Let’s start off with this comical image. Pugs are so desirable now, they are being overbred on a destructive scale. They suffer enormously as a result of human ideals of ‘cute’. So, before you upvote another pug picture, please read this…
This is the Pug’s skull. Pretty horrible, right? I mean, just look at the jaws. Pugs even have their own disease, PDE (Pug Dog encephalitis). The skull is so small the brain does not fit inside, causing the dog fits, dementia, constant migraine, blindness and involuntary physical movements (like running in circles).
This is the average Pug jaw on the inside. Pugs need a lot of tooth extractions because their mouths are so mangled.
The Pug’s main health issue is with breathing. The Pug’s signature look is the flat face, which means the dog’s airways are squashed in the skull. It also means they cannot lose heat effectively (we all know dogs cool through panting, imagine having no snout to pant through?)
Here is a healthy Labrador, just to compare the nasal cavities. Pugs often need surgery just to breathe properly. Bone and other flesh is cut from the skull to open up the airways. There are also many clips of ‘cute’ dogs falling asleep upright on youtube. This is because if they dropped their head, their airways collapse and they would suffocate.
Eye prolapse is also shockingly common. Pugs usually cannot be controlled via regular collars, the pressure of pulling on the lead would lead either to collapse of the oesophagus or the eyes to pop out. This is why you usually see Pugs in harnesses.
Here are healthier long nosed Pugs. These do not suffer so greatly due to human induced selective breeding. So PLEASE, do not advocate the suffering of these poor innocent animals by making them so popular. If you choose to buy a dog of any pedigree (check your local shelter first!) make sure you do thorough research, check the pup’s papers. Good breeders will scan their pups for genetic disorders. Dogs are for life, not just for looks!
This is actually really horrible and this is the reason pugs make me so uncomfortable, even as a dog lover—it’s not cause of how they look but imagining what people did to them over the years to make them look this way. And imagining us enjoying it. I mean I always knew it was unnatural, but…after this post I SERIOUSLY feel bad for pugs, and more creeped out by humans than anything else.
Please everyone who does consider getting a pug; look into breeders that breed the ‘old pug’ type with the longer noses. I can not stress enough how disabling the short, squished-in snout to a dog is.
It really makes me cringe when pug owners say how ‘cute’ they find the awkward noises their pug makes when breathing. It’s not cute, it’s just really sad.
My dog (GSD/whippet mix) played with someone’s pug once, and out of no-where, the pug screamed and attacked mine, and Monobi (my dog) was really taken aback and didn’t know why he was attacked now. Turned out that during play he must have scraped Marie’s (name of the pug) eye wither with his claws or teeth, since she was frantically blinking and teardrops came out of it (sign of the skin of the eye being damaged) – as pug eyes stand out of the skull totally unprotected, this exaggerated skull even makes PLAYING a dangerous task for them.
The very same could be applied to any breed @ do your research and do not get exaggerated breeds.
Another fine example is the German Shepherd; do not get a GSD with a so called banana-back – it causes the dog discomfort and is often at blame for severe hip problems in your dog.Check your typical show-line GSD vs working line GSD
You do not want to get a dog that has been bred in exaggerated shapes. You will regret making that decission once the vet bills keep piling up and – more importantly – once you figure your dog suffers extremily, perhaps even to the point where you will have to get it put down to end the suffering.
Please also watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV7elIy_Aoo
It’s a 2-minute cut-out of a 1 hour documentary called “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” (and I DO recommend watching the full thing)This is a very important post. As a (part-time) dog breeder, I have major issues with Tumblr’s “cute disease” and its obsession with pugs (who I find revolting and sad) but you’ve probably heard me rant about that.
You need to educate yourself about which dog you’re getting in every respect. Every dog is different, and every dog needs special care and attention. There is not one breed you can just treat “like any dog.”
