When there are so many different styles and types of dog collar on the market, it can be difficult to know what is best and how to fit it appropriately, but the first consideration should always be for the size and disposition of the dog.

[ad]
For most, the traditional leather or nylon collar is more than sufficient. It should not ride up too high on the dog’s neck, nor should it be so loose it sits down over the dog’s shoulders. For the health and safety of the dog, a collar should never be tight enough to restrict breathing or cause pain, and it should certainly not be loose enough for the dog to slip out of it at any time. A good snug fit is best, and this is achieved if the owner can easily slide two fingers between the collar and the dog’s neck. Always fit this collar type by fastening around the neck rather than slipping over the head as this can potentially cause harm to the dog’s mouth, eyes or ears along the way.
If the animal is young and still growing it’s collar requirements will change with time and it is always worth measuring the dog’s neck with a tape measure, then adding on at least two or three inches to the collar size.

Small, lightweight collars are generally used best with puppies and smaller breeds of dog, while heavy styles with greater width and durability are better for bigger animals.

A harness, which is fitted around the dog’s neck and shoulders behind the front legs, is recommended for any dog with upper respiratory disease or any problems with the throat or trachea, this is because a dog with a traditional collar will naturally pull somewhat on the leash, and this can place undue pressure on sensitive areas, causing coughing and breathing difficulties.
A halter collar allows for the best control, although owners can be reluctant to use this type as it tends to look more like a muzzle with a band fitting around the back of the head and one fitting around the dog’s nose. However, this collar permits the owner to have control of the dog’s head, which in turns means having better control of the dog. The leash attaches to the collar under the chin, and so the dog’s head will either be pulled down or to the side with a gentle tug, making it just about impossible for the dog to move ahead of the owner or pull forward violently.

When used correctly, a chain-slip collar, which may also be referred to as a check chain or choke collar, can be highly effective for training and retraining purposes, but only on the correct animals. This collar type is used most often for dogs that are particularly strong-willed or have a tendency to pull violently on the leash when wearing a traditional collar, both situations needing for the dog to understand that a different behavior is required but it is essential to have a qualified dog trainer demonstrate how to use this collar type safely, and such collars should only be worn during training.

To obtain the right size for a chain-slip collar, measure the dog’s neck with a measuring tape and then add 2.5 to 3 inches. To correctly place the collar on a dog, the top ring on a looped collar should form the letter P when standing in front of the dog and pulling it snug. If it forms a shape like a number 9 then it is on backward and may not release immediately as designed.

Top Christmas Gifts For Pugs

One gift that is excellent for a pug that likes to play with stuffed toys is a stuffed toy pug. The live pug will delight in the similar looking stuffed creature that has joined them to play. Not only will the dog enjoy the stuffed animal but it will be highly entertaining to watch a little pug scurrying after a stuffed pug which is tossed across the carpet. A stuffed pug called Melissa & Doug Life-Like and Lovable Plush Dog is a plush and stuffed version of a live pug who sits down on his hind legs and has his head cocked in slight confusion. The stuffed pug can be the live pugs little companion. The stuffed pug is slightly larger than the size of a living pug dog and that makes it hard for the real pug to tear out the fluff inside.

[phpzon]pug gifts, 4[/phpzon]

If a little pug is used to cuddling up on the soft furniture, give the pug a blanket throw that they can lay on top of when they get up on the couch cushions. Let everybody know the throw belongs to them with a throw that has a big graphic image of a pug on it. There is a 46×60 inch soft cotton pug dog throw sold by Cjicollectibles LCC that features a pug standing on a wooden floor with a blue wall background behind the pug. The throw has fringe all the way around the perimeter of the blanket.

A great gift for a pug is a little dog sweater that they can wear to keep them warm when they take walks during the colder months. Bundling up a pug in a sweater as tiny as they are looks adorable and charming and protects them from the chilly weather with an extra layer of warmth. The Fashion Pet Bone Patch Cable Dog Sweater is a cable knit acrylic sweater and comes in the colors of blue, camel, and pink. The sweater has a color with a leash hole, and sleeves to protect the pug’s arms. The sweater is easy to put on the pug with a velcro closure and a little button for some extra security. There is even a little embellishment of a black dog bone on the tail end of the sweater.

Chinese history tells us that may Emperors refused to be without a pug, some of them even promoting them and giving them rank in the dynasties, such as one who gave the pugs equal status with his wives and in fact fed them as well as his wives were fed.

