Two Pug Tails

Can Pugs Go To The Beach? Tips & Tricks

October 16, 2021 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Pugs are well known for not being very tolerant of high heat. They’re also known for not wanting to be left home alone very long. If you have a beach day planned, you may be wondering if pugs can go to the beach.

Can pugs go to the beach?

Pugs can go to dog-friendly beaches, and they may even enjoy the experience! You need to make sure they don’t overheat, though.

We live in Michigan, but we’re in the center, making us about as far from any of the great lakes as you can get within the state. As a result, we don’t go to the beach very frequently, as it takes a couple hours to get there. We never took our pugs to the “big” beach, as we would have been hours from home which wouldn’t be ideal if they got overheated. But we did take them to some lakes with us.

It’s definitely possible to have a beach day with your pug, but it requires thoughtfulness and planning.

How to keep your pug safe at the beach

Choose to go to the beach with your pug on a day where it’s not too hot. Consider what temperatures your pug tolerates while just being outside, not in the water. You may be able to take them to the beach if it’s a little above the temperature that they’re usually comfortable at, if you know that they will enjoy getting in the water to cool off. If your dog doesn’t like water and won’t be getting wet, you’ll want to ensure the air temperature is comfortable for them as-is.

Make sure there is shade. Some beaches may have natural shade that you can take advantage of, but if not, be sure to bring a large umbrella, tent or some other sort of shelter to create a shaded area for your pug.

Plan to have a responsible person by your pug’s side the entire time. If you and the other people going with you want to be able to be free to do what they want, that isn’t a good time to bring your pug along. Someone will need to be on ‘pug duty’ at all times. It’s important to keep an eye on them in case they overheat, and to keep them safe around the water.

Bring a dog lifejacket if they plan to get in the water. It’s rare, but there are some pugs who can swim, as I shared a video of in my athletic pugs post. Most pugs are “front heavy” because their shoulders are wider and heavier than their hips, and this makes it impossible for them to stay above water while swimming, without help. Even if your pug can swim some, it’s best to have a lifejacket to help support them in case they get tired while swimming.

Bring a portable water bowl. Keeping your pug hydrated while in the sun is really important!

Bring a dog shirt. If your pug gets hot, you can wet the dog shirt and put it on them to help cool them down a little.

Consider your timing. Going to the beach earlier in the day or later in the evening may result in better weather conditions for your pug.

Use dog sunblock. A common misconception is that dogs can’t be harmed by the sun because they’re covered in fur. While their fur does help protect their skin, it’s still best to use dog safe sunblock.

Bring dog waste bags. This is really basic pet ower etiquette, but pick up after your dog poops! Places that are dog-friendly often struggle with inconsiderate owners not picking up after their dogs. One of the best ways to keep places dog-friendly is to clean up after your dog.

Pack alcohol-free baby wipes. These ca be used to clean your dog’s eyes if they get sand or something else in their eyes.

Both of my pugs enjoyed spending time outside when it was nice!

When can a pug puppy go to the beach?

Dogs need to be fully vaccinated before they are around other dogs. This is usually at 4 months old. Once they’re 4 months old and fully vaccinated, you can take them to the beach.

Pug Shivering After Bath

October 13, 2021 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

Have you ever noticed your pug shivering after their bath? If so, you may wonder what you can do to help, or even if you should be concerned. My pugs used to shiver after their baths sometimes, and it often made me feel bad, so we tried to find ways to minimize it.

Why your pug shivers after their bath

Most likely, your pug is shivering because they feel cold after their bath. If their bath was warm, the air in your home may feel cool to them afterwards, even if it’s fairly warm.

It’s also possible that they’re shaking in response to anxiety. Some dogs really dislike being bathed and will get worked up enough to still be shaking afterwards. If this is the cause, they probably were shaking while in the bath, too. Trying to comfort and reassure them, and perhaps giving them some treats can help make the experience more positive.

However, if the shivering is severe or their behavior seems off, you may need to rule out that it’s not an allergic reaction. Some pugs may have some bad reactions to some soaps or shampoos. I’ve heard of animals convulsing after having a bath with flea shampoo, for example. If the shivering seems excessive or your dog shows any signs of being unconscious, head to an emergency vet!

How to keep your pug warmer after their bath

Dry them off as much as you can. If your dog will tolerate it, you can use a blow dryer using a cool setting until they dry. If they won’t tolerate being blow-dried, you can towel dry them as thoroughly as possible.
Keep the environment extra warm. If it’s winter time, you may want to raise your thermostat while you bathe your pug, so that the air in your home is warmer after they get out of their bath. Alternatively, you could set up a small electric heater in one room that you plan to put them in after their bath. Don’t let them get too close to the heater though! They may not know that it can hurt them if they touch it.
Cover them with a blanket. After towel-drying my pugs, we’d hold them in an extra blanket. Of course, this would result in the blanket smelling like wet dog. We would intentionally use an extra blanket that we didn’t care about too much, and we’d wash it as soon as the dogs were done using it that day. That way, the pugs could stay a bit warmer but we didn’t have to ‘sacrifice’ our favorite blankets.
Make sure you’re bathing in lukewarm water. Sometimes people instinctually assume that they should use warm water to bathe their dogs, because we humans like to bathe in warm water. For animals, it’s best to use lukewarm water, as their skin isn’t as tolerant of heat as ours is. Their skin is used to being protected by fur, so it’s sensitive. Also, if you use warm or hot water to bathe your dog, they’ll feel colder once the bath is over, than they would if you used lukewarm water.

