Pug characteristics Archives - Page 2 of 3

Do Pugs Swim? Do They Like Water?

July 6, 2022 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

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Can Pugs Swim?

Most pugs can swim enough to keep their head above water if they need to. Most pugs are not very good at swimming though, and cannot swim for very long before getting worn out. Some pugs can’t swim at all and will just sink if you try to place them in deep water.

If your pug can swim, still say with them the whole time and don’t expect them to swim very long. They’ll likely tire quickly.

Generally, dogs that swim well are ones with longer legs. Pugs are short-statured compared to their back/body length which puts them at a disadvantage.

Plus, pugs were bred to be lap dogs so they just aren’t very athletic or active in general.

There are some pugs who love swimming though. Even these pugs likely won’t have the stamina to swim very long.

How To Introduce Your Pug To Swimming

Start slow and shallow, and be ready to catch your pug if they sink like a rock. Some pugs will fail to swim the first few attempts but will eventually learn. If you want your pug to swim, keep introducing them to water slowly to see if they can pick up the skill over time. If your pug has a favorite toy or treat, you may try bringing it into the water to help entice them.

If you plan to get a pug puppy, introducing them to swimming as a puppy may increase the odds of them enjoying swimming or being a bit better at swimming when compared to a pug who is introduced to it at an older age.

For about five years we lived in a house that had a pond in the side yard. Neither of my pugs ever tried to get into the lake, they’d walk around the edge and avoid the water. One day Frank accidentally fell in, though. He lifted a leg to pee while standing near the edge of the water and lost his balance, so he fell in the water. I was right next to him but he stayed above water until I could step down in and get him out.

Why pugs struggle with swimming

Pugs have a very short snout means they will inhale water very easily. Pugs will tilt their head back when trying to swim, to keep their nasal passageway more open for their nose but this isn’t an ideal angle to have your head at while swimming.

Pugs also struggle with swimming due to their body portions. Compared to many other dog breeds, pugs have short legs and thick bodies. Many pugs have broad shoulders or a “barrel chest” with a smaller back end. This can result in their head and front shoulders being a lot heavier than their back end. This imbalance in how their weight is distributed makes swimming more challenging than it is for dogs who have a more evenly distributed body weight.

Do Pugs Like Water?

This is pretty mixed! Some pugs love water, some hate it, and some are more neutral. Neither of my pugs were excited about water, and both didn’t enjoy bath time but they didn’t kick up a huge fuss about it, either.

If you aren’t sure if your pug will like swimming, see how they react to shallow water. Seeing how your pug responds to water in a hard plastic kiddie pool may be some indication of whether or not they’d enjoy exploring a lake or a pool.

Pug swimming safety tips

Use a life jacket. Even if your pug loves to swim, having a life vest on them is really smart. It will keep them protected if they get too tired to keep swimming.

Be mindful of sensitive skin and pool chemicals. While many dogs can swim in pools without reactions, pugs often have allergies or skin sensitivities. If you introduce your pug to the pool for the first time, check for signs of irritation or allergy while they’re in the water and in the day or so after their swim.

Rinse your dog off with clear water and clean your pug’s wrinkle folds after swimming to ensure any pool chemicals don’t stay trapped against their body.

Only let your pug swim if the air is hot and the water is relatively warm. If it’s not warm enough pugs can get hypothermia.

Don’t let them swim too long. Take them out of the water before you see signs of tiredness. Dogs who get excited to swim or younger pugs with a lot of energy may try to keep swimming longer than they should. For this reason, you don’t necessarily want to trust them to get out of the water when they are getting tired.

If you have a pool at home, keep your pug blocked out of it with a fence or other barrier ot ensure they don’t go swimming alone.

Should you take your pug to the beach?

Pugs don’t tolerate hot weather very well. Most people like to go to the beach when it’s quite hot outside. If you’re planning a trip to the beach on a really hot day, it’s probably best to leave your pug at home. If you take trips to the beach on days that aren’t as hot, your pug may enjoy tagging along.

I have a whole blog post sharing tips & tricks for taking your pug to the beach.

Life Vests For Pugs

There are a variety of dog life jackets out there that will fit pugs. The one I’ve seen discussed most in pug groups is the Outward Hound Dog Life Jacket (link goes to the life vest on amazon). Most pug owners order a size medium for pugs.

Does your pug like to swim? Share stories in the comments!

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.

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