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The Pug is a breed of dog with the physically distinctive features of a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. An ancient breed, with roots dating back to 400 B.C., they have a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, most often fawn (light brown) or black, and a compact, square body with well developed and thick muscles all over the body.
Pugs were brought from China to Europe in the sixteenth century and were popularized in Western Europe by the House of Orange of Netherlands, and the House of Stuart. In the United Kingdom, in the nineteenth century, Queen Victoria developed a passion for Pugs which she passed on to other members of the royal family.
Pugs are known for being sociable and gentle . The American Kennel Club describes the breed's personality as "even-tempered and charming". Pugs remain popular into the twenty-first century, with some famous celebrity owners. The dogs are susceptible to various health problems due to their bred traits.
Another popular belief is that it's derived from the Latin "pugnus" meaning "fist". Early Pugs were commonly cropped and supposedly that alteration resulted in a head that looked like the shadow of a closed fist when viewed from the side.
The Oxford English Dictionary has the word "pug" as in the dog breed being descended from the meaning of "A dwarf animal, an imp, etc.". Since the late 16th century the term "pug" has been used in English to describe squirrels, hares, foxes, ferret, salmon, sheep, and monkeys. The first attestation of "Pug-dog" is in 1749. The OED also notes it may be related to a now obsolete term of endearment for a person or animal.
The Pug's muzzle is blunt and very short giving a square shaped appearance to the head.
Pugs have two distinct ear shapes, "rose" and "button". "Rose" ears are smaller than the standard style of "button" ears, and are folded with the front edge against the side of the head. Breeding preference goes to "button" style ears.
Pugs' legs are strong, straight, of moderate length, and are set well under. Their shoulders are moderately laid back. Their ankles are strong, their feet are small, their toes are well split-up, and their claws are black. The lower teeth normally protrude further than their upper, resulting in an under-bite.
The Lo-sze was popular in the imperial court during the Song dynasty and was brought from China to Europe in the sixteenth century by the Dutch East India Company. The Happa or Hap-pah dog has also been considered as playing a part in the formation of the modern Pug breed, but it was not acquired by European fanciers until 1860 when specimens were looted by French and British troops during their complete destruction of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) in Beijing, during the Second Opium War.
In ancient times, Pugs were bred to be companions for ruling families in China. Pet Pugs were highly valued by Chinese emperors, and the royal dogs were kept in luxury and guarded by soldiers. Pugs later spread to other parts of Asia. In Tibet, Buddhist monks kept Pugs as pets in their monasteries. The breed has retained its affectionate devotion to its owners since ancient times.
A Pug traveled with William III and Mary II when they left the Netherlands to accept the throne of England in 1688. During that period, the Pug may have been bred with the old-type King Charles spaniel, giving the modern King Charles Spaniel its pug-like characteristics.
The breed eventually became popular in other European countries as well. Pugs were painted by Francisco Goya in Spain, and in Italy they rode up front on private carriages, dressed in jackets and pantaloons that matched those of the coachman. They were used by the military to track animals and people, and were also employed as .
The popularity of the Pug continued to spread in France during the eighteenth century. Before her marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine had her Pug, Fortune, carry concealed messages to her family while she was confined at Les Carmes prison, it having alone been given visiting rights.
In nineteenth-century England, the breed flourished under the patronage of Queen Victoria. Her many Pugs, which she bred herself, included Olga, Pedro, Minka, Fatima and Venus. Her involvement with dogs in general helped to establish the Kennel Club, which was formed in 1873. Queen Victoria favored apricot and fawn colors. Her passion for Pugs was passed on to many other members of the royal family, including her grandson King George V and his son King Edward VIII. Many responded to the breed's image of anti-functionalism and diminutive size during that period.
In paintings and engravings of the 18th and 19th centuries, Pugs usually appear with longer legs and noses than today, and sometimes with cropped ears. That practice was carried out in Europe up until the 19th century, the intent being to accentuate the wrinkles of the forehead. The so-called "prince mark" – a set of wrinkles resembling the Chinese character for prince (王) – was a desirable attribute of the breed.
It was around this time that two prolific strains of Pug came to be known in Britain: the Morrison and Willoughby lines. Dogs of the Willoughby line were said to be of "bad colour", stone fawn with an excess of black on the head, whereas Morrison Pugs were a richer yellow fawn with well defined black masks.
The Morrison Pug was more in accordance with current breed type, being cobbier and shorter muzzled. In his book, The Dogs of the British Islands, J.H. Walsh writes that the first dog of the Willoughby line had "a face much longer than would now be approved of by Pug fanciers". Comparison of the two strains, as depicted in artwork from the time, provides a clearer image as to their distinct characteristics.
