Puggle. Miriam Fields-Babineau

a breed. Puggles must be created by breeding a Pug to a Beagle. Moreover, the sire must be the Pug and the dam the Beagle. Otherwise, the offspring appear more Pug-like with bulging eyes and very short noses; both of these physical constructions are prone to health problems, as the eyes are easily injured and short noses often lead to respiratory issues.

       Designer dog, designer style.

      COMMON PUGGLE HEALTH AILMENTS

       Hip dysplasia

      A painful condition in which the head of the thigh bone and the socket of the hip do not fit together properly.

       Hypothyroidism

      A disorder in which the thyroid gland is underactive, affecting metabolism and other body functions.

       Patellar luxation

      Also called “slipped kneecaps,” a condition in which the kneecaps pop out of place.

       Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

      A disorder of the blood supply to the head of the thigh bone, causing death of the bone and arthritis of the hip.

       General eye problems

      People who breed together two different breeds of dog are not only looking for a “designer-dog” appearance but also to produce a dog with fewer genetic defects. The idea is that the larger the gene pool, the lower the percentage of inherited problems. This is called the “heterosis effect,” defined as physical or mental strength, force or energy, also termed “hybrid vigor.” Though many hybrid dog breeders have been lucky with the reduction of the occurrence of genetic defects, they do still occur. Recessive genes have a way of popping up from time to time. While a good breeder will refrain from rebreeding a dog that has produced pups with genetic defects, there are many unscrupulous breeders who won’t, as they care more about cashing in on the designer-dog craze than about producing quality pups.

       Puggles are active dogs, but they thoroughly enjoy relaxation time, too.

       It didn’t take the Puggle long to make a splash from sea to shining sea!

       A trait surely inherited from both parent breeds is a Puggle’s love of food.

      Crossing purebred dogs doesn’t always create offspring with similar features. The pups can be any combination of the parents’ genes, so one rarely knows the actual size or temperament of the pups until they are fully grown. While the majority of Puggles don’t mature to more than 20 pounds, there are some that can weigh up to 40 pounds and stand 16 inches at the shoulder. A person who purchases a designer dog is still taking the chance that his pup will be more like one of the parents rather than a 50-50 combination of both parents.

      Many hybrid dogs can be a simple F1 generation (one purebred bred to another pure-bred), which is said to produce the best hybrid vigor. An F1 generation hybrid bred back to one of the parent breeds is often done to achieve a specific characteristic. This would be called an F1b generation. When breeding two hybrids together, the offspring is considered an F₂ generation. The generations can be further crossed by creating an F₂b backcross or even breeding two F₂ generation dogs together. This has been done with Labradoodles in order to create a standardized appearance so that they would be recognizable as an actual breed instead of a hybrid. After 15 years of selective breeding, Labradoodles are now more often crossed with each other than with purebred Labrador Retrievers or Poodles, though on occasion they are bred back to one of the parent breeds.

      Puggle breeders don’t do multi-generational crossing. They maintain the F₁ generation by crossing Pug males with Beagle females in order to obtain the preferred characteristics: wrinkled forehead, short but not snubbed snout, curly tail, short fur and large but not bulging eyes. These traits, along with their playful, loving personalities, keep the dogs attractive to prospective buyers. Good Puggle breeders choose the parents for good temperament and size, in addition to specifically breeding Beagle females to Pug males.

       Irresistible Puggle puppies grow up into attractive adults.

      Puggles love to be right where their owners are.

Snuggle Puggle

      As the Pug and the Beagle share many character traits, combining the two breeds does not do much to change the intrinsic nature of either breed in the offspring. We’ve mentioned that both breeds are eager to please, loyal, hard-working, fairly active dogs who learn quickly. Nobody is a stranger to either breed, and both will “sound the alarm” when it comes to alerting their owners to intrusions on their property or friends approaching.

       A Puggle can always find a place to snuggle.

       Like his Beagle ancestors, a Puggle is sure to follow his nose.

      Puggles are great with children, although their energy may be too much for young children. Puggles are always very willing to cuddle with youngsters, though. Older children often do well with Puggles because the dogs are happy to romp and play for long periods of time. They don’t mind a slight amount of rough and tumble, nor do they get mouthy or pushy. In fact, there is hardly a Puggle that has shown any aggressive tendencies, even when frightened.

      Puggles are very social. They easily accept other dogs and new people. In fact, they welcome newcomers into the pack with delight. Although a Puggle may bark when a stranger is near his home, he will not go into any type of “attack mode.” As soon as he has a chance to sniff the stranger, that person or animal is welcomed. A Puggle can’t be counted on to protect home and family unless the intruder is intimidated by the mere sound of the canine.

       A designer wardrobe for a designer dog… a sweater for a Puggle in cold weather is both fashionable and functional.

      Puggles are intelligent. Shown how to do something a few times, they have a good understanding of the exercise and delight in performing it. In fact, they love to show off. It’s rare to go through a day with a Puggle and not laugh at his antics or be amazed by what he can do.

       Ready to play with a friend or with a toy.

      With these characteristics, Puggles have a tendency to outfox their owners if not trained and guided. This is typical of any intelligent animal who learns how to get what he wants through a little ingenuity. A Puggle will try displaying a certain behavior and, if rewarded in some manner, he