Pug
The Pug breed is a small dog breed. It is classed as a toy dog. The dog originated in China but it was made popular by House of Orange (Royalty) from the Holland, and the House of Stuart from England. It has been written that these dogs were bred for the task of sitting in the laps of the rules during the Shang dynasty, which was in play approximately 400 BCE. Originally they were known as Lo-Chiang-Sze or Foo. Even before this time Confucius wrote about a short mouthed dog which may have been a reference to this breed. It also may be that this original ancestor was also a precursor to the Pekingese breed. This breed migrated to Tibet and was kept by monks, from then on the Japan and then it spread to Europe. The breed hit European shores in the 16th and 17th century brought by the Dutch East India Company. To see the breed in painting, you only have to go to the England painter William Hogarth who did a portrait of him with his Pug. Queen Victoria was also a big sponsor of the Pugs, breeding them and she even set up the Kennel Club in 1873.
Appearance
The pug has a very distinctive look and is unlikely to be mistaken easily for any other dog. It has a very wrinkly face, and its tail curls. its coat tends to be full of fine hairs and is glossy as long as properly maintained. It is a very muscular and strong dog for its size. Pugs have two different distinctly shaped ear either the button shape or the rose shape. They legs are powerful and set well under the body. Their coat colour tends to be either black, silver fawn or orange. Normally a Pug will have a black mask.
Temperament
This dog has bags of personality. They can be stubborn but are not normally known for being aggressive. This explains why the Pug makes such a good pets for families. They tend to be fond of children as they are always looking to play, but because the breed is built well they can handle boisterous play. Of course with younger children supervision is best, but that goes for any breed of dog. They tend to make good watchdogs as they are quite perceptive and like to talk.
Grooming and care
Special care should be taken with the folds of this dogs face, they need to be cleaned out carefully and regularly otherwise it can cause a problem of infection. On hot days make sure that the Pug has access to shade and has a lot to drink so that it does not overheat. Make sure that the Pug does not overeat and gets regular exercise otherwise Pugs tend to gain weight rapidly.
Health
Hip dysplasia is a very significant problem with this breed with over 60% of Pugs expected to suffer from it. It also can be prone to getting reverse sneezing, which although not a dangerous condition is nevertheless unnerving if the owner does not know what is happening,. These dogs tend to suffer from specific issues due to their build. They can overheat easily and get to fat, they may suffer from pharyngeal reflex, hemivertebrae and necrotizing meningoencephalitis. Due to the lack of a skeletal brow ridge the Pug is prone to getting injured eyes. Also due to their airway passage structure they cannot effectively regulate heat so can overheat. Necrotizing meningoencephalitis is where the brain gets inflamed, unfortunately there is no known cure for this. Hemivertebrae is a problem which can occur in the dogs spine and it can cause paralysis as two sections of the vertebrae are not connected properly during growing up.