Choosing a Pug Puppy

Question: I found a good Pug breeder and his litter of Pug puppies are ready to go to new homes. Now, I have to decide which Pug puppy to bring home. I'm so nervous that I'll choose the wrong dog. 

Answer: Hi Ashley. We agree that all of the puppies are going to be adorable and cute! However, there are definitely some guidelines that you can follow when you are trying to pick out the perfect Pug pup.

We are not sure if it matters to you if you have a male or female. There are not that many differences, despite what others may say. However there are a few and you can read more about Male VS Female Pugs.

Breathing: Hold the puppy close to your ear and listen carefully. Do you hear rattling and rasping? This is a sign of a breathing problem. Does the puppy have to breath through his or her mouth? If the puppy is at rest, they should be able to breath fine with their mouth closed this can be a stenotic nare issue, which often needs to be corrected with a surgical procedure.

Watch the puppy walk: While young pups under the age of 6 weeks may still be gaining their footing, take note of any limping or odd gait issues. If you do notice an odd gait, listen for any clicking noises coming from the hip area. This sort of issue may be caused by underdeveloped hip bones (joint and socket), a health problem not uncommon with the Pug breed.

Some people will tell you that you should pick the puppy that comes right over to you first. This is not the best advice. Puppies that are very bold like that may be harder to train. Their enthusiasm may be great fun for a while, but keeping up with and trying to train such a puppy may turn out to be stressful.

When you are choosing a Pug puppy, it is usually best to choose one who is quiet and calm. However, you most certainly need to make sure that the pug is not too quite due to an illness or extreme shyness.

You don't want to bring home an ill pup and choosing a dog that is overly shy may make for a pet that is afraid of everything and will be in need of extensive of socialization training.

With 2 or 3 puppies now left for you to decide on, take a look at how each one responds to you and how they respond to each other.

Wiggle a toy in front of a puppy or whistle to him or her and see if the pup shows natural curiosity. The one for you should come over to you to investigate. The pup should sniff around your hand, perhaps lick your hand and even nibble a bit (although this will have to be dealt with once you bring him/her home with teething training).

Allow the whole litter to play with a toy. Take notice of the ones that seem to be bossy and the ones that seem to play fair. Take note of the ones who cower in the corner if the others fight for the toys.

You will want to choose a Pug puppy who falls somewhere in the middle. This will ensure you have one that has a calm, yet curious personality.

Finally, when you have it narrowed down to 2, do not feel rushed. Take time to sit down with each and talk to them. Does the pup look at you when you talk? Does he or she keep their tail high or wag the tail (to express happiness)?

At this point, you should get a good feeling about which puppy is the one that is meant for you. Please remember, that just because you have an appointment to pick up a dog does not mean that you must go home with one.