Pug characteristics Archives

Pug Snoring

May 5, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Why Pugs Snore

Snoring is usually the result of trying to breathe while the airway is obstructed. In pugs, their airway is small because they have flat faces and short mouths. Many pugs also have elongated palates. Basically, their facial structure increases her odds of snoring compared to other types of dogs.

Is it normal for pugs to snore?

Yes, most pugs snore a least occasionally.

Interestingly, my pug Beans had a harder time breathing than Frank did. Yet Frank snored more than Beans. Neither of my pugs snored all he time. I’d say they snored less than half he time that they were sleeping.

Causes of snoring in pugs

As I mentioned above, pugs are predisposed to snoring due ot being brachiocephalic dogs. There are other factors too though. SOme of those iclude:

The position that your dog is laying in can impact their snoring. Some positions keep the airway more open than others. Positions like laying on the back can increase the odds of the airway being obstructed and snoring resulting.

Allergies. If your dog has allergens, you may notice them snoring more when their allergies are flaring. Like people, if we have allergies it can inflame parts of our face which puts pressure on our airways and makes it harder to breathe quietly.

Obesity can be a factor. The heavier a pug is, the more pressure there will be in their neck and chest. If your pug is overweigh, trying to get them to a healthier weight may reduce their snoring.

Illness. If your dog is sick, they may snore more than usual or harder than usual until they recover.

Age. As dogs age, their muscles naturally weaken. When this happens to the muscles surrounding the airway, it may result in more pressure landing on their airway.

How To Stop A Pug From Snoring Or Improve It

Adjust their sleeping position if they are laying in a way that obstructs their breathing. You may try placing a small pillow under them to keep pressure off their neck. Gettig them a dog bed with a ledge they can rest their chin on may result in them naturally falling to sleep in that position.

Treat their allergies. You may be able to determine heir allergies through observing what they are exposed to when heir symptoms flare. If not, you may have to see our vet for allergy testing. Once you learn what they are allergic to, reducing their exposure to those allergens may reduce their snoring.

Watch their weight. Overweight or obese dogs are more likely to snore, so if your dog has extra weigh they may snore less if they lose weight.

Keep a clean environment. Keep their bedding clean, vacuum regularly and watch the air quality in your home to reduce allergens.

Stenotic nares surgery can open heir nasal passages and improve breathing in general, including a night.

Keep the room comfortable. Many pugs will breathe worse if it’s ho or humid. Using an air conditioner when it’s hot or humid can help them breathe easier.

Video of pug snoring

This is Frank snoring particularly loud (for him) one day.

When to be concerned about pug snoring

If their gums get really pale while they are asleep, his could be a sign that they aren’t getting enough oxygen.
If your dog seems to struggle to breathe while asleep.
If the snoring is excessively loud.
If he snoring has a really sudden onset.

How to cope with pug snoring

If you or others in he house find the pug snoring disrupting, you may try to reduce the snoring using the tips listed higher up in his article. If the snoring can’ be improved or fixed, here are some tips for coping.

Use a white noise machine. White noise machines can help somewhat drown out other noise, making noises like snoring less disruptive. You may try different types of white noise (Fan/wind sounds, storm sounds, rain sounds, etc) to see what works best for you.

Change where the dog sleeps. This is tough with pugs because pugs are clingy and want to be with their people. However, if you just can’t sleep while your pug is snoring, they may have to start sleeping with another family member or in a kennel or dog bed in another room.

All About Pug Shedding

April 26, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

There are affiliate links in this post.

Do Pugs Shed A Lot?

Pugs shed a fair amount, and shed all year. Double coated pugs will shed year-round, but will also shed more twice a year when they lose their winter coat for the summer, and again when they lose their summer coat so that their winter coat can grow in. Single-coated-pugs will experience a more consistent amount of shedding year-round.

If you want a pug that sheds less, consider getting a black pug as they usually have just one coat and shed less than other colors of pugs.