The modern Pug's appearance probably changed after 1860, when a new wave of dogs were seized as loot by French and British soldiers who razed the Old Summer Palace in Beijing (then Peking), China. They were "Happa dogs", or "Pekingese pugs" as they would come to be known by the western fancier. Those Pugs had shorter legs, the modern-style Pug nose and were often black and white in color.
The Happa dog probably constitutes a separate "strain" to the Pekingese, rather than a breed in its own right. W.E Mason remarks in his book "Dogs of all nations" that the Happa is "identical in every respect with the Pekingese Spaniel, except that his coat is short and smooth". The distinction between the long and short coated dogs was, most likely, imposed by the British as several Oriental scrolls depict long coated "Hap-pah" dogs.
Two of the most famous Happa dogs to be brought back to England were "Moss" and "Lamb" who were bred together to produce "Click". A popular stud, "Click" was bred several times to bitches of both Willoughby and Morrison lines, which is largely recognized as leading to the merging of both strains.
During that period, crossing with the English bulldog reportedly took place to solidify desirable traits in both breeds, though that improvement came at the expense of the Pugs diminutive stature. Pug dogs with a broader head and flatter muzzle were procured through those mixed pairings. However, many of them lacked the temperament typical of a lap dog on account of the bulldog's fiercer nature.
The British aristocrat, Anna Brassey, is also credited with making black Pugs fashionable after she brought some back from China in 1886.
Pugs arrived in the United States during the nineteenth century and were soon making their way into the family home and the show ring. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1885. The Pug Dog Club of America was founded in 1931 and was recognized by the American Kennel Club that same year. In 1981, the Pug Dhandys Favorite Woodchuck won the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in the United States, the only Pug to have won there since the show began in 1877.
The shortened snout and pushed in face of the Pug is known as brachycephaly. Brachycephaly results in deformation of the upper airway tract and leads to obstruction of breathing. Potential effects of brachycephaly are stridor, stertorous breathing, emesis, skin fold dermatitis, brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome, exophthalmos, pharyngeal gag reflex, cyanosis, and laryngeal collapse.
Other issues arising from brachycephaly are risk of complications whilst under anaesthesia, and hyperthermia – with the latter caused due to an inability to effectively reduce body temperature via panting. Their breathing problems can be worsened by the stresses of traveling in air cargo, which may involve high temperatures. Following the deaths of Pugs and other brachycephalic breeds, several airlines either banned their transport in cargo or enacted seasonal restrictions.
In a British study the Pug was found to be more susceptible to demodicosis. The prevalence of the condition in Pugs under two years was 1.9% compared to the 0.48% average, and for Pugs over four years it was 0.2% compared to the 0.05% average. Overall, the Pug had a prevalence of 1% compared to the 0.17% average.
Pugs can suffer from necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME), also known as Pug Dog Encephalitis (PDE), an inflammation of the brain and meninges. (2025). 9780911910933, Courier Kendallville, Inc.. ISBN 9780911910933 NME is not unique to Pugs and also occurs in other small dogs, such as the Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese dog, and Chihuahua. NME affects roughly 1–2% of all Pugs.
The Pug is prone to hemivertebrae, a condition that can lead to pain as well as loss of function in the hind legs.
A UK study found the Pug to be at a 7.49 times greater risk of impaired hepatic perfusion compared to other dogs.
The 1984 science-fiction film Dune included a Pug as a family pet; an inclusion which the director, David Lynch, "refused to answer" questions about.
A Pug named Willy appeared in the British soap opera EastEnders between 1985 and 1992. Willy was the constant companion of Ethel Skinner, played by Gretchen Franklin.
The 1989 film The Adventures of Milo and Otis features a Pug named Otis, known as "Poosky" in the original 1986 Japanese version, The Adventures of Chatran.
The Men in Black film series features Frank, a fictional talking Pug portrayed by animal actor Mushu.
The breed became iconic in India, as it was featured as the mascot in a series of Vodafone (formerly Hutchison Essar) advertising commercials directed by Prakash Varma. The Pug that was predominantly featured in the commercials was Cheeka. The advertisement campaign was followed by a rise in the popularity of Pugs in India, and the sale of Pugs more than doubled within months, with prices for Pugs rising considerably. A few other adverts also appeared in the following months, inspired by the idea of a dog following a boy.Jaypal, Renuka. Going Digital in India , Viewpoint, May 2006, retrieved 24 November 2006.
The American television series The Lincoln Lawyer features a Pug named Winston.
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