What You Need To Know About The Pug Breed Standard

Pugs are about the most unique looking breed of dogs you will come across. It's pretty hard to mistake a purebred Pug or even a Pug mix for anything else. Pugs are basically miniature Mastiffs with Pekingese faces. They average about seventeen pounds and are built a lot like furry bricks with legs and extremely curly tails. They average about ten or eleven inches in height at the highest point of their shoulders (called the withers).

Pugs come in a few colors, but two are the most recognized. One is solid black, and the other is fawn with an all-black face. The rarest acceptable color is called silver, which is a light grey body and a black mask. In the history of the Pug, many other colors popped up, but these are the only three colors now accepted by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Many black pet Pugs have small white patches on them.
The adorable Pug pushed-in face is the subject of much controversy among dog lovers. It is argued that the current construction of the nose and mouth makes for a very unhealthy dog with a lot of breathing problems. Pet Pugs sometimes have longer noses than the breed standard calls for. However, until the breed standard is changed, all Pugs with nearly flat faces are considered the ideal Pug head.

Pugs have very broad skulls, button noses, huge black eyes and small, thin, velvety semi-floppy ears. Their heads are to be round, not apple shaped. Their faces are very wrinkly, like a Mastiff's (only smaller and flatter). A lot of wrinkles are encouraged in the Pug breed standard. The coat is short, smooth and fairly glossy. The body should be Bulldog like, shaped round and broad and the legs are short and even. The tail is a curly-cue resting on the back.
Pugs come in three colors, but odds are you'll only see two in your lifetime. The one color is all black and the other is an apricot or fawn with a black face. The third color is silver (a light grey), which is considered very rare. In the Pug's history, there were many other colors, and sometimes they crop up in future generations. They would not be allowed as show Pugs.

Most Pugs have temperaments as distinctive as their appearance. Since they were bred to be companion animals, they do their utmost to get along with everyone, no matter what their species. This good temperament is also part of their breed standard. They are charming, ready for fun, thrive on being adored and levelheaded. Their eyes are literally and metaphorically bright and full of life. Pet Pugs often have dewclaws and straighter tails than their tightly curled show brothers. No matter what they look like, Pugs make great pets.

Owning one Pug may lead to owning a couple of Pugs because they are such wonderful pets. If people knew basic Pug information before they bring a puppy home there would be a lot fewer abandoned Pugs.