Female pugs who are in heat may experience more shedding than usual.

Are Pugs Single Coated Or Double Coated?

It depends on the pug! Most black pugs have a single coat, while fawn, silver and apricot pugs usually have a double coat.

Double-coated dogs shed more than single-coated dogs because they have more hair.

Pugs are said to have up to 600 hairs per square inch, vs just 100-200 hairs per square inch in some other dog breeds. They have really dense hair! This is part of why pugs shed so much.

All dogs have a shedding cycle, but the pug shedding cycle is shorter which is also contributes to why they shed so much. Not only do they have more hairs per inch than other dog breeds, they also cycle through “sets” of hair more frequently.

How To Manage Pug Shedding

Brushing your pug regularly will help to pull off loose hairs, and to keep those hairs from getting spread around your home! When your pug is transitioning their seasonal coat, you may want to brush as frequently as daily. Outside of those heavy-shedding seasons, brushing them a couple of times per week may be sufficient. You could brush daily though if you really want to minimize how much hair falls in your home.
Diet. Your dog’s fur will stay healthier if they are fed a high-quality diet.
Invest in a good vacuum. A vacuum that has a lot of power and is specifically designed to be great with pet hair can make a big difference. A high-end vacuum wasn’t within my budget when I had my pugs. I’ve heard the Dyson Animal vacuum is amazing, but I couldn’t justify spending $500 on a vacuum. However, even just buying a more average-cost vacuum that is specifically made for pet hair helped. I have the Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Vacuum Cleaner and thought it was noticeably better at picking up pet hair than other vacuums I’d owned at a similar price point.

That’s really about it! For the most part, the amount of shedding that your pug does is something to accept rather than something to try to ‘fix’ or change.

What brush to use for pug shedding?

When we first got our pugs, everyone was talking about the furminator as they claim to be desheddign tools, better than regular brushes. It did seem to really effectively remove hair from the pugs, too! However, one day after brushing Frank I realized he was bleeding. He had a few moles or skintags and the furminator bristles are so hard that they had actually cut him when I brushed those areas. I quit using the furminator after that.

I’ve since read that deshedding brushes like the furminator aren’t ideal for double-coated dogs anyway. Instead, it’s generally recommended that you use an undercoat rake to help loosen up any hair that needs to be let free, and the a regular pin brush to remove the hair.

When To Be Concerned About Pug Shedding?

Shedding is usually a natural part of being a healthy pug, and most pugs will shed more when the weather transitions from warm to cold, or cold to warm. If you find that your pug seems to be excessively shedding, it could be a cause for concern.

Some factors to consider:

Is your pug is shedding excessively while experiencing high levels of stress. Like humans, dogs can experience hair loss due to extreme stress. So if you notice an increase in shedding around a stressful event, that could mean their hair loss is due to stress rather than healthy shedding.

Is your pug showing signs of allergies or skin issues? Sometimes these cause hair loss, so if you see shedding alongside allergy symptoms, allergies may be causing the shedding.

Does your pug’s hair look and feel healthy? If it feels rough, wirey or just otherwise unhealthy, you may need to improve their diet or seek medical attention.

Does your pug have bald patches or unusually thin sections of their body that should be covered in fur? This is a sign of unusual hairloss and you should see a vet.

How To Keep Pug Fur Off Your Clothing

Honestly, pugs are such a clingy breed that it’s really challenging to keep hair off you regular clothing. Not letting your pug on the couch or your bed would help, but I think my pugs would have felt abused if I didn’t let them be on te furniture with me! So, for the most part, we just accepted that we’d get pug fur on our clothing when at home. However, we of course couldn’t have pug hair on our outfits all the time.

Keep your ‘nice’ clothing away from your pugs. When Ryan was working in an office, we keep his clothing hanging up in the closet and he’d put it on just before heading out the door to keep it free from pug hair.