Coming to the other areas of Europe and America took a bit longer. Apparently the traders from the East India company found them interesting and intriguing and brought them back for European leaders. The pugs were really admired and longed for and it wasn’t long before they were women and childrens pet of choice.

They became known as nursery dogs in the Netherlands because they were so even tempered and good with children. Noted members of the European Royal families bred and kept pugs through the years.

This was no different in England.

William of Orange coming to the throne of Britain brought pugs with him from Holland and some say they were used to breed the King Charles Spaniel.

Royalty have long adored Pugs, and Queen Charlotte kept them, Queen Victoria was given one named Bully, by Prince Albert. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, famed for their exile owned more than ten while they were in France.

Coming to America took a bit longer. Pugs were not popular here until the first part of the 1800′s and became wildly popular during the Civil war period.They became incredibly popular here and are now loved and raised and spoiled by many of the rich and famous. Curious who else likes pugs?

Noted celebrities who keep pugs now are:

* Balthazar Getty– Ajax and Daisy.
* Billy Joel– Sabrina
* Brigid Berlin– India and Africa.
* Chris Kirkpatrick (‘N Sync) — Busta (fawn) and Korea
* Christine Elise (actress) — Dempsey
* Denise Richards (actress)black pug named Betty
* Ted Danson (actor)
* Mary Steenburgen (actress)
* Gerard Butler (actor) – Lolita
* Jessica Alba– Sid  and Nancy
* Tori Spelling
* Paula Abdul– Puggy Sue
*Rob Zombie–Dracula
* Mickey Rourke– Raphael

Needless to say also, that means you’re not going to want to buy from a pet store. Sadly enough, pet stores are notorious for purchasing from puppy mills. This keeps their costs low, but also nearly always gives you a dog with some inherent problems. Pugs bred in puppy mills aren’t well socialized, don’t always have a great temperament and may have some health issues due to their beginnings and their poor care or treatment.

Getting a pug that has had good health care and all the advantages that you’d like for your dog to have in the beginning is important. Find a reputable breeder or to be honest, a backyard breeder who is of the hobby variety.

These little guys are going to be far better socialized, have been played with by the children and are family members, meaning that they’ve been out and about, are accustomed to being handled and played with and will be far more easily assimilated into your own household because they’ve seen other dogs, other cats and know the score.

They will be less fearful and les guarding with their food as well as more tolerant to changes.

Make sure that you visit the parents on site and see how they interact with you and with your children so that you can see some of the temperament. Visit with the owners or breeders about where they got their pugs and what issues they may have had with them.

A responsible pug owner is going to want to assure that you give their puppy a great home, so they will quite likely have some questions to you as well. If they don’t, let it be a red flag to you, because most owners want to be sure that they are getting a great home for their puppy.

Many plants are toxic and little folks will try to chew them if they are close to the ground. Plants which are toxic to dogs can cause illness or even death if they are eaten. The Pug seen below is a perfect example. They will try anything once… even sand.

Prevent the accidental poisoning of your dog, prevent injury from plant intake by learning about poisonous plants that may be part of your household and put them up, perhaps in hanging baskets, or eliminate them all together.

when your dog is outside, be with him or her, to prevent them from chewing on outside plants. Even some of the ones more harmless to you and your family may be damaging to a dog. Noted examples of this are grapes and onions. The plants viewed below should not be eaten or even sampled my your furry kids.
Poisonous Plants
* Aloe
* Amaryllis
* Arizona Yellow Bells
* Asian Lily (Liliaceae)
* Asparagus Fern
* Autumn Crocus
* Azalea

* Bird of Paradise
* Bittersweet
* Branching Ivy
* Buckeye
* Buddist Pine

* Caladium
* Calla Lily
* Cutleaf Philodendron
* Charming Diffenbachia
* Chinaberry Tree
* Chinese Evergreen
* Christmas Cactus
* Clematis
* Cordatum
* Cycads
* Cyclamen

* Daffodil
* Day Lily
* Devil’s Ivy
* Dumb Cane
* Deadly Nightshade

* Easter Lily
* Elephant Ears
* Emerald Fern
* English Ivy

* Fiddle-Leaf Philodendron
* Flamingo Plant
* Foxglove

* Glory Lily
* Gold Dieffenbachia
* Gold Dust Dracaena
* Green Gold Nephthysis

* Hahn’s  English Ivy
* Heartleaf Philodendron
* Heavenly Bamboo
* Holly
* Horsehead Philodendron
* Hurricane Plant
* Hyacinth
* Hydrangea

