big reason to be concerned.

If they are seriously confused, they may be experiencing some sort of neurological problems. For example, my pug Beans would act confused after having a seizure. While the confusion after a seizure is not a problem itself, seizures are a problem, of course. So if you see significant confusion but aren’t sure of the cause, I’d want to investigate that cause to make sure it’s not of neurological cause.

However, some people may describe their pug as ‘confused’ if they’re being a bit playful or goofy. For example, if you say certain words and your pug tilts their head? That could be described as ‘confused’ but it’s not a reason to be concerned.

Pug Is Acting Sad

If your pug seems sad, it’s possible that they are, in fact, feeling sad. Pugs are typically very social and affectionate dogs. If you aren’t sure why your dog seems sad, I’d wonder if they’ve had enough time with you (or their other favorite people) recently. If not, try to give them extra love and laptime.

My pugs would both get sad if we spent more time than usual out of the house. They liked us being home with them as much as possible! Our pugs also would seem a bit sad after we moved with them to a new home. I don’t think they necessarily missed our old house, exactly, but it takes time for them to adjust to the new locations as they are creatures of habit.

It’s also common for dogs to feel sad after losing another household pet. They may grieve for the pet that they used to share space with.

Pugs may also seem sad after other big life changes, such as adding a new person to the household. In this case, you’ll just want to encourage a bond between the new family member and the dog. I have a whole post on pug bonding if you want to learn more on this topic.

Pug Is Acting Sick

If your pug acts like they may feel sick, it’s time to head to the vet.

Pug Is Acting Out

If your pug is ‘acting out’ you’ll want to try to determine the motivation behind their behavior. Sometimes with puppies we may say they are ‘acting out’ when in reality they aren’t attempting to be naughty, they are just being puppies. For example, puppies naturally need to chew on things. If your pug puppy is chewing on your shoes, you may initially think of that as ‘acting out’. However, if your puppy is just trying to soothe their gums, that isn’t really acting out, it’s just being a puppy. Trying to get them to chew on appropriate items (toys, bully sticks, etc) and keeping them away from items that they are often tempted to chew on, would be the primary solution there.

If your dog ‘acts out’ when home alone, this is likely due to separation anxiety, as pugs are very prone to that. Kenneling them while you leave, or finding ways to give them more of your time/attention may help. I have a blog post about how long can pugs be left home alone? which you may find helpful.

Pug Is Acting Crazy

If your pug is acting “crazy” in a hyper way, they probably need more exercise or play! While pugs are a low activity level breed for the most part, that doesn’t mean they don’t require exercise.

Sometimes in the winter my pugs Frank and Beans would get “acting crazy” and we’d realize we hadn’t given them quite enough time outside. Sometimes when it’s really cold out, it’s easy to want to rush their outside time, but that would cause them to end up with pent up energy. It’s sort of like “cabin fever” that humans can get if shut inside for too long. If pugs aren’t given enough exercise, they can get a bit ‘stir crazy’, too. This is also why many dogs will ‘go crazy’ after they are unkenneled when their people get home. They just have a lot of energy from being left in such a small space.

Pug Is Acting Different

Similar to my responses to ‘pug is acting weird’ and ‘pug is acting strange’, you’ll want to pinpoint the specific change that has happened with your pug. Are they eating the same amount? Resting the same amount? Requesting the same amount of attention? Once you figure out what has changed, you’ll be able to get a more specific answer as to what the cause may be.

Pug Is Being Erratic

If your little pugtato is not being a couch potato andis instead being erratic, I’d recommend some play time or exercise. Erratic behavior is probably just an excess o energy or excitement. Going for a walk, or even just having some hard play time inside may help your pug find their calm again.

Pug Is Acting Guilty

We all know that dogs can look guilty. With their big eyes, pugs can look extra guilty. If you aren’t sure why your pug is acting guilty, first check your home over well. I’d be on the lookout for any signs of potty accidents, or anything that has been eaten or chewed.

If your pug is acting guilty but you are pretty sure they didn’t do anything ‘naughty’, ask yourself if it’s possible that they are worried, sad or hurt and you’re reading it as guilt?

