I'm thinking of adopting a Pug. Any Pug owners here at DU.

[LynneSin]

I love the look and size of Pugs. Now I'm not looking to raise a pug from puppy, in fact I would prefer a rescue over an puppy. (I don't like puppies or kittens or even babies, I prefer things when they get just a bit older).

[elleng]

1. Check the 'Pets' forum?

Check out issues about their facial configuration; I think there are inherent problems.
Good luck!

[taterguy]

2. They don't get along with penguins

[NNN0LHI]

3. My mother has a pug/chihuahua mix and he is about the nicest dog I have ever met

He is just a pleasure to be around. His name is Billy. He can put a smile on your face in a hurry. Smart as a whip too. Everyone loves Billy.

Good luck with the new addition to the family.

Don

[geardaddy]

21. Your mom has a Chug?

We do, too. She looks more Chihuahua than pug, but she's the greatest dog on the planet.

[Flaxbee]

4. they can be *very* hard to house-train, but my niece has two and adores them

Her town has an annual "Pug-o-ween" contest for Halloween and she gets totally involved in their costumes.

She has two pugs (one black and one traditional tan/black) and two cats, though one of the pugs is a bit of a shit with the cats -- incessant badgering.

Excellent idea to adopt a rescue, but check about housetraining and ability to play well with others. :)

[Flaxbee]

6. oh yeah, also, one of the pugs got bored when she was away at ATE the venetian blinds...

had to have major surgery.

I think they're sweet, but might be high-maintenance.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. They are pretty cute but I've heard they tend to have a lot of health problems.

So I guess the important thing would be to be sure to get one from a reputable breeder, or a rescue organization that does a good job recognizing some of these difficulties. I knew someone who had one and she said he didn't tolerate hot weather well at all.

[CreekDog]

7. I love those dogs, they are very sweet and I bet you'd have a ball with one

just be careful where you walk it (i.e. Lincoln Financial Field)

[devilgrrl]

8. See if Michael Vick has one up for adoption.

If it hasn't been mauled to death yet.

[nolabear]

10. Now there's a ray of sunshine.

Sheesh.

[Patiod]

16. Don't be a dick

Seriously.

[LynneSin]

18. at this point it doesn't phase me anymore

First, if Vick was playing for another team I would probably be reminding people he was a dog-killer. Just happened to play for my favorite team.

But because he did I got to learn more about the guy and what he has done since he's left jail. He has really made an effort to change his ways and reach out to kids who live in areas where dog fighting tends to occur - maybe turning some of those kids around and realizing how wrong it is.

I always new he was an interim QB, he would not be leading the next generation of Eagles - that person we've yet to draft. But for all the really bad QBs we've had between the Jaworski-Cunningham years, the Cunningham-McNabb years and now the McNabb-? years - he was probably one of the best.

[Patiod]

25. I heard the head of the Humane Society interviewed

He said that people have told him "Vick is just using you guys so he can look rehabilitated" and his response is that they are more than happy to use Vick in return, as you said, to reach out to kids who might have grown up thinking that dog fighting was cool. He said he doesn't care if
Vick is sincere or not, so long as he shows up and gives convincing presentations to school kids.

It's kind of like when I worked a a ritzy country club and the bartender told me, "Oh, these people are just as snotty as the people at the club where you used to work, but they're better at hiding it by being nice. But they still look down on you." I said "I don't care what they really think, all I care about is how they behave, and if they behave well towards me, that makes my work day a lot easier. They can have their own thoughts all they want - I'm only interested in their outward behavior". That's how I feel about Vick.

[Pithlet]

9. My mom had Pugs. They were great dogs.

Very sweet natured and fun. I would love to have a Pug myself.

[mike_c]

11. brachycephalic dogs typically have lots of health problems...

...although pugs aren't the worst of the lot. Better talk with a vet about it first, though.

