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Breeds
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For such a small dog, the Pug has a very large history. They have gone
through many changes over the centuries, but one fact has always been
the same - they love being with people. Many famous people owned Pugs
throughout history, which helped to spread their popularity among the
fashionable of the world. Looking at their history shows us a glimpse
of what living with a Pug is like.
Pugs were bred to be the companions and protectors of royalty. Although
the Pug was to go through many changes physically, the basic
temperament seems to have been the same. Pugs have always been noted
for their abilities as a watchdog, for their even temperament, and
their devotion to their people. Fortunately, these qualities have not
been bred out, although some physical features, like a longhaired coat,
have.
The Pug as we recognize it did not exist until the 1800's. The Pug went
through a long series of changes in body shape, body size and color
that (for unknown reasons) some were encouraged while others were not.
Some writings from Dutch traders in China indicated that there were
longhaired and shorthaired Pugs, and that most of them were golden in
color all over.
This is because a Pug's timely warning saved his master, William,
Prince of Oranges, from an assassin's strike. By the sixteen hundreds,
Pugs were popular in most European courts. Other famous owners of Pugs
were Josephine (Napoleon's wife, who proves she always liked them
small) and the popular English painter William Hogarth.
His Pug, "Trump", appears in several paintings. There was not that many
Pugs available for breeding, so they were most likely crossed with
small Bulldogs in order to produce Pug-like puppies. Hogarth's Pug was
slimmer, longer-legged and longer-nosed than a modern Pug. Trump also
lacked the black mask of most modern Pugs.
The Pug as we know it didn't come into being until the formation of a
breed standard in the 1800's. Although Pugs had been longhaired, they
now had to come in short haired coats in order to be shown. Pugs used
to come in many different colors, but for some reason only three
official colors are allowed in both the show rings of Europe and
America.
The Pug as we know today came about in the 1800's, when the first
organized dog shows began in Europe. It didn't take long for the idea
of dog shows to cross the Atlantic. The American Kennel Club (AKC)
officially recognized the breed in 1885.
The AKC, incidentally, was founded in 1884. Pugs have been consistently
one of the top twenty most registered dog breeds in America for
decades. Their plan to take over the world is nearly complete.
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Jenny Donaldson |
| About the author: |
| Jenny Donaldson is an avid lover of the Pug and has a popular website that can show you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Pug. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about Pug allergies plus a whole lot more.
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Dr. Rosenberg is the owner, CEO & Chief of Staff at Veterinary Cancer Group.
Kymythy Schultze has been a trailblazer in animal nutrition for over two decades.
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