Caesar was born in March of 2006. We got him in May of '06 after he was weaned. We, quite frankly, don't remember life before him. He's a constant source of amazement, befuddlement, and just pure joy in our household!

If you've had a pug then you know that pugs are "people" dogs. They were bred to be companions to humans and they take this job very seriously...it's the only thing they take seriously. If you've thought about getting a pug but the thought of having a constant companion - a tag if you will - is not appealing to you, DON'T get one of these dogs. If you do want a dog that will be with you every minute that you are in reachable range then a pug will bring you great joy. He or she will be entirely devoted to you...unless you're not in the kitchen and someone else is!

What About Pugs with Children?

Pugs are great dogs for families with children. Young pugs (up to age 4 or 5 in human years) LOVE to play. They're gentle loving dogs who can roughouse without getting too rough and who thrive on the attention. Once your youngsters are past the tail pulling stage they and your pug will be great friends. That said, a pug is still going to gravitate toward the adults in its life. Just the act of an adult entering the room will usually distract a pug from any game with a child!

Smart or Not So Smart?

We've heard from both sides on this issue. Many say the pug is a smart dog breed. Others say the pug is "less intelligent" than the average dog. Anyone care to comment?

So, where do "we" stand on the issue? Well, lets just say that pugs are as smart as they need to be and what they lack in brain power they make up for in stubborness and sheer force of will. Caesar (C-man for short) knows everything he needs to know about food for example; finding it, knowing where it's kept, begging for it, eating it and so on. He's a little less interested in learning common obedience commands. Could he learn them? Yeah, sure he could, however pugs are a breed known to take 4 times as long to learn something (averaging 80 repetitions as opposed to 20 or less) to learn a command that they will then only perform - on command - 20% of the time.

If you want an obedient dog or a working dog, this isn't the dog for you! If, on the other hand, you want a dog that will "help" you empty a box of treats during a training session you'll be in luck with the pug breed, which brings us to...

Food, Glorious Food!

A pug, ANY pug, lives to eat. Period. They can hear the refrigerator door opening from any room in the house. The head of the cookie jar rattling will wake them from a rip snorting/snoring slumber. Just head for the kitchen and your pug will be right there with you.

Pugs can eat and 5 minutes later, as you eat something, look so pitifully like they've never had a meal that you'll wonder how they can be so brazen. BE CAREFUL. They pack on weight very easily and it's hard for them to take it off. C-man, like most pugs, loves to be outside but, also like most pugs, heavy exertion lasts 3-5 minutes and then it's down in the grass to rest and chew something (a toy, a stick...). They're a short nosed breed that gets to the panting stage quickly and, thus, can over exert themselves easily.

Once your pug puts on the pounds it's awful hard to get them slim again. The hardest part is your own will to ignore the begging and the whining that are sure to accompany every bite put into your own mouth. Remember, they never leave your side. Be prepared for this.

If you don't find snoring endearing, you probably will be a very tired pug owner. This snub nosed breed snores - a lot - all the time. When a pug isn't eating or playing he or she is sleeping. With sleep comes snoring. Sometimes softly but mostly loudly.

Some vets will recommend surgery to open the nasel passages more for pugs. Judge the need for this by the individual pug. So far, we've opted not to go this route with Caesar. Yes, he snores, but he functions normally otherwise.

Caesar prefers to sleep in bed with my son who does not mind his snoring at all. There are many pug owners who extol the virtues of the crate for sleeping. That worked for us while he was still a pup but as he got older, he lost interest in the crate and preferred human contact at night. We don't have an issue with this. We recommend you examine your own opinions on this closely before acquiring a pug. Remember, they are companion dogs.

What's This About Snorting?

Is it a pug or a pig? Sometimes it's hard to tell. Pugs are great sniffers. They smell everything. Because they are so short of snout, they get right up close and personal with the things they are sniffing. That means that they suck in all manner of dust, dirt, and debris. Then, they begin to snort. Shortly after the snorting phase starts the "reverse sneeze" phase often follows. This horrific sound will make you think your pug is about to gasp his or her last breath. Don't be alarmed. It's quite common and very normal...for a pug.

The most common time to hear the infamous pug snort is during meal time - at least we mean meals other than dog food. Set a little plate of anything that's not the ordinary kibble down in front of a pug and you'll begin to think you've acquired a pot bellied pig for a pet instead. Let the snorting begin! And then, watch the plate of "whatever" disappear in less than a minute!

Lovers Not Fighters

Pugs are lovers. They'll stand in a bull dog stance and growl at all the neighborhood cats and, occassionally bark, but, there's little to no bite to them. If they ever catch that cat, they're more likely to try and sniff it to death and get swatted for their trouble than to cause it any harm.

A pug, especially one with a double curl tail like Caesar, will go totally crazy whenever anyone comes to the door, friend or foe. Unknowns will be jumped all over immeadiatly (they might have food!). Friends, will get to see the whole back end wagging in greeting since the tail is too tightly curled naturally to wag! This is an adorable and endearing trait of this breed. Everyone should be so lucky as to be greeted on arrival at home by an enthusiastic pug. Mind you: you only have to be gone 5-10 minutes that your pug knows you're gone to be worthy of this royal treatment!

Shedding

Like with snoring, pugs shed A LOT, all the time, everywhere. The so called experts will say that shedding is a sign of a poor diet. This is just not so with pugs. They're a very short haired breed that grows and loses hair continuously.

If you really want a pug, get a really good vacum cleaner! It will be your best friend. We have one of those cleaners with the cannister that you can see right into. I stow it in a closet out of sight because it's always full of pug hair. I used to, pre-pug, have to empty it maybe once per month...maybe. I do it weekly now and probably should do it more often. Yes, ONE PUG sheds that much!

In Conclusion...

So, we've given you some of the pros and some of the cons. Have we convinced you that the pros outweigh the cons? Are you ready to bring a pug into your life? Are you ready to love a "dog" so much that it will become an important part of your life? We are! Please join us!

We got Caesar as a pup from a reputable breeder. Not all pugs are so lucky. Here in Ohio we have a great Pug Rescue group. Their link is here. Nationally, there are many wonderful groups that rescue and care for these amazing creatures. We've linked to Pug Rescue, a site that has links to all of these great organizations.

Ohio Pug Rescue

Pug Rescue