Baby Pugs Are A Different Breed
Baby pugs and cute are synonymous. There are those who would say pugs, with their flat faces are ugly, but baby pugs, if ugly, are ugly in a very cute way, and according to their owners are nothing short of precious little creatures to have around.
Baby pugs are a different breed however. Different in one respect, since in spite of their small size, they are temperamentally a bit on the quiet side, do not bark a lot, and are not nearly as excitable as many small breeds tend to be. There are many small breeds which do not coexist well with small children. The pug is a definite exception. Of course small children have to learn how to act around a puppy, but in the case of the pug, it’s usually the safety and well-being of the dog you’ll need to be more concerned with than the safety of the child. Given half a chance, a baby pug will quickly bond with all of the members of the household, including the very young ones.
Clean Out The Wrinkles – All breeds are not the same of course, and each breed brings with it potential problem areas. The pug is no exception, and has some of the same problems common to many breeds who have a short muzzle and/or slightly bulging eyes, the possibility of eye infections and respiratory problems. In addition, the many wrinkles that go into making up a complete pug suggest a little extra effort in keeping the dog clean is in order. The wrinkles can collect dust, dirt, or other things, and a periodic cleaning, at least a weekly cleaning from stem to stern, is highly advisable. A pug does not require constant grooming however, and is in most respects is a low maintenance dog. If it spends most of its time indoors it probably isn’t going to pick up much in the way of dirt.
Change The Diet Slowly – It’s important to know what the diet of a baby pug has been when first bringing one home. If you get the dog from a breeder, the diet it is used to is probably the correct one, and should not be changed at first, and then only gradually. Many pet owners bring a puppy home, disregard what its diet has been, and start feeding it something entirely new, which all too often is not good for the dog.
And Then There’s Potty Training – Baby pugs do not take to potty training right away, in fact are considered to be somewhat slow learners in this area. This isn’t unusual for small breeds, but it may take up to half a year before you can let a pug roam freely around the house without occasional accidents. It’s important to teach baby pugs early to use a designated spot, usually outside, as soon as possible. While the puppy may quickly understand what the designated spot is for, there are still a few marbles in its head that haven’t dropped through the hole quite yet, and it can seem to take forever for the puppy to learn that the designated spot is the only spot. Its thinking seems to be, “I’ll gladly use the designated pee spot when you take me there, but if you’re not around and watching me carefully, somewhere else will suit me just fine”. More than one frustrated pug owner, often a first time puppy owner, has returned a pug to a breeder or shelter because it seemingly can’t get the concept of what housebroken means. Fortunately, the owner is often convinced to try again, and more often than not the result is one of a happy outcome.
Baby pugs have flat faces, lots of wrinkles, and are exceedingly slow to take up potty training, and yet inevitably turn out to be affectionate, playful, mild-tempered, and definitely very cute treasures.