Puggle. Miriam Fields-Babineau

stubborn and alert, a combination that can make them difficult to train for anyone who doesn’t have patience, persistence and the willingness to be consistent at all times.

       THE PUG

      The American Kennel Club classifies the Pug as a toy breed, though it was actually originally derived from a giant breed, the Mastiff. There are mixed thoughts on this history, as the Pug is a very old breed, having been recognized as early as 400 BC in Asia. In the 16th century Pugs were fashionable in the European courts, reaching a peak of popularity during the Victorian era. This breed was favored in Tibet at monasteries and later traveled to Japan, where it became equally popular.

       The Puggle’s coloration is similar to that of the Pug, although black Puggles are more rare than black Pugs.

      There are some historical events of note in the Pug’s background. In 1572 a Pug saved the life of William, Prince of Orange, by alerting him to approaching Spaniards at Hermingny. Josephine, wife of Napoleon, sent secret messages to her husband under the collar of her Pug while she was imprisoned. When the British conquered the Chinese Imperial Palace in 1860, they discovered several Pugs and brought them back to England with them. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed very early, in 1885, though the world had already known of their superior watchdog and performance abilities for many hundreds of years.

      Pugs are square, thick set, stocky and compact. Their ears are rose shaped, their legs are straight and strong and their tails are curled tightly over their backs. When they walk, they have a jaunty, rolling gait that’s very distinctive; the Beagle, on the other hand, trots and lopes. Pugs are about 10–11 inches tall and weigh around 14–18 pounds. As with Beagles, though, Pugs love to eat and require weight-watching from an early age.

      Pugs come in apricot-fawn or silver with a black muzzle, or solid black. This is a brachy-cephalic (short-muzzled) breed with big, bulging eyes that are low set. Most Pugs have moles on their cheeks, giving them high-fashion beauty marks. Their coats are short, smooth and easy to groom, but like Beagles, Pugs shed a lot. Their wrinkled faces require extra attention in cleaning between the creases to prevent skin infections. As this is a toy breed, Pugs are sensitive to extreme weather conditions. They should never be allowed outdoors when wet and must always be covered when going out into the cold. In hot weather they can have trouble breathing and can overheat easily, so they must be kept cool. In the heat, they should always be in well-ventilated spaces and in air-conditioned spaces whenever possible.

      Pugs tend to have more health problems than Beagles, so the Puggle offers the possibility of reduced health risks for the hybrid offspring. The most common health problems in Pugs are eye problems such as keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) and corneal ulcers and chronic breathing problems due to their short, pushed-in noses. Their short muzzles also make them prone to snoring, wheezing and temperature-related reactions. The Pug is also prone to skin problems.

      For those living in small spaces, the Pug is ideal. Pugs are not highly active dogs, though they will run and play outdoors when given the chance. If living in an apartment, a Pug is relatively happy to just race around indoors for a short time and then take a nap. In fact, Pugs are big nappers.

      As for temperament, Pugs compare closely to Beagles. They are loyal, affectionate and happy, albeit willful. They love to socialize with people and other dogs, and nobody is a stranger. Pugs are also sensitive and intelligent. They will bore easily and must be stimulated by learning new things or playing new games. They love training, providing it is done in a positive manner, for they will quickly shut down if treated harshly.

       The Puggle’s soulful eyes and wrinkled face have captured many a heart.

      Pugs live well with other dogs, cats and small pets. They don’t have the high prey drive of Beagles and they can easily be distracted into another activity. Pugs are good watchdogs and will alert their owners to an unknown presence, though they are not overly yappy like many toy breeds.

       Puggle fanciers feel that this hybrid contains the best of Pug and Beagle worlds.

       ENTER THE PUGGLE

      Let’s look at what happens when we bring the Pug and Beagle together. Because both individual breeds have similar attributes, the Puggle isn’t drastically different from the parent breeds in size or temperament. Also as with the parent breeds, this little dog is long lived, typically reaching 15 years.

      The Puggle does differ in appearance from the Pug and the Beagle. Puggles are about 13–15 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh an average of 15–30 pounds. However, there is such a thing as a Pocket Puggle, where the dam is a small Olde English Pocket Beagle, weighing only 8–12 pounds, which makes the pups quite small.

      Puggles are energetic little dogs with short fawn or tan coats, black faces and wrinkled foreheads. Their legs are short, stocky and straight. Most have tails that curl upward, some over their backs. Their ears droop or fold over. Unlike the Pug, the Puggle’s eyes don’t bulge outward, but they are still large, dark, liquid, soulful eyes that steal many hearts.

      The Puggle’s short coat requires little care besides regular brushing, and other grooming tasks are minimal: the typical cleaning of ears and clipping of nails. Those Puggles with very wrinkled foreheads should have the creases cleaned to prevent skin infections, to which this hybrid is prone. Because he sheds a lot, the Puggle is not the dog for those with allergies or for people who don’t like vacuuming.

      Puggles inherit their temperament from both parent breeds, and both the Beagle and the Pug are friendly, loving and great with other dogs. With a Puggle, nobody is a stranger, and being a lap dog is the ultimate luxury. Puggles love nothing more than to curl up and cuddle, though they do have a lot of energy when they play. Their gait, a combination of rolling and trotting, is funny to watch and their expressions are priceless.

      Puggles are willful, a trait they inherit from the hound side, but their intelligence makes the training process fairly easy. They can learn any command and can perform tricks very well. House-training is often an issue, though, as their small size can make their human companions lax with the rules. Yes, their droppings may be small, but they need to be potty-trained just like any other dog. Puggles can easily learn to do their business outside or in a litterbox indoors.

       Wave hello to a hybrid who’s exploded onto the designer-dog scene.

      If you’ve “got Puggles,” then you’ve got plenty of canine affection and fun.

Pug + Beagle = Puggle

      Puggles have been around since the early 1990s, but there has not been any type of standardization of the hybrid mixture. Puggles became very popular very quickly. Hence, breeders popped up everywhere with few restrictions on or expectations of what they produced.

      The intent behind the Puggle, as it is with hybrids in general, is to bring together two breeds of dog that are attractive and have appealing personalities. Many hybrids are small dogs, as people want dogs that are easily cared for in an urban or suburban environment. Other considerations include producing hybrid puppies that are unlikely to have the inherited defects so commonly found in purebred dogs.

      Though Puggles have similar characteristics—most are fawn to red in