Posted at 04:54 PM in Pug | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 04:28 PM in Pug | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Posted at 07:54 PM in Pug | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
For such a small dog, the Pug has a very large history. They have gone through many changes over the centuries, but one fact has always been the same – they love being with people. Many famous people owned Pugs throughout history, which helped to spread their popularity among the fashionable of the world. Looking at their history shows us a glimpse of what living with a Pug is like. The origins of the Pug are shrouded in mystery and controversy. Some say there is written proof that they existed in 400 BCE, but some insist that there was proof they existed as far back as 700 BCE. It is generally believed that Pugs were originally from Asia, most likely China. This is logical, since all other breeds of snubbed-faced dogs originated in China, in particular, the Pekingese. There is some thought that the snub-nosed dogs mentioned in Chinese writings around 700 BCE were actually Pekingese and not Pugs. Although various Chinese Emperors tried to keep Pugs all to themselves, the Pugs apparently wanted to see the world. Through trade and wars, they spread to Europe. They were especially popular in the Royal courts of Holland, where the official animal of the Dutch royal family was a Pug. This is because a Pug's timely warning saved his master, William, Prince of Oranges, from an assassin's strike. By the sixteen hundreds, Pugs were popular in most European courts. Other famous owners of Pugs were Josephine (Napoleon's wife, who proves she always liked them small) and the popular English painter William Hogarth. His Pug, "Trump", appears in several paintings. There was not that many Pugs available for breeding, so they were most likely crossed with small Bulldogs in order to produce Pug-like puppies. Hogarth's Pug was slimmer, longer-legged and longer-nosed than a modern Pug. Trump also lacked the black mask of most modern Pugs. Other Pug owners of note throughout history include Josephine, the infamous wife of Napoleon and the English painter William Hogarth, who included his Pug "Trump" in several paintings. If Hogarth was accurate, then Pugs in the sixteenth century had much longer legs, leaner frames and slightly longer noses than they do today. Since there was not a large gene pool of Pugs in Europe, it is thought that for centuries they were crossed with Bulldogs and possibly small Mastiffs. The Pug as we know today came about in the 1800's, when the first organized dog shows began in Europe. It didn't take long for the idea of dog shows to cross the Atlantic. The American Kennel Club (AKC) officially recognized the breed in 1885. The AKC, incidentally, was founded in 1884. Pugs have been consistently one of the top twenty most registered dog breeds in America for decades. Their plan to take over the world is nearly complete. Pug history can be found on the Internet and at your local library. If everyone who wanted a Pug puppy knew basic Pug information first,.there would be fewer abandoned Pugs.
Posted at 12:20 AM in Pug | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)