*  Iris

*  Japanese Show Lily
* Japanese Yew
* Jerusalem Cherry

*  Lace Fern
* Lacy Tree
* Lily of the Valley

* Madagascar Dragon Tree
* Marble Queen
* Marijuana
* Mexican Breadfruit
* Mistletoe “American”
* Morning Glory

*  Narcissus
* Needlepoint Ivy
* Nephthytis
* Nightshade

* Oleander
* Onion
* Orange Day Lily

* Panda
* Peace Lily
* Philodendron
* Plumosa Fern

* Red Emerald
* Red Lily
* Red-Margined Dracaena (aka Straight-Margined Dracaena)
* Red Princess
* Rhododendron
* Ribbon Plant (Dracaena sanderiana)
* Rubrum Lily

*  Saddle Leaf Philodendron
* Sago Palm
* Satin Pothos
* Schefflera
* Spotted Dumb Cane
* Stargazer Lily
* Striped Dracaena
* Sweetheart Ivy
* Swiss Cheese Plant

* Tiger Lily
* Tomato Plant
* Tree Philodendron
* Tulips

* Variegated Philodendron

* Warneckei Dracaena
* Wood Lily

* Yucca

I had actually not gotten a pug because I’d seen the behavior a number of times prior to owning them and began to associate it with the breed, when in reality, its usually because they aren’t well socialized during feeding times when they are puppies. As with all dogs, you need to begin early to address any kind of behavior. Many owners or hobby breeder think its cute when the puppies tussle over the food bowl, not considering that its not cute when it still happens at a year old. IN fact, one pug owner called my attention to the furiously growling puppy and chuckled commenting “Isn’t that hilarious, he thinks he’s a lion and all the other puppies are afraid to eat until he’s done” Needless to say that’s not where we got our puppy.

One great way to preclude this kind of behavior is by teaching your dog that a hand coming near their mouth or their food bowl is a wonderful thing and may be the harbinger of a super nice treat. We hand feed our dogs from birth, so that they know where they stand in the pecking order. While this sounds harsh, pack behavior is ingrained into dogs.

Watch the pack leader of any pack animal. They don’t gently say no to their pack, they simply butt heads and let them know where they stand. While you certainly won’t be using teeth to get your point across, you do need to get it across so that the new dog knows that they are subordinate to EVERY family member, not just to you.

While you’re supervising, let the youngest to the oldest feed them by hand, offering them treats. Take turns taking the dogs bowl and adding something wonderful such as cheese or a piece of meat to it, so the dog associates the removal of their bowl with its return as well as an additional treat food.

Call your dog to you and feed him food by hand to keep him accustomed to hands being near his face while he’s eating, and have him associate that hand with something tasty. Keep a close watch and make sure that the dog takes the treat nicely, without teeth, but with a soft-mouth fashion to prevent injury to your family members or friends.

Overheating

Because of the flat face and short snout, pugs may have a hard time dissipating that extra heat in the summer months, or in a warm winter home. They can become very ill and heat exhaustion is not at all uncommon if they are outdoors for extended periods of time. They can’t get rid of that heat easily with panting like other dogs can. Taking them outdoors in the hot weather is a short term adventure,  and also make sure that you’ve got water with you to give them even if you’re only going out for a very short time.

Breathing problems:

Pugs may be prone to breathing problems also due to the flat face and curled snout. They tend to make snorts and snuffs, and will quite often snore excessively. They make amazing noises designed to make you just howl laughing but do take care that if they seem to be having trouble breathing you make a fast appointment with the vet. We’ve never had issues, but have been told that they get sinus infections that can cause discomfort.
Allergies

Pugs can also be sensitive to certain allergens such as smoke and other things, and will get paws and ears that are itchy, as well as hot spots on their skin. Make sure the spots are allergy in nature and not a product of fleas or mites to keep your pet healthy.

Anesthesia for Surgery
If your pet needs surgery, select a vet wisely who knows the problems that pugs can have tolerating anethesia. They do have special needs with regard to it

That doesn’t mean they don’t shed. They do shed, only to excess if you don’t keep their coates brushed well. A weekly brushing will keep the undercoat hair from shedding quite so much and help keep them more comfortable as well.

A bath for a pug is about every two weeks or once a month. They really do keep themselves quite clean, and don’t require a lot of bathing. Make sure that you rinse them very well, and do make sure that you keep your pugs in the habit of getting a bath. They can be wriggly little guys if they aren’t into the whole thing and you’re going to be amazed how big a pain it can be if they decide they don’t want one.

