Are you looking for a friendly, passionate and playful puppy? Then a pug is your best bet. With a pug, you don’t have to take months of training since they are observant, smart and quick learners.
They are also the ideal dog if you have kids because of their passionate nature. However, bringing up a pug can be problematic as pugs have a number of health issues. You should check for discharge, limping and difficulty breathing.
A pug has a lifespan of 12-15 years. Therefore, before you pick one, ask to see whether his parents are healthy and he has been raised in a clean and well-lit environment. Discover more about pugs below.
Training a Pug
A pug is a friendly and playful puppy that you are bound to love. However, they will need house consistent training to turn them into the ideal puppy of choice. For instance, you need to do some serious potty training.
Put the potty outside the house and take him with you. Tell him to go to the potty, if he does, then you can reward him with treats.
Containing Him Indoors
Most pugs like to move around the house so in the beginning stages you should get a pee pad. One of the ways to avoid a dirty house is containing him in one place.
Let him get used to ‘his’ place that when you are napping, cooking dinner or out, he stays in that area. This reduces the amount of space you have to clean. Keep the area interesting by putting his toys, quality beds, food and water.
Let him know everything he needs is right there. Remember training a pug requires patience and might take 3+ months. Generally, pugs have respiratory and other health problems, therefore you want to keep them in a clean environment.
Skin Conditions
Given pug’s numerous skin folds, they are susceptible to a number of skin diseases. The skin folds sweat, and harbor dirt which provides an ideal environment for bacteria and fungi to grow.
To avoid these skin problems, ensure you clean the skin folds everyday so there is no growth of bacteria. Some of the commonest skin diseases are ringworms, allergies and demodectic mange.
Moreover, some of these skin problems like ringworms are infectious and can be transmitted to you. Ensure his beddings and folds are cleaned regularly and wash your hands with soap and water to avoid transmission.
One of the predisposing factors for these skin diseases is low immunity. Boost immunity with nutritious foods, a good shampoo, clean wrinkles daily and make sure puppo gets enough exercises.
Breathing Attacks
Pugs with elongated soft palates get breathing problems, especially when exposed to hot temperatures or when they get excited for a long period of time (which causes them to sweat).
When you keep a keen eye on your dog, you’ll notice noises like panting, wheezing, snorting and snoring. However, these noises are expected with brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds. However if they get excessive, it’s time for the vet.
Pug Reverse Sneezing
This is caused by the obstruction of the airway by an elongated palate. When this happens, it leads to uncontrollable wheezes, sneezes and excessive gasps.
However, bacteria build up in the nose caused by the nose shape and moisture in the nose skin folds can also cause snorting and sneezing. This calls for the regular cleaning of your pug’s nose.
If your little beauty persistently struggles to breathe, then it’s time to visit a professional.
Eye Problems
Given the size of your pug’s eyes, they are prone to a number of eye diseases. However, not all pugs suffer from eye diseases. Some of the most common are cherry eye, which is the reddening of the eye due to an inflamed tear duct.
Another one is corneal ulcers that can be caused by accidents or trauma. It’s very painful and you will notice your dog squinting a lot.
Conclusive Remark
A pug is a very friendly and cute puppy to have around. But don’t forget it comes with high maintenance costs due to the numerous vet visits you might have to make.
Therefore, it’s important you pick a healthy looking pug ( request to see his parents and consider the environment he was brought up in). To make your pug’s life better, conduct proper potty and house training and regular cleaning of folds and eyes.
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