Protect your vehicle. If you take your pug for a ride in your car, either putting a blanket (or towel) down in their seat before the drive and cleaning it up later, or vacuuming your car after can help. Otherwise, they’ll likely shed in your vehicle seat and then in the future your clothing will have fur on it after you sit in the vehicle.

Lint rollers are a pug-owners best friend! They make small ones that you can fit in your purse or glovebox for use on the go.

Pugs And Babies | Are Pugs Good With Babies?

March 30, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

If you have a pug and are thinking of having a baby, or if you have a baby and are planning to get a pug…it’s important to know what to expect! Even if you aren’t planning to have a baby soon, you’ll want to consider the next 15+ years of your life when getting a pug puppy as they have an average life expectancy of 12-15 years.

Are Pugs Good With Babies?

There is always some risk with having any child around any dog. However, generally speaking, pugs are good with babies and kids.

Reasons Why Are Pugs Good With Kids

Pugs are usually a very loyal breed. Pugs always want to be with their people, and if you have a baby your pug will likely be at their side almost all the time.

Pugs are calm and friendly. Pug puppies often have high energy and are a bit nuts (aren’t all puppies, though?). Adult pugs are usually calm, passive and friendly. They usually love to cuddle and be pet. The ATTS (America temperament test society) says that pugs score a 91.7% pass rate, meaning pugs are very unlikely to snap at kids. For reference, all dog breeds combined have a 83.4%

Pugs are docile. Most pugs are docile and have no trouble making friends with new people, so introducing a pug to a new child will usually go well.

Pugs are quiet. Pugs aren’t usually prone to barking a lot, so they aren’t likely to wake your baby up from their nap.

Small but stocky. Pugs are small dogs, they are actually classified as a ‘toy’ breed. Many parents find having a smaller dog is easier with small kids because they can’t knock young children over the way big dogs can. However, for being small, they aren’t frail.

How To Prepare Your Pug For Your Baby

Let them get familiar with baby’s items before baby arrives.

Enforce any rules with pug before baby arrives (for example, don’t let the pug in the crib or car sea)

Plan a dog sitter to watch your pug while you are in the hospital. If possible, have your pug spend time with this person before the baby arrives so it’s not too jarring when they are left wth the caregiver when you go into labor.

After your baby is born, you can let your pug sniff a baby blanket or a baby outfit the baby wore before they meet the baby.

If possible, have someone else carry your baby inside so you can greet your pug and get that initial impression off to a good start.

Try to strike a balance between remaining positive towards your pug while enforcing any rules or behaviors as needed. If you are overly-nervous about your pug and baby interacting, your pug may pick up on that negative energy. At the same time, you don’t want to permit any behaviors that won’t be tolerated long term.

If your pug is nervous about the baby, don’t force them to come close to the baby. Let the dog come up to the baby whe nthey are ready on their own. You can use positive reinforcement once they do come see the baby.

Make sure that your pug is well supervised anytime they’ll be around the baby.

Potential Downsides Of Having A Pug And A Baby

Pugs are not hypoallergenic dogs, so if your baby is born with a pet dander allergy, they may be allergic to your pug.

Pugs shed year-round. If you don’t want your child to ever get dog hair on their clothing, toys, etc – a pug is not a good choice. No matter how much you try to vacuum and clean, your child is likely to come into contact with pug hair if you have a pug.

Pugs really love their people. They are “clingy” dogs. If you had your pug before you have a baby, they may be saddened by having less time with you as you get busy with caring for your baby.

My Personal Experience With Pugs And Kids

I don’t have any children of my own, but I have nieces and nephews who were around my pugs while I had them. My pug Frank really liked kids. He would sometimes try to sit on top of young toddlers as he didn’t seem to realize his own size. Outside of having to make sure he didn’t sit on a kid too small to be comfortable under his weight, he was great with kids of any/all ages.

I think he preferred most kids to most adults. When we had adul company, he’d go near them to sniff them and get some petting at first, but then would come to sit with me or Ryan, as usual. However, when we had kids visit, he’d often stay near the kid(s) the whole time they were over!

