Pug
The tightly curled tail and folded button ears separate it from a French Bulldog. Like the Frenchie, its defining features are also its clinical problems.
- Group
- Toy
- Weight
- 6–9 kg
- Coat
- short
- Ears
- button
- Muzzle
- flat
- Build
- Heavy
- Origin
- China
What it looks like
Square and cobby with a large round head, a very short flat muzzle, deep facial wrinkles, large prominent dark eyes, small folded ears and a tightly curled tail.
The characters that confirm it
- A tail curled tightly over the hip, ideally double-curled.
- Small folded 'button' ears lying against the head — not erect.
- A round head with a very short muzzle and deep nose wrinkle.
- Square, cobby body — as long as it is tall.
Temperament
Even-tempered, companionable and comic. Very low exercise tolerance.
Health
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, corneal ulceration and proptosis from the shallow eye sockets, skin fold dermatitis, and pug dog encephalitis. Hemivertebrae associated with the screw tail cause spinal problems. Heat is genuinely dangerous.
Confused with
Erect bat ears and a short straight or screw tail; a Pug has folded ears and a tight curl.
A wiry or smooth coat with a beard and a much more prominent chin.
Questions about this breed
How do you recognise a Pug?
A tail curled tightly over the hip, ideally double-curled. Small folded 'button' ears lying against the head — not erect.
What is a Pug like to live with?
Even-tempered, companionable and comic. Very low exercise tolerance.
What health problems do Pugs have?
Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, corneal ulceration and proptosis from the shallow eye sockets, skin fold dermatitis, and pug dog encephalitis. Hemivertebrae associated with the screw tail cause spinal problems. Heat is genuinely dangerous.