Pug Is Acting Hungry

If your pug is still young, and they’re acting hungry despite eating as much as usual, look up their age to see if they may have had a change in their dietary needs recently. Or, if you’ve recently changed dog food brands, double-check that they’re getting the right amount of calories for that new food. Dog foods can vary quite a bit, so if 1/2 a cup of food per meal was appropriate with your old food, that doesn’t mean that will be the right amount if you change food brands.

Like humans, it sometimes can help to offer them water instead of food. Sometimes thirst gets confused as hunger.

If they act hungry all the time, I’d recommend my other blog post, why is my pug always hungry?

Pug Is Sluggish

If your pug is sluggish, this may be normal or abnormal. Pugs are generally low activity dogs. However, if you see that they are more sluggish than usual, I’d recommend seeing my ‘pug is acting lethargic’ response from higher up in this post.

Pug Is Acting Tired

Of course, it’s natural for pugs to act tired when they are sleepy. If your pug is acting tired more than they used to, they may not be feeling well and it’s best to talk to your vet.

Pug Is Sleeping too much

If your pug is sleeping too much, make an appointment to see your vet. Excessive sleeping can be a sign of many things and your vet can help determine the cause. Some causes may be quite serious, so it’s important to be seen.

Pug Seems Scared

Some pugs are sensitive creatures. If your pug seems scared, try to determine the cause. From there, see if the source of their anxiety is something you can just avoid, or if it’s something they need to adapt to. If they need to adapt to what scares them, try going slowly and giving them lots of support as they experience anxiety. For example, if they are afraid of thunder, holding them while it thunders may help. If serious enough, you can see your vet about your pugs anxiety to try to learn about your medication treatment options.

Pug is not relaxing at night

If your dog is anxious or pacing at night rather than settling down, this could be anxiety, cognitive decline or other issues. I have an entire article about pugs acting strange at night, that addresses issues like pugs not sleeping at night and pugs not being able to relax at night.

Pug Is Having Accidents In The House

If your pug is suddenly going pee or poop in the house and had previously bee fully potty trained, this could be a medical problem. Even if your pug isn’t a senior yet, they could have “accidents” due to illness or internal injury. For example, it’s somewhat common for pugs to have spinal discs slip out of place. Depending on which disc slips, this can sometimes cause them to struggle to control their bladder or bowels. Urinary tract infections can cause urinary accidents, among other possibilities. Best to have them seen by your vet to make sure.

Do Pugs Make Good Apartment Dogs?

September 18, 2021 by emilyreviews 1 Comment

If you’re considering getting a pug and live in an apartment or small home, you may be wondering if pugs make good apartment dogs. Good news – pugs make good apartment dogs! I lived with my pugs in 1 to 2 bedroom apartments the entire time that I owned them and it worked well. We live in a somewhat rural area so even when we lived “in town” we had a large yard and weren’t close to other houses. However, pugs good live well in apartment complexes in most cases.

Do pugs need a yard?

Pugs need less exercise than many other dog breeds, but they should get some physical activity each day. Pugs don’t necessarily need a yard. If you live in an apartment complex but can take your dog for a walk or two per day around your neighborhood or even the parking lot, they can go without a yard.

We always had a yard when we had our pugs, but truthfully, they didn’t really explore it a whole lot. Pugs tend to be pretty clingy and my two were no exception to that rule. They enjoyed being outside with us, but most of the time they’d naturally stay within 20 feet or so of me and/or my partner. So, even if you have a fenced-in yard, they may not fully utilize it unless you are walking around with them.

How Much Activity Do Pugs Require?

Pugs should go on one daily walk, or get a similar amount of exercise in some other way. Pug puppies have more energy than adult pugs, and as pugs become seniors their interest in activity will usually decline.

If yu have a pug puppy, a couple walks a day or playing with them a lot inside the house can help keep them entertained and that may reduce their ‘naughty’ behaviors some, too.

I have an entire article on pug activity level if you’re wanting to learn more.

