Why Your Pug Always Wants Attention

Do pugs always want attention?

Pugs largely do want constant attention. They are very affectionate dogs that are true companions for their humans. If you allow them to be at your side 24/7, most pugs gladly will be! 

Depending on what type of relationship you like with your dog, this can be a benefit or a disadvantage. If you’re someone who wants a cuddly laptog, a pug is a good choice. If you prefer a dog that is fairly independent but only wants occasional interaction from you, then a pug might drive you crazy.

Pugs cry (sometimes called pug bawling) when they want attention sometimes. In rare cases, I’ve eve heard of pugs screaming when they want attention! Pugs can get depression, in part due to not getting enough attention, sometimes.

Related blog post: Can pugs be left home alone all day?

Frank stays close by as “Dad” assembles some patio furniture.

Why are pugs clingy?

Pugs were bred to be lapdogs for Chinese royalty. They basically see it as their job to be your little buddy, constantly at your side. They exist to be your companion, so they just don’t really know what to do with themselves if left alone.

Expect pugs to follow you around everywhere you go. Mine almost never would stay in a room alone. My pug Beans would sit on the bathmat as I showered, and would be in the bathroom or as close as possible, as I used the toilet. Seriously! They are velcro dogs. In most cases, bonding with pugs is quite easy.

Ps – that spot of damaged drywall and baseboards is not from my pugs. It’s from a lab puppy who lived there previously. I got my pugs after they were fully grown, but they never damaged anything we owned. Generally, pugs aren’t destructive dogs.

What are velcro dogs?

Velcro dogs is a term for clingy dogs. The analogy refers to how they stick to their people like velcro sticks together! 

How To Get Things Done With A Clingy Pug

When you have a pug that always wants attention, it can feel like all you have time for is the dog. So, how do you get stuff done with a clingy pug? Here are a few ideas.

1. Let your pug tag along with you. As much as possible, just let your pug follow you around. Need to check the mail? Let them follow you out! Need to cook or clean? Again, let them follow along at your side. If you’re just sitting, your pug will want to play with you. If you’re up being active, they’ll often stay pretty close by. Of course, this isn’t always possible as you may do some things that would be dangerous for a pug. For example, if you’re going to work in your yard the it’s 95 degrees out, you shouldn’t let your pug stay with you, that’s too hot for them. For anything that isn’t dangerous, try to just adapt to doing everything with a pug at your side or under your feet! Before too long you’ll just feel like your pug is almost an extension of you.
2. Pass them around the family. Most pugs are quite social creatures who like most people. If you need to get something done, pass the pug to someone else in the family for a while.
3. Have them work for their food. One way to get a few minutes to yourself is to have your pug work for their food. They make a variety of dog toys that are designed to slowly disperse kibble when played with. This will require your pug to play with the toy to get the food out, making meal time take longer – and giving you a few minutes where they are distracted.
4. Have dog play dates. One of my pugs loved playing with other dogs, while the other wasn’t as into it. This resulted in them occasionally playing with each other, but not daily or for very long. For the pug of ours that did like to play with other dogs, she’d stay occupied for quite a while if she was given time with another dog who would play with her. We babysat a pug puppy one day and our playful pug played with that puppy for hours.
5. Use a kennel or play yard. Of course, this should be used only as it’s really needed. It’s not a great quality of life for a dog to be kenneled while awake. However, when used sparingly, it can give you time to get essential things done while keeping your clingy pug safe. I saw this recently in a pug Facebook group. She said her pug puppy was bad about getting into things if left alone. So when she is home alone with the pug puppy and needs to shower, she puts the puppy in an old baby play yard while she showers. This way, the pug doesn’t get confused and think it’s bedtime, but is still kept safe.
6. Make sure they’re getting exercise. I’ve written about how pugs are generally low activity dogs. Still, they have exercise needs! If your pug seems hyper, they may be needing to get their wiggles out via more walks or longer walks. You may find that with more activity in their lives, they will settle down more and pester you a bit less. They’ll likely still be at your side 24/7, but they might not be biting you or begging for constant engagement in the same way if you wear them out a little more.
7. Set up a space for your pug throughout your home. My boyfriend works from home online. For our pugs, he quit using a traditional office chair and replaced it with a recliner. Did it look goofy to have a recliner behind a computer desk? Yep! Did it allow him to get more work done while keeping our pugs content? Yep! Was very worth it to us. Similarly, when I’d work on arts/crafts, I’d set up a dog bed near my feet while I sat in a chair working on my crafts. That way they could lay close to me without getting in the way of what I was doing. We’d set up a dog bed space near us while doing all sorts of things from wrapping Christmas presents to rocking a child we were babysitting. Our pugs definitely preferred to be right in our lap, but when it wasn’t possible, having a dog bed to lay in very close to us was the next best thing, and it was something they’d tolerate pretty well.