Neither of our pugs really seemed to notice or care about young babies (under a year old). Even when I babysat young babies who would cry loudly, they didn’t care.

Beans was always our more reserved pug. She was 9 when we adopted her. She wasn’t particularly excited to have company come over, regardless of their age. Shortly after we got her, it became clear that her vision was imperfect, and over time she became outright blind. She also was hard of hearing for her last several years. I think these health issues contributed, but she was a bit nervous around some children. Especially children who were very active, loud or high-energy.

Sometimes when kids were over (especially younger, busier kids) she would seem nervous, so we’d either have her stay on my lap and away from the kids, or we’d kennel her in our bedroom.

She gave a “warning” to a kid once. One of our nephews was around 10 at the time. He was gently petting the top of her head (which she seemed fine with) And then he leaned over into her face to talk to her from just a few inches in front of her. At the time, we didn’t know this was bothersome to her. She responded by lunging straight out at him. She didn’t bite him, her mouth was closed – but she clearly was trying to tell him to back off. I suspect that her vision being poor may have caused her to be started by him moving close to her face, I’m not sure. After that, we made sure to tell any kids that they should stay away from her face, and we erred on the side of having her stay away from kids altogether more often.

Personally, I think we could have had kids living with us and Beans would have done alright as long as we taught the children how to avoid triggering her…but, she preferred adults to kids. However, this may have been age related, too. I don’t know what either of our pugs were like before age 8 as we got them both at older ages.

Are Pugs Intelligent?

March 26, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Are Pugs Intelligent?

In the Stanley Coren testing, pugs ranked 108 out of 136 breeds. This put them in a category that is considered ‘average intelligence for dogs. However, this testing style requires obedience, so stubborn dogs will rank lower, and pugs are known to be stubborn.

In a nutshell, the Stanley Coren testing looks at how many repetitions of a new command a dog has to be shown before it will perform the command consistently. It also looks at how frequently a dog will obey a command that they already know.

Pugs were found to obey known commands only about 30% of the time – showing their stubbornness! They were also shown to need to be shown a new command 40-80 times before they would perform the ask when instructed. This is why they ranked low on the intelligence scale, as ‘smart’ dogs will obey commands after fewer repetitions of an instruction, and will obey known commands more consistently.

As you can tell, both of these forms of testing intelligence require obedience. In my opinion, this means that if you had two dogs who were equally intelligent in terms of what they could understand and do, but one was more stubborn while the other was more obedient, the more obedient dog would test as more intelligent than the stubborn dog.

Now, there isn’t really an easy way to test dog intelligence without involving obedience. How can you test their knowledge if they won’t perform what they know, right? I understand why obedience can’t easily be differentiated from a lack of knowledge or ability…but, I do think it is worth considering when analyzing a dog’s intelligence rating.

Another source of dog intelligence ranking,the Smartest Dogs Breed list according to DogBreedsList.info, ranks pugs in 59th place out of 79 dog breeds.

When researching, I found opposing views on whether pugs have high or low instinctual intelligence. Instinctual intelligence is based on what a dog is bred for, and how well it naturally performs it’s intended behaviors or tasks.

Some say that pugs have low instinctual intelligence because they weren’t bred for a specific task like hunting…so they just don’t have the ability to flex (or not flex) an instinctual intelligence.

Others argue that pugs have high instinctual intelligence. Pugs were bred to be companions so some argue that being a naturally good human companion is a pug’s instinctual intelligence – and that they are very good at. They are little lovebugs!

A Pug Owner’s Thoughts On Pug Intelligence

In my experience with my two pugs, they weren’t easy to train. They were a bit lazy, frankly. However, I never felt like either of my pugs had low intelligence. They were more just stubborn!

I agree with the idea that pugs have roughly average intelligence among dog breeds. While 108 out of 136 breeds sounds low, some of the breeds around their rank include Boston Terriers, Siberian Huskies, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Dachshunds, Shiba inus and Australian Shepherds. While none of those dog breeds are the first ones I think of whe thinking of particularly intelligent dog breeds, none of them come to mind when I think of dumb dogs, either.

