| HISTORY OF THE PUGGLE | | | | baby platypus has been commonly used. This term |
| The Puggle is not a hybrid dog. It is not a baby Echidna | | | | was applied to baby echidnas some years ago |
| or a baby Platypus which are both monotremes from | | | | because of their resemblance to Puggles, an American |
| Australia. | | | | soft-toy character. (It is understood that the toy |
| 1970's | | | | company concerned may have considered legal action |
| The Puggle character has been around since the mid | | | | to protect its registered trade-mark in relation to |
| 1970's. It is a toy character from The Lost Forests. | | | | unauthorised usage). For some reason, this name is |
| Puggle is a registered trademark owned by The Lost | | | | now being applied to baby platypus. This is both |
| Forests group in Australia. | | | | ill-informed (baby platypus and echidnas don't look very |
| DOGS | | | | much alike, once they get past the initial post-hatching |
| Puggles are a relatively new type of hybrid dog breed; | | | | "jelly-bean" stage, and so baby platypus don't much |
| the first puggles ever bred were in 2000 by a breeder | | | | resemble Puggles) and possibly illegal. |
| named Wallace Havens, owner and operator of | | | | ABORIGINE LEGEND |
| Puppy Haven Kennels in Kingston, Wisconsin. The | | | | According to Aboriginal legend, the first platypus was |
| puggle is not purebred; it is a cross of a purebred | | | | born after a young female duck mated with a lonely |
| Beagle mother and a purebred Pug father. The hybrid | | | | and persuasive water-rat. The duck's offspring had |
| puggle is recognized by the American Canine Hybrid | | | | their mother's bill and webbed feet and their father's |
| club. | | | | four legs and handsome brown fur. |
| BABY PLATYPUS AND ECHIDNA | | | | The real (true) story of the Puggle from The Lost |
| Information from the Australian Platypus Conservatory | | | | Forests |
| about the Puggle | | | | Once upon a time there were four million, three |
| Dr Shaw, in his scientific description of 1799, gave the | | | | thousand, two hundred and one ... Puggles, but now |
| name Platypus anatinus, from Greek and Latin words | | | | there are only a few bagfuls left, just like this one. |
| meaning "flat-footed, duck-like". However, when it | | | | Puggles lived in the Australian bush under the ground in |
| became known that Platypus had already been used | | | | tunnels. They came out of their holes at night to feed |
| to name a group of beetles, a new term had to be | | | | on their favourite tucker, split peas! All night long they |
| adopted. The official scientific name became and | | | | would Puggle up every pea they could find, and as |
| remains Ornithorhynchus anatinus, with the first word | | | | daylight approached, it would "dawn" on them that they |
| meaning "bird-like snout". | | | | had to get back home. |
| Although the name "duckbill" was widely used as a | | | | Waiting for them at their front doors would be the local |
| popular description for the animal, the abandoned | | | | people, (which is why they were called "early settlers"). |
| scientific name "platypus" gradually became the | | | | Of course the Puggles had stuffed themselves so full |
| accepted common name for the species. | | | | of split peas that they couldn't get down their holes |
| The preferred plural of platypus is either "platypus" or | | | | and became stuck with their bottoms at the top, |
| "platypuses", depending on which dictionary you | | | | making them easy prey for the people who just loved |
| consult. (We use the former for the sake of simplicity.) | | | | Puggle pie. |
| The term "platypi" is no longer considered to be valid. | | | | So that is why, last thing at night, tie it up tightly and |
| There is no accepted term - equivalent to pup or cub - | | | | don't let it out until the morning. This way the Puggles |
| to describe a baby platypus. One possible name | | | | will not become extinct and maybe one day there will |
| recently suggested is a "platypup". | | | | be as many Puggles as before ... |
| In recent years, the inappropriate word "puggles" for | | | | |