When selecting a dog, it’s really important to match breed with owner, so that the experience for all involved is a positive one.
There are many things you should consider before you even begin your search, and what follows is a compilation of the most commonly mentioned downsides to Pugs. This article is designed to focus on the people side of Pug ownership, to help you decide whether your personality and lifestyle fits with the nature and characteristics of the Pug breed. We urge you to consider these downsides seriously before deciding on buying a Pug:
Picture Source – Natalie Simpson
- Personal Space – Say goodbye to ANY personal space or alone time you may have once had. Pugs take ‘man’s best friend’ to a whole new level! Think you can shower or go to the bathroom alone? Not a chance! Pugs think it’s perfectly acceptable to sit ON your feet (or one singular foot) at all times.
- Pugs malt a lot. Everywhere. All the time. Get used to pug-fur tumble weeds rolling around on your tiles within 30 minutes of vacuuming. If you’re considering whether to go Black, Fawn or Apricot when choosing your pug – carefully consider the colour of your floor, furniture and favourite clothing. Fortunately, it’s the type of fur that does just brush off, but there is no escaping it, there is only embracing it!
- Regular face cleaning. Cleaning eye-snot, cleaning in between their wrinkles / nose rolls and waxy ears becomes part of your daily & weekly routine. It this doesn’t get done regularly they will turn into stinky little gremlins. Another bodily-fluid orientated trait they have is to get really close to your face as if to sniff you; then sneeze. If you’re looking for a low maintenance dog which requires minimal grooming, don’t get a Pug.
- Anal glands need regular draining. Pugs are prone to having their anal sacs fill, and these sacs in turn, must be drained from time to time…not a pleasant, or easy task if you chose to do it yourself. If you won’t do it, then you’ll need to take your Pug to the vet to have it done, sometimes several times per year and the expense involved in doing this. I will say no more. If you’re thinking – how will I know if my pug has issues with their anal glands? You’ll know.
- Pugs can’t swim. They have stumpy little legs and solid heavy little round bodies. This makes it difficult for them to swim. So if you enjoy the water, and want your dog to come with you – selecting a pug may be a problem.
- Pugs cannot tolerate humidity and high temperatures. This type of weather is unhealthy for Pugs, and over exposure to this type of weather can cause immediate or long-term health problems ranging from heat stroke to organ damage. If you live in a warm weather climate, and you don’t have air conditioning, don’t get a Pug.
- They generally take a long time to House train. They’re small, which makes them inherently more difficult to housetrain than large dogs, which have a greater capacity to “hold”. Their size may not be the biggest obstacle to housetraining however, as Pugs tend to have a stubborn streak which makes them less than cooperative students. Skilled and experienced dog owners usually manage to housetrain their Pugs within 3 months of bringing their dog home. The majority of Pug owners however, often find housetraining a task that takes a year or even longer. If the idea of a years worth of poops and pee on the carpet isn’t tolerable to you, don’t get a Pug.
- Pug don’t fetch balls or sticks or frisbees. They are a low activity dog.
- Hip dysplasia – Pugs have a tendency to get Hip dysplasia. To help keep this condition from affecting your dog, keep your pet at a healthy weight and take great care to keep your pug from overextending its hips at a young age. It is recommended that you avoid doing a lot of physical exercise until the dog is at least one-year-old.
These tips have been adapted and compiled with reference from the Pug Club of Victoria.
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