Pugs have been around for hundreds of years and have a very rich history. Introduced to Europe from China in the sixteenth century, they have the royal Houses of Orange and Stuart to thank for spreading awareness and growing their popularity. Pugs are known for their charming, steady nature — here are ten of our favourite facts about them.
1) Pugs have amazing personality traits
Pugs are born with a lot of character. They were born to be companion dogs and thrive off being integrated into a family, providing excellent companionship. If you own a pug, you will have noticed your personal space no longer exists — they love to follow you everywhere, sit on your lap, and cuddle into you. Who needs a hot water bottle when you have a pug to cuddle you?
Pugs can become food-obsessed, so you will need to be careful about what you leave sitting around within their reach, and make sure you give them the correct amount of food each day or they can soon become overweight. One plus of pugs being food-obsessed: they generally won't be fussy eaters!
Pugs tend to be more stubborn than other breeds. But hey — they know what they want.
2) They come in four different colours
The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) recognises that pugs come in four colours: silver, black, apricot, and fawn 1.
3) They have an ancient history
Pugs are an ancient breed of dog, with a history going back to 400 B.C.E. They were bred in ancient China to be companions for ruling families and were never to be sold to the public. Early Chinese breeders deliberately bred pugs to have wrinkles, aiming for the wrinkles to resemble the Chinese symbol for "prince" 2. Chinese Emperors prized their pet pugs, and the royal dogs were kept in luxury and guarded by troops. Pugs eventually expanded throughout Asia — Buddhist monks in Tibet kept pugs as pets in their monasteries. Since ancient times, the breed has maintained its devoted love for its owners. Pugs were imported from China to Europe in the sixteenth century 3.
4) Official dog of the House of Orange
Pugs were the official dog of the House of Orange — the current ruling house of the Netherlands. William the Silent, Prince of Orange (1533-1584), was saved by his pug, who alerted him that assassins were approaching his sleeping quarters. The breed of the dog is under dispute and has never been resolved, however several reports state it was a pug.
5) They are royalty
Pugs have been the companions of royal families around the world for hundreds of years. They were originally bred for Chinese royalty, but as time went on they became friends of royal households everywhere.
Mary II and William III, who ruled England, Ireland, and Scotland in the late 17th century, were proud pug owners and helped the breed gain popularity in Europe.
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French military and political leader, was another connection — his wife Josephine owned a pug named Fortune. Fortune was rather protective of Josephine and did not like the men in her life; Napoleon wrote that he was on the receiving end of a few bites. Josephine also used Fortune to send notes to her family while she was confined in Les Carmes prison.
Queen Victoria, who ruled the United Kingdom in the 19th century, bred multiple pugs — her passion for dogs helped popularise organised breeding in the era the Kennel Club was founded. Victoria favoured fawn and apricot colours, and her grandson King George V also owned pugs.
Dress them like the royalty they are…
We make bold, stretchy shirts pugs actually love wearing — designed in Brisbane, with a free size exchange on your first order.
6) Famous owners of pugs
William Hogarth, a famous painter born in London in 1697, owned a pug named Trump. Trump featured in several of his paintings, which are currently on display at the New Walk Museum in Leicester and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. "The Painter and his Pug", created in 1745, is part of the Tate collection 4.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, the famous American author best known for Uncle Tom's Cabin and credited with popularising the anti-slavery movement, owned a pug.
Valentino, the famous Italian designer, owns quite a few pugs and has named a fashion line after them.
7) Pugs were the symbol of a secret society
In 1738, a group of Catholics in Germany created a secret society called the "Order of the Pug". A pug was chosen as the symbol due to its loyalty and trustworthiness. New members joining the society faced an interesting initiation: they had to wear a dog's collar and scratch at the door to get in, while members of the order barked at them — and new members then had to kiss the backside of a pug statue. The Order of the Pug was disbanded in 1748, but was rumoured to still be active in 1901.
8) A group of pugs is called a grumble
This is apparently due to the loud breathing, farting, and snorting that pugs make. However, the Dutch word for pug, "mopshond", also loosely translates to grumble — "mopperen" means to grumble.
9) Pugs struggle to swim
Pugs are a brachycephalic breed — dogs with a short muzzle and a flattened face — and brachycephalic breeds do not make the greatest swimmers. Pugs can swim, but you should only let them swim under direct supervision. Their short snout makes breathing while swimming more difficult, forcing them to hold their head up at an angle to keep their nose out of the water, which puts them in a suboptimal position to paddle.
10) They look good in dog apparel
Pugs are some of the most fashionable dog breeds around — they were once royalty, after all. You can see them taking over social media by searching the hashtag #pug. They look good wearing dog sweaters, dog shirts, and dog apparel. Here is a link to our blog on how to select dog shirts, and if you want information on how to clean dog apparel, click here.
Here are a few pictures of some fashionable pups.
As you can tell, pugs have a very interesting and rich history — we absolutely love them! We specialise in dog apparel and clothing. To find out why dog shirts are beneficial, click here, and to see our dog shirts, visit our shop.
References
1) ANKC pug breed details
https://ankc.org.au/Breed/Detail/31
2) Ten things you didn't know about the pug
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/things-you-didnt-know-about-the-pug/
3) These cuddly lapdogs were once used as stealth weapons
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/animals-dogs-china-holidays-pets
4) "The Painter and his Pug", William Hogarth, 1745
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hogarth-the-painter-and-his-pug-n00112