Does anyone have experience with Pugs?

[carfreemama]

It will probably be another 6 months or so, but we have been seriously looking at this breed. I hear they are excellent with children, which is my
No. 1 concern. I work at home all day, which also seems to be a good fit for this breed. We have met some pugs and even borrowed a pair that our friends own.

I have heard the only issues with them are shedding and that they often have more health problems than other breeds. For the health thing, I have looked into pet insurance that our vet recommends and it looks like we could get a good policy that covers hip dysplasia for about $45/month.

Anyone have a Pug?

[greenmagick]

For me, the health thing is really about cost, its about heartbreak, sometimes dealing with things that have no "cure" and watching your dog suffer. That being said, I have known pretty many pugs that didnt have major health problems. They do shed A LOT as you mentioned.

Another issue is heat. They do not do well with heat and need to be carefully watched and not allowed to much crazy time in the heat. I am not sure how your summers are, but they are not necessarily the best dog for running around with the kids in the summer. They are good with kids in general, just more housepet than romp around dog

[carfreemama]

Thanks, greenmagick!

For the health thing; from what I've read and the pug people I've talked to, the health things have been fixable, just really expensive. So I totally agree about the heartbreak, but it seems more things like hip dysplasia that can be corrected. We have a fund set up we put money into every month for pets, but we've always had mixed breeds and their health has been unbelievable. This time, though, I think we want to go with a little clowny guy like the pug. We've fallen in love with them. It does seem this is one breed where going with a really great breeder is extra-important, since pugs seem to be very popular right now and therefore vulnerable to bad breeding, causing lots of health problems. We'd be happy to find an adult, as well.

Our summers can be humid (Nova Scotia, Canada); but overall, the climate seems good for them. There are pug meets here every month and a local pug-dog association. We've been invited to go to the next pug meet. So lots of support for the breed here.

We don't have a car and we walk/bus everywhere. I'd ideally like to be able to take our little guy places with us easily, maybe even on the bus (have to check into that, though. You can take a dog in a carrier in Montreal, not sure about here). Or a backpack-thingie or bike trailer. Dd's school is about a
10-minute walk away, so I'd like to be able to walk her to school with the doggie and then meet her again after school. We tend to take short, frequent walks; which seems well suited to Pugs.

[mistymama]

My inlaws had one & so do some good friends of ours. Both pugs were so sweet, excellent around children and very low activity - which can be nice when you have busy schedules that don't allow for tons of doggie exercise.

The IL's pug died pretty young, around 6 years old - some sort of liver issue. Our friend's pug is still pretty young, so no health issues that I know of yet.

Both pugs seemed to shed a ton. It seemed like a lot of hair for such a small dog!

[carfreemama]

Sounds good so far. My biggest concerns really are the health issues and the shedding. If the health issues aren't fatal (like your friend's dog who died at 6, poor thing), then I think I can manage that. Dh wouldn't like tons of shedding; hoping there's a way to minimize that with proper grooming? I enjoy doggie brushing, so wouldn't mind that one bit.

We do walk a ton, but it's in short amounts at a time. That's why I'm hopeful this breed would work out for us. We are NOT "dominant" types, so a passive temperament would suit us very well (though I know we still need to be leaders and do lots of training). Thanks!

[nd_deadhead]

Our neighbors have one, and she is a nice dog, though very needy. She gets very depressed when the Mom is not home, and if the family goes away for a weekend without her and they have a dogsitter, she won't eat, she won't go outside - she just lays on the bed and mopes.

We live in North Dakota, and her biggest problem is that she doesn't like to go outside in the winter.

As a pup, they went through a lot of struggles with her with respratory infections, and she has chronic problems with her anal glands. She is somewhat overweight (spoiled rotten), but doesn't seem to have any significant health issues (she's 7 years old).

[greenmagick]

Most people who have pugs that I know end up shaving them because of the shedding. These dogs were frequently bathed and brushed, but not all were in the best health which can contribute to shedding. It definitley is a major drawback in the breed if you mind dog hair.

But, they are fun little dogs, and most who own them seem to grow very attached to the breed!

[krolissa]

Another Pug lover here. Ours is 2 1/2 years old and she hasn't had any health problems as of yet. She came to us as a rescue and was a teensy little thing. She is EXTREMELY tolerant of the kids - they can dress her up, carry her around, etc. and she loves the attention. We walk her every day. She doesn't have the shedding problem that I have heard about, but she has black fur...my SIL had a fawn Pug, and hers shed like crazy. We had always had Bulldogs in the past and didn't know what a little dog would be like, but we love her! What a personality!