| IMPORTANT NEWS TO PUG LOVERS... | | | | won't expect home-breeders to spend money on |
| If you are looking for sure-fire ways to owning a | | | | health test to check for any hereditary defects, though |
| healthy and illness-free pug, then this may be the most | | | | this could be arranged between you and |
| important message you've ever read... | | | | home-breeders. |
| You could try any preventative measures or feed | | | | 4. Pugs from Pet Stores |
| your pug with the best available home-cooked food, | | | | Pugs from pet stores are usually pug puppies from |
| but if genetically your pug is "unfit" or "unhealthy", then | | | | puppy mills or home-breeders. |
| there isn't much that you could do to improve its health | | | | Health conditions of pugs from puppy mills are |
| condition. Most likely you would have bought your pug | | | | probably the worst that you could expect as these |
| from certain unscrupulous breeders, who had neither | | | | breeders' main focus is "breeding for profit". So, don't |
| knowledge nor any concerns on breeding healthy pug | | | | expect high quality breed even though it might claim to |
| puppies for sale. To avoid getting yourself into this | | | | be pure-bred pugs. Puppy millers will do all they can to |
| situation, there are four different ways you could | | | | reduce cost resulting in poor breeding standards. What |
| source for your new pug. They are as follows: | | | | could you expect from pugs which live in a small, |
| 1. Pugs from Reputable Pug Breeders | | | | suffocating cage, under extreme temperature and |
| The safest and best place to finding a pug is from | | | | being fed with the lowest grade food possible? |
| reputable pug breeders Reputable pug breeders will | | | | Coupled with close proximity with all other dogs, which |
| adhere to the breeding standards, and have vast | | | | may potentially suffered from infectious diseases |
| experience in breeding and choosing their own stocks. | | | | (such as skin disease, gastrointestinal disease and |
| The responsible breeders will ensure that the new | | | | respiratory diseases) will definitely increase the risk of |
| born pug puppies are in "tip-top" condition, free from | | | | diseases on the pugs from this source. |
| any hereditary diseases. | | | | These problems may not be prominent, but it will lead |
| They will generally not breed any other pugs which | | | | to long-term respiratory problems, liver problems or |
| were not as good, or were previously diagnosed with | | | | even ill-tempered pugs due to a lack of socialization |
| hereditary health problems. These problems could | | | | during the first few weeks of birth. |
| easily pass on to the next generation. Some breeders | | | | So, what are the relevant questions you should ask |
| even guarantee returns, if you find that it is unsuitable | | | | these 4 sources of breeders? Here are 5 questions |
| for yourself in any way. | | | | that you could ask them (especially to reputable pug |
| The best way to locate reputable and reliable pug | | | | breeders) to get more information before making your |
| breeders is through recommendations from other pug | | | | purchase: |
| owners. Perhaps the next time while you are strolling | | | | 1. How long have you (the breeder) been breeding |
| around the park and you happen to meet owners | | | | pugs? |
| walking their pugs, you might want to enquire from | | | | 2. What type of health screening test do you (the |
| them. Remember to enquire about her own pug's | | | | breeder) perform on your pugs? Some of the more |
| health and condition, and not just take his or her | | | | common health screening tests that are |
| recommendation for granted. Of course, if he or she is | | | | recommended to be performed by most reputable |
| also a victim of those unscrupulous pug breeders, then | | | | pug breeders include: |
| you would be better off to avoid from this particular | | | | (a) Hip Dysplasia |
| pug breeder. | | | | (b) Legg-Calve-Perthes disease |
| Be inquisitive and do hear the person out, but be sure | | | | (c) Irregular heartbeat |
| to evaluate every one of his or her responses with | | | | (d) Slipped Stifles |
| due care before taking up her recommendation. | | | | (e) Cataracts |
| 2. Pugs from Rescue Centres (Eg. SPCA or rescued | | | | (f) Corneal Ulcers |
| group) | | | | (g) Dry Eye |
| This is a good source for you to adopt a new pet with | | | | (h) Eyelids and Eyelashes check |
| considerably lower cost. Compared to adopting a new | | | | (i) Elongated Soft Palate |
| pug from reputable pug breeders, you'll probably | | | | (j) Pug Dog Encephalitis |
| expect a slight compromise in terms of the quality of | | | | (k) Hay Fever |
| the pug's genes from this source. | | | | (l) Skin mites |
| You might want to enquire why the pugs were | | | | (m) Entropion |
| rescued, and where they came from. There are many | | | | (n) Generalized Progressive Retinal Atrophy |
| reasons why owners give up their pugs. Some of the | | | | (o) Pinched or Undersized Nostrils |
| common reasons include: | | | | (p) Hemivertebras |
| (a) owners are allergic to pugs; | | | | 3. What is the history of your chosen pug (specifically |
| (b) owners passed away; | | | | on the origin of the chosen pug's parents), where were |
| (c) accidental or unplanned birth; | | | | they bred and in what kind of condition)? |
| (d) high cost of maintenance of pugs (such as high vet | | | | 4. Where were the pugs bred and in what kind of |
| bills) | | | | conditions were they brought up? |
| (e) owner's migration; and | | | | 5. Is there any return policy, and does the breeder |
| (f) problematic behaviours with pugs and many others. | | | | guarantee the pugs being free from hereditary |
| However, rest assured that pugs from rescue centres | | | | defects? |
| will normally be neutered and vaccinated. Most of the | | | | The initial stage of choosing the right source for a pug |
| time, they will also be willing to let you know all the | | | | puppy is most important. If you haven't brought or |
| necessary information to the best of their abilities. | | | | adopted any pug puppy before, you should screen |
| 3. Pugs from Home-Breeders | | | | through this information and check with your local |
| Home-breeders are basically pug owners who breed | | | | breeders. |
| their pugs from home. This may still be an acceptable | | | | My advice would be to take your time and don't rush. It |
| option for you, if you happen to know the pug owners. | | | | often takes a couple of visits before the final decision |
| Most home-breeders do not have any knowledge of | | | | is made. Consult your friends, neighbours or anyone |
| pugs' genetics and therefore, unable to produce truly | | | | that you know who owns a pug dog and get some |
| nice pugs generation after generation. More so, you | | | | advice from them. |