About The Pug

A Pug is a toy dog breed of dog with a wrinkly face, and medium-small body. The word "Pug" may have derived from the Latin Pugnus (fist); the Pug's face can look like a clenched fist. Or, in nod to the breeds sometimes mischievous nature, from the character "Puck" of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The breed is often summarized as multum in parvo, which implies "a lot in a small space".

While most Pugs appearing in eighteenth century prints tended to be long and lean, the current breed standards call for a square, cobby body, a compact form, deep chest, and well-developed muscle. Their heads, carried on arched necks, should be substantial and round, the better to accentuate their large, dark eyes. The wrinkles on their foreheads should be distinct and deep, and were especially prized by the Chinese as they seemed to spell out the character for "prince". Pugs lower teeth should protrude farther than their upper, meeting in an underbite. Their fine, glossy coats can be apricot, fawn, silver or black. A Silver coat is characterized by a very light colored coat, absent of black guard hairs. Some unscrupulous breeders call "smutty" pugs silver. A "smutty" pug typically has a very dark head, with no clear deliniation at the mask, and and dark forelegs. The tail should curl tightly over the hip; a double curl is considered perfection.