Are Pugs Affectionate?

October 12, 2021 by emilyreviews Leave a Comment

If you’re considering getting a pug, it’s a good thing to ask if they’re affectionate or not. I see the level of affection between dogs and their human family members as being a compatibility factor. If you want a really affectionate dog, an aloof dog breed wouldn’t be a good fit. Similarly, if you prefer a really independent dog, accidentally getting a dog that wants a lot of affection could be a bad idea.

How affectionate are pugs?

Pugs are definitely on the affectionate end of the aloof or affectionate spectrum. If you want to know that your dog loves you, a pug is a pretty good choice! If you prefer an independent dog, a pug probably isn’t for you.

Are pugs affectionate with everybody?

While pugs are typically affectionate with their owners or those close to them, they may not be affectionate with everyone.

I see pugs as a generally friendly breed, so they aren’t likely to dislike strangers or new people. They won’t necessarily want to curl up in a stranger’s lap, though. Where with the people they are close with, they’ll basically wat to be touching them 24/7!

I had one pug that was affectionate with most everyone. Frank was excited to see anybody, and would sit in a stranger’s lap if it was the only one available. He also seemed to particularly like kids. On rare occasion, he’d choose to be near a child rather than sit with me or Ryan even if we were available! While both of our pugs grew to know and remember a variety of our family member’s, frank was the one who definitely seemed more excited to get to visit with extended family sometimes.

Frank cuddling with my nephew, Drew.

Beans on the other hand definitely preferred Ryan and I above everyone else…and honestly, she spent way more time with me than Ryan. She had a really nice bond with Ryan too, but I was definitely her primary perso. She didn’t mind other people stopping over at our house, or visiting with extended family, and she never barked at strangers or anything. She seemed more indifferent about most other people, though. The exception to this would be if we left her. When we’d travel we sometimes left the pugs at my mother-in-law’s house. When we left my mother-in-law’s house, Beans would become attached at the hip to my mother-in-law until we got back. It seemed like Beans needed to cling to someone. While she preferred me, if I wasn’t available she’d pick a new favorite person from those available! Haha.

Frank loved to be near people and rest his chin on them. We called his ‘chinning’. It was almost like he thought his head was too heavy so he was always looking for someone to lean it on.

Can pugs be too affectionate?

Pugs definitely may be too affectionate for some people’s preferences. If you’re someone who finds yourself feeling smothered by pets who want to touch you a lot, you may find pugs too affectionate.

My pugs literally wanted to be touching me as much as possible. Anytime I sat down, they wanted on my lap. When I laid down, they wanted to lay right against me. When I cooked or did the dishes, they’d try to sit on my feet! While we could get our pugs to sit alone if we needed them to, they didn’t prefer to. They also didn’t like being home alone.

Related post: Can pugs be left alone all day?

Neither of our pugs ever licked other people, but they both would kiss Ryan and I. Beans liked to lick us more than Frank did. If we would have let her, I think Beans would have kissed us for hours straight. I don’t really like the sensation of being licked so I’d let her lick me a few times (in an attempt to let her know I was accepting of her affection) but then gently ask her to stop and she would. Ryan didn’t mind the kissing as much so he’d let her lick him longer than I would, and she seemed to really enjoy that he let her. Of course, being licked and may other aspects of animal affection can come down to personal preference.

Are pugs affectionate with other animals?

Pugs usually get along pretty well with other pets. Whether or not they’re affectionate with other pets can vary.

My pugs were listed as a bonded pair, as they had always been together. They seemed to be more focused on us people than they were on each other most of the time. However, they definitely did like each other. They would play together, and if people weren’t around, they’d usually lay together. We had some small dog bed intended to fit just one of them, and some big dog beds intended to fi them both. Even if one of them laid down in a smaller bed, the other would often smush themselves into the small bed with the other! Frank often liked to lay his head on Beans and she didn’t seem to mind at all.

Do pugs like hugs?

Stanley Coren wrote an article about how dogs dislike being hugged, and it actually raises their stress levels. I remember went his first came out, it went a bit viral because so many people were sad to hear this, or wanted to believe it wasn’t true.

I’m no animal therapy expert, so I tend to defer to the experts. Also in my personal experience, it doesn’t seem like my pugs particularly liked being hugged. They did tolerate it, though. Despite not necessarily liking to be hugged, they did love to cuddle. Frank disliked cuddling if you put your arm over him, though. So perhaps it would be more accurate to say they loved laying up against us!

Do pugs like kisses?

I don’t know if dogs in general are supposed to like kisses. From what I can tell from my experience with my pugs, neither of them liked being kissed face-on. In general, I don’t think dogs like having someone right in their face.

However, our pug Frank very clearly loved being kissed on top of his head! He had this little noise he’d make…sort of like a hum, whenever he was really happy. We called it his ‘purr’. He’d make it sometimes while being pet, but he’d almost always do it if you gently rubbed his ears or if you kissed his head or the sides of his face. When being kissed, he’d also close or squint his eyes in a happy way, similar to the face some cats make when they are really enjoying being pet.

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.

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