While you’re bathing, check the facial wrinkles of your pug to be sure that no hidden dirt is depostied there. Their faces can become quite messy and the wrinkles will trap dirt that could potentially cause an infection, so just check to be sure that it’s not present.

Toenail clipping is personal preference. Many people are nervous to try it, and many pugs can sense that tension and will wriggle and squiggle til its impossible. Get your puppy accustomed to having his nails done. Many pugs have dark colored nails which makes it difficult to actually see the quick and know where to clip the nail. Taking off the sharp tip will always work since you’re not going to go down into the toenail far enough to do any damage.

IF you do accidentally clip a bit short, a good styptic powder will stop the bleeding. It doesn’t seem to bother the dog at all, but of course it will bother you. If you’re not sure, or are feeling some trepidation about nail clipping, its generally very reasonable at a groomer.. about five dollars, while the vet will charge ten to 15 for doing it. Choose one, but do make sure their nails are clipped regularly to prevent them from catching in the carpet or tearing.

In fact although some pug owners give too much table scraps and make the dogs overweight, most pugs get enough exercise to stay at the right size for a good portion of their lives.

From the time you bring your puppy home until he or she is about six to seven months old they are doing some serious growing. This means that they need some serious food.

We have always tried to leave puppy kibble down for them all the time, rather than to restrict their intake. If you do, they will usually eat just when they are hungry and if you dont’, the fact is that they will very often gobble their food when its not available at all times.

Pugs as a breed seem to have a tendency toward guarding their food.  This is especially true if the food is not always down and waiting for them. If you feed at regular intervals reather than  using as self feeder or other means of having food down constantly, they can tend to misbehave when the food goes into the bowl.

In our house this isnt’ acceptable behavior and you need to work with them fairly consistently as pups to prevent it.

Do be careful to restrict the amount of different foods that you give your pug until they get a bit older. In all honesty, we’ve found that pugs have cast iron stomaches and will eat a wide variety of things, but when they are puppies, you do want to prevent those tummy upsets and keep them to one type of food. If you change it, introduce the new variety over the course of a few weeks by mixing hte new with the old in greater proportions until they are accustomed to the new food.

The only caution that I would offer is to restrict the variety in your pup’s diet. Pugs have very sensitive tummies, especially at a young age, and will often become ill (diarrhea/vomitting) if their diet is changed. Best to keep your pup on a dry food if they are doing well on that and try not to introduce snacks or people food.

Pug puppies, according to the vets we talked to, said that the pug stomach when he’s a pup will hold just about a tablespoon or more of food. Thats not a lot for an energetic dog. Because of that, he wants to, and needs to eat more often than some other puppies do. Let him. He will normally maintain a healthy weight. Because pug pups have such tiny stomachs we try to leave food down all the time to prevent them from being hungry and not having access to a meal.

Pugs are incredible for smaller spaces. If you’re an apartment dweller or don’t have a large back yard, a pug may be just what you need to give you a lot of companionship in just a little space. The pug is a big dog, wrapped in a little package. Most of then think they are lions and are truly fearless little companions who are loyal and really the best friend that you’re ever going to have. They aren’t prissy dogs, and don’t take a lot of fussing with to keep them looking and feeling their best, although they do have a few little foibles that you’re going to have to be aware of to keep them in the long term.

The pug breed can weigh anywhere from 15 to 25 ounds and may weigh a bit more than this at times, up to 27 pounds..  They rarely bark, unless there’s a very good reason. They love to wrestle and play, and are the clown dogs that most of us are looking for. Pugs will  keep you entertained for hours just watching their antics.

They are superb inside dogs, but they do love the outside world.. a word of caution, because of their short noses they don’t dissipate the heat as well as other dogs do and so can overheat very quickly. They should never be left outside on very warm days and you need to take care to assure that they are cool enough if your environment is a very hot one.

Leaving the air conditioner on to about 80 usually does it, or a small fan on their crate or sleeping pillow, but that is one hard and fast rule that you’re going to need to remember.

Pugs are among the most loving and loyal of dogs. If they really like you they’re going to follow you everywhere that you go, inside or outside.

If you have some space for play and a big enough house for an odd romp, then you’re probably read for a pug to come and spend time with you. Some tips on care and considerations of pugs and how to select one have been included here for your help and convenience.  Welcome to the world of pug owners, some of the most amusing and interesting dogs in the world.