Why pugs make good apartment dogs

Pugs make good apartment dogs for several reasons. Thse include:

Pugs are relatively low-energy dogs. They don’t need a ton of exercise, so going on a walk around your neighborhood should suffice. They don’t need a big yard, or even a yard at all.
They aren’t “yappy” the way many other little dogs are. They have a somewhat deeper bark, and in general, aren’t dogs that bark a whole lot. The potential exception to this would be if your pug has separation anxiety (which is common in pugs) and you would be leaving it alone in your apartment a lot. I wrote about why pugs shouldn’t be left home alone all day in most cases. If you do plan to need to leave a pug home alone a lot and you live in an apartment, that may be a cause of concern. However, if you’re committed to working on your pug’s separation anxiety, it may still be doable.
They are small. Apartment living is sometimes rather cramped, so having a big dog would just take up more space. That isn’t an issue with pugs as they are pretty small. Also, many apartments will have size restrictions on what animals they do allow. The most common ones I have seen when apartment hunting in the past were pets under 30 pounds or pets under 50 pounds allowed. With pugs being under 30 pounds, this means that even if an apartment complex does have a weight restriction, it should still allow pugs.
They’re friendly and sociable. Apartment living with an animal usually means that when you take them outside for a walk, they’re likely to encounter people more often than they might if you lived in the country and/or had your own house and yard. Pugs typically really enjoy other people, even strangers. So taking your pug for a daily walk and having them meet others who live in your apartment complex or the rest of your neighborhood is unlikely to cause any problems.
Pugs don’t need space. They are just happy to be with you. Pugs don’t need a big house because they want to be on your lap all the time anyway. Even if you’re considering an efficiency style apartment, your pug likely won’t care one bit!

Pug Always Licking Lips

August 29, 2021 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Why pugs lick their lips

Dental problems, irritation or discomfort. Pugs are prone to dental problems due to having crowded teeth. Sometimes if a dog has a tooth that is bothering them, or inflamed gums, they may lick their lips in an attempt to relieve the pain or discomfort in their mouth.

Stress. Sometimes licking their lips is a nervous behavior. Yes, dogs can have nervous behavior similar to how people might bounce their leg or play with their hair. One of the ways some dogs cope with stress is to lick their lips. If you notice your dog licks their lips around other animals, while in the car, during thunderstorms, etc these are good reasons to suspect it’s an anxiety-based behavior. If it’s a stress response, you may also notice other signs of anxiety in your dog such as putting their tail between their legs, whining, crying or trying to get away from whatever is upsetting them. Pugs are especially prone to seperation anxiety, so you may find that your pug licks their lips a lot when left home alone.

Anticipating food or a treat. Dogs’ mouths can water when they are excited about getting something tasty. If you notice your pug licking their lips around dinner time or near their bowl, it could be the expectation of getting food.

Something stick to their mouth. If your dog gets something in their mouth that shouldn’t be there, they may lick to try to remove it from their mouth. For example, if your dog gets a piece of grass or hair in their mouth, they might lick to try to clean their teeth or tongue.

Nausea. Sometimes dogs will lick their lips in response to nausea. Nausea is more likely if you’ve recently given your pug new medication, switched dog food brands, or given them table scraps.

Partial seizures. Sometimes dogs can have partial seizures where they retain some degree of consciousness but may stare off and lick or snap at the air, as if trying to catch a fly. If you suspect seizure activity could be possible, be sure to see your vet.

Are they licking their lips or their nose?

Sometimes it’s tough to tell if your dog is trying to lick their upper lip or if they’re actually aiming for their nose. If your dog is actually licking their nose, they may be congested or have something stuck in their nostril. Pugs often have very narrow nasal passages so they can get stuff stuck in there, sometimes!

If your dog has something stuck in their nose, you may find them sneezing, rubbing their face against furniture, and/or inhaling deeply or reverse sneezing in an attempt to clear their airway.

You can purchase a baby nasal bulb to use on your pug, to help clear any congestion.

When does pug excessive licking become a problem?

I’d recommend making sure that the licking isn’t caused by a medical problem such as seizures or a dental problem. If the licking is caused by an infected tooth or gum disease, you’ll want to get that problem taken care of. If your dog is having seizures, that is important to seek medical treatment for as well.

If your dog licks their lips in a self-soothing way, that isn’t necessarily a problem. It all depends on how excessive it is, and whether it causes any skin issues. If they lick so frequently that they are getting their skin irritated or infected from constantly being wet, that would be a real problem. They do make anxiety medications for dogs that you can get from your vet. If their licking doesn’t cause skin trouble, it’s probably nothing to worry about.

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