Pug Temperament – Understand Your Dog

What is it that you want in a dog? Do you want a charming and playful dog? I hope you do because that is what the Pug breed is.

The Pug is a breed that has many great qualities for being more than just your pet, but being your friend that can’t stand the thought of not being with you. They are energetic and attention seeking, always running around and being part of the family. As they get older they do calm down and become much calmer dogs, but even then they will always want to be around their favorite person – YOU.

What to Expect From a Puppy

Pug TemperamentLike any other puppies, Pug puppies have a lot of energy which they will put into running around and seeking the attention of their owner. They can cause all kinds of mayhem if they don’t have any kind of supervision or training.

Having a small attention span they will run around your house finding ways to have fun. One minute they will want to snuggle up next to you and the next they will be running around making trouble just so they can get you to chase them around. You can expect your puppy to be:

  • playful
  • goofy
  • attention seeking
  • curious

The attention seeking and curiosity is often what gets these little guys in trouble. This early in their life, they are learning about their surroundings and how to deal with this. This is the perfect time to start training your Pug puppy. The sooner you start, the quicker he will learn.

The Pug You Always Wanted

pug-uppy-tempermentAs your Pug grows older, his personality and behavior will start taking a more concrete shape. Like within any breed the personality of a dog will vary from one dog to another, but since this breed has been selected and bred to have certain traits you can expect your Pug to have the following traits.

  • Docile – He will become more docile, meaning that he will be more willing to be controlled and will be willing to do what you tell him. This is a wonderful quality as it is easier to train your pug to listen to you and make yourself the household leader in his life.

  • Clever – By being fairly smart dogs, you can expect your pug to be pretty clever.

  • Energetic – Naturally pugs are very energetic and will run around and try to play and seek your attention. Don’t worry though, we came up with a list of 8 ways to keep your Pug busy.

  • Charming -Pugs are naturally beautiful dogs. They are small with an adorable face that will make anyone want to hold and cuddle them. Of course they know this and will use every opportunity they have to charm you.

  • Sociable – You never want your Pug to be in complete isolation. Leaving for work and such is ok, but to leave him unattended for long periods of time will put a lot of stress on him. He is a social creature that will always seek to be with someone.

  • Protective – Pugs are known to be guard dogs on some occasions. In the past they have been used  in the military as tracking dogs and guard dogs. This shows that they can be protective and you can expect your pug to be protective over what he considers his. It is a great quality as long as you know how to make sure he is protecting you and your things and not himself and his things from you.

  • Stubborn – Having a natural stubborn personality, most pugs will do what they want to do and if they do not receive the proper training it can be hard to change their mind.

With all of the traits of this breed, Pugs can be a perfect pet for someone who wants a little adorable dog full of love and excitement. However to truly have an obedient and happy dog you have to know how to properly train them, and the earlier the training starts the better. Remember that you don’t need to spends tons of money for professional dog training courses. A few minutes of training a day should be enough in most cases, of course unless your dog has some real bad behavior problems.

You can learn more about Pug training, care and health by reading this book about Pugs.

9 Responses to “Pug Temperament – Understand Your Dog”

  1. Natalie says:

    Thank you, your website helped me with my pet Pug Sherman, and boy is he very stubborn.

    -Natalie M.

  2. katrina says:

    hi am thinking of getting a pug puppy after Christmas but are they good at learning sign language

  3. Danielle Tynan says:

    My Pug is protective , but he’s loving to me, smart, charming

    • Kim says:

      Hi Danielle,
      Have you had any problems with your pug being protective? My puppy is very very protective! She is the most lovable baby to myself and my family but she turns into a pit bull if someone so much as walks past our car! Once I let her know it’s ok and let the person slowly approach her she is fine. I honestly think it is a great trait to have in her as my older pug doesn’t show a very protective side to her. I am concerned though that she may one day act on it and bite someone and then we’re in for a world of trouble I’m afraid. Have you ever had yours attack anyone or is it more of a scare tactic by them?
      I appreciate it your feedback 🙂

  4. Michael R. says:

    I am 51 and my pug is 4 1/2 years old, he is my first pet. He is incredible, absolutely the best decision I have every made in my life. He is my wife and I’s child, the greatest little buddy there is. He goes and does everything with me.

    Pugs are the greatest pets there are. They are kind, loving, friendly and very very smart/cleaver; they don’t have a mean bone in their little bodies.

    The best, everyone should own one. Thanks

    V/R

    Michael

  5. Silvia Carter says:

    I had 4 pugs in my life now I have a female I will like to breed her one time before I get her nuter she is 1 year if any body know that will like to get there dog with my dog let me now she is fown color black face peer bread

  6. Lucia says:

    I have 2 Pugs and they are terrific. I would not know how my life would be without them after my ankle surgery. They kept me moving. I truly believe they are greatest pets, snoring and all their issue.

  7. Ashley says:

    The pug is by far the best companion around! I rescued mine at the age of 9 a couple years ago, and she was so eager to please that I found training to be extremely easy with praise and the occasional treat. The only issues I had were separation anxiety and weight gain. She was 23 pounds upon adoption, but I believe her foster family gave into begging or she was overfed. With regular diet and play she’s been down to about 19 pounds for awhile. As for separation anxiety, I was informed by the rescue she required minimal time alone compared to others, which was fine as I work from home regularly and lived by family and an amazing doggy daycare at the time. She gained trust and comfort slowly, and after increasing my brief absences over time (leaving a treat ball) she eventually became far less anxious when I stepped out of the home for short periods of time. I was willing to put in the effort and take things slow to ensure she would be okay alone eventually, but this is likely not a typical pug experience as mine was adopted as a senior and had a difficult past.
    Although the pug is considered to be stubborn at times, my pugs method is more cute and innocent than worrisome for me. I could understand the claim that a strong leader is required, but the pug stubbornness is much less bothersome than other breeds (trying to sneak off to eat things, delays in walking outside in the rain, refusing to be guided on a leash quickly.) Although my pug Peanut most certainly has a strong personality, she can be off leash and never wanders far, and often acts up in silly ways in hopes to get a laugh from me.
    The best pug trait in my opinion is their flexibility while not demanding crazy amounts of exercise all day. My pug will play with toys, run in circles and run outside to go on car rides, prance around petco regularly, and socialize. However, she’s never demanded constant walks and play, wearing me out for hours, only to destroy my entire house (as my Boston terrier does regularly!)
    Pugs will be snuggly, lazy, attention seekers when desired by their owners. However, when a pugs family heads out to an adventure, their pug will want nothing more but to join!

  8. Christine M. says:

    I have two pugs and i just love them both to bits best breed ever

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