I believe that a big part of why people see pugs as a stupid dog is because of their appearance, and the way they are represented in popular culture. They have big eyes that are often crossed, which some take as being a sign of low intelligence.

Cartoons or other forms of media often portray pugs with exaggerated eyes and looking extra goofy. I won’t pretend that pugs don’t have a really unique look that many will read as silly or goofy or weird. I just don’t think their appearance has anything to do with their intelligence level.

Examples Of Pug Intelligence

Pugs are extraordinarily expressive compared to other dogs, in my opinion.

I never felt like I had to guess how my pugs were feeling. This is just my opinion of course, but I felt that both of my pugs could express excitement, playfulness, sadness, hurt, disgust, irritation, contentment, pleasure/happiness, fear, hesitation, longing or desire, tiredess, and jealousy.

My family had a variety of different dogs of different breeds throughout my childhood. Most of them only expressed themselves through barking, whining or whimpering. When I first got my pugs, I was shocked at how many more noises they made! They would exhale sharply when frustrated, groan/grunt when annoyed, and make this repetitive hum-like sound when particularly content…almost like they were purring!

They also have very expressive faces and eyes. I could see excitement, hesitation, fear and boredom in their expressions.

My pug Frank seemed to be a bit more intelligent than my other pug (Beans) was. If allowed, Frank would do things like fuss with a closed package of dog treats until he managed to get a hole in the bag and get a treat out.

Both of my pugs clearly understood common phrases that we’d say to them. They didn’t like going to the vet, but they loved visiting my mother in law. When we would start getting them ready to leave the house, we could tell them “it’s okay, we’re just going to see Grandma” to keep them calm.

In response, they wouldn’t act nervous the way they would when we were going to the vet, and would be excited instead. They clearly seemed to understand where we were going if we told them this.

Frank hated having his nails trimmed, and if he saw me get out our dog nail clippers he’d walk away from me because he knew I’d try to cut his nails soon.

When Beans would be getting her nails cut, Frank would cry almost as loud as he would when we were cutting his nails…even though she handled it pretty well! He clearly understood that we were trimming her nails, and he knew he didn’t like his being done so he’d get upset on her behalf!

When it was dog bath day, whenever I started bathing one dog, the other would try to go hide because they knew they were next.

For the most part, we didn’t give our dogs human food. However, my boyfriend Ryan had a ritual of letting them have a piece of cheese if he were eating block cheese and crackers.

The pugs wouldn’t beg or seem to even be hoping to eat what we were eating when they saw us eating almost anything else…but they would wait very expectantly when Ryan ate cheese. They knew that was a food they had some chance of getting a taste of!

Our pugs wouldn’t bark at the mailman or UPS vehicles (or workers) but would bark if a new/unknown vehicle or person pulled into our driveway.

Frank was a bit of a neat-freak I suppose..in one way, at least. If the dogs own hair got into their water dish, Frank wouldn’t want to drink from the bowl anymore. To communicate this to us, he’d sit by the water bowl and wimper/cry until we refreshed the water.

Frank had a basic awareness of the time of day. How did we discover this? We used to feed them dinner around 9pm. Frank would sit in the kitchen by his food bowl by 830 or 845. Most of the time, anyway. He’d temporarily be thrown off when the clocks changed in the fall, he’d wait for dinner almost an hour too early! This made me realize that he was aware of how it got dark outside around dinner time (during he summer, at least).

Whenever me or Ryan were sick, depressed or otherwise not feeling our best, our pugs would both be extra-clingy. They seemed to be aware of our emotions.

If you have a pug, I’d love to hear your thoughts on their intelligence! Do you think they are smarter than the tests give them credit for? What signs of intelligence have you seen in your pug?

Sources: TheSmartCanine & DogBreedsList.info.