Here's a link about english bulldogs, who are probably among the worst brachycephalic dogs in terms of health problems. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/can-the-bulldog-be-saved.html?_r=1

[BlueJazz]

12. I love my pug.

[evlbstrd]

13. Gup is my copilot.

She's a fawn pug, five and a half years old, raised from a puppy. I taught her how to drive.

[bluesbassman]

14. We have a male. He's about three years old now.

Upside: Very affectionate, tons of personality, loves to lay in your lap or right next to you, definitely a "people" dog.

Downside: Sheds like crazy, snores LOUD, barks at every dog that passes the house. They'll also eat anything so you have to keep an eye on their food intake or they'll plump up pretty quick.

All in all though they're cool little dogs. Never met anybody that had one that didn't love it.


"Mowgli"

[pacalo]

15. Tons of personality is right. Just from looking at that picture I can tell what Mowgli's thinking.

'It's about time for bluesbassman to give me, the star of this joint, all the good petting.'

[Raven]

17. I don't own one but have a friend who is a Pug Rescue person.

She has her own and sometime 4-5 rescue pugs at home. She piles them all in the car and brings them up to my house for a "play date" with my 2 Labradoodles. They all get along famously. The pugs seem to have wonderful personalities and are very affectionate. I do believe they have some inherant health problems in connection with breathing because of their pug faces.

[Divameow77]

19. My dog-in-law is a Pug named Otis

and he is awesome! He is quirky and funny with a great personality. His snorting is beyond cute and he is trained to ring a bell when he needs to go outside. I wish I could train my dachshund Schatzi to do that...

[Bunny]

20. I have a Pug. She's almost nine years old.

Her plus side:

Good watchdog - not one little ant or stray leaf can get anywhere near our house without her notifying us.

Full of personality - she used to chase her tail and bark at it and we'd be in stitches cause it was hilarious. She
stopped doing this a few years ago, too old I guess.

Affectionate- she really needs to be where I am at any given time. She's not a real snuggly dog, she doesn't especially like to be picked up and held, but she'll curl up alongside me and stay put all day. She loves to sleep with me, she gets under the covers down by my feet and snores the night away.

Her negative side:

Terrible with housebreaking - even at this age (I got her as a pup, and she still has a LOT of accidents). There are times when it's really disgusting, frankly.

Somewhat dog-aggressive - she picked on our Golden Retriever, and she used to pick on our Chihuahua. Now the Chi is big enough to kick her ass, so she backs off. But it is a problem with her, and it has made me reluctant to bring any new dogs into the house. She doesn't bother any of our cats.

Stupid - I hate to say it, but she's dumber than a box of rocks. If having an intelligent dog is important, I'm not sure you want a Pug.

Grooming - Pugs are notoriously bad about getting their toenails trimmed. I have to take mine to a vet, and they require at least two of the vet techs to hold her down and do her nails. It simply cannot be done without professional intervention. So, that involves extra trips and expenses involved with the vet. She requires a little extra TLC as far as washing the wrinkles on her face, but it's really not a big deal.

Expensive to buy - these pups are not cheap. If you're going with a rescue Pug, you'll pay a lot less than you would for a new puppy. But, I've looked at a few of the Pug rescue sites, and many (if not most) of the available Pugs have a lot of health problems. And they tend to be expensive problems to fix, from what I can gather. If you're really strapped for cash, a Pug might not be your best bet.

Her outlier side:

Health -despite all the valid comments about Pugs having health problems, she's as healthy as a horse. The only real problem she has is occasional constipation, and giving her some cat hairball remedy usually clears that up.

Food - Pugs are notorious little pigs when it comes to food, but mine has always been good about not overeating. She's actually pretty slim for a Pug.


I think that overall you'd really like a Pug - they are very cute. Good luck.

[geardaddy]

22. Here you go:

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/PA439.html

[MiddleFingerMom]

23. Have you considered getting a repug?

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This one's not the repug-NANT kind.
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[backtoblue]

24. where's puglover been?