People love Pugs! There is something about that rogue-like face that
tugs at your heart strings. This dignified toy breed is loved by
royalty and commoners alike. These loving, intelligent, little clowns
are extremely popular and ranked 12th out of 154 dog breeds registered
by the American Kennel Club in 2005. The Pug is the largest of the Toy
Dog Group weighing in a whopping 14 to 18 pounds. You can get free
pictures and additional information on the Pug at
http://www.dog-breed-facts.com/Breeds/pug.html.
The Pug has a fascinating history and one that is somewhat
controversial. No one disputes that the English painter William
Hogarth owned Pugs and portrayed them many times in his paintings. For
example, Hogarth's 1730 painting shows a black pug in "House of
Cards". Similarly everyone agrees that the Pug became the official dog
of the House of Orange after saving the life of the Prince of Orange,
by giving alarm at the approach of the Spaniards in 1572. Later when
William of Orange went to England in 1688 to be crowned King William
III, he took along several Pugs. So we know how the Pugs got from
Holland to England but the controversy arises over how the breed got
to Holland in the 16th century. One group of historians thinks the Pug
was developed as a result of crossing several small Bulldogs. Another
group thinks it is a miniature form of the rare French mastiff called
the Dogue de Bordeaux. However the majority of historians think that
the Pug originated in China and was brought back to 16th century
Holland by the Dutch East India Company traders. This is the history
that we will assume is true.
The Pug is of Chinese origin and its development seems to pre-date the
Christian era. Early records indicate that there were three types of
short-nosed dogs bred by the Chinese. They were the Lion Dog (probably
the Shih Tzu), The Pekingese and the Foo Dog or Pug. These dogs became
very popular with Chinese royalty and the Pug breed was highly prized
by the Emperors of China and lived a pampered existence. In fact,
ordinary citizens were not allowed to own them. However, European
traders managed to obtain some Pugs and introduce them to Europe -
particularly Portugal, Spain, Holland and England which were the home
countries
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