The Pug is an unmistakable breed whose popularity has boomed in recent years. A member of the toy group, he is a small, compact little dog with a brachycephalic skull. His face is therefore squashed and wrinkly and his bulbous eyes are set quite wide apart.

His triangular ears are high on the head but small and fold down. His tail curls over his back and he has a short coat that molts continuously. He needs grooming once a week.Pugs come in a variety of colours with the most predominant being fawn or black, but he can also brindle, silver fawn or apricot. What the pug lacks in size he makes up for in personality.

Bred to be companion dogs, pugs love people and their companionship. A pug will happily spend all day following its owner around and it is one of the breeds more endearing traits. They are also well suited to family life as they enjoy playing, love attention and are robust enough to enjoy properly monitored play with children. Pugs need very little exercise, they are happy to be indoors for the majority of the time and will sleep up to 14 hours a day. Pugs rarely run and if it’s a sporty dog you are after the pug is not for you. He’s unlikely to catch a ball or a frisbee as the pug is not an active breed in the slightest. They tend to have short bursts of energy but it’s not long before they retreat for a lie down.

Pugs have great personalities and are rarely snappy or aggressive. They do not bark much and are relatively silent. All that said it should be noted that pugs can be more prone to health problems than other breeds. Their short faces mean they can have breathing problems and cannot cope in hot weather as they are unable to regulate their own temperatures. The facial skin folds can invite problems such as dermatitis and should be cleaned regularly. Pugs are also susceptible to eye problems such as entropian or ‘cherry eye’. It is important to keep a close watch on a pug’s weight as they are also prone to obesity. Pugs have a life span of 10 years or more.