Adopting a Pug can add a lot of fun to your life, but you must be willing to take on the responsibility of dog ownership.
When you become a Pug owner, you take on the responsibilities of making sure that your pet has what he needs including a safe environment to live in, proper care, and everything he needs for a happy and healthy life! Sure, this may sound like a big step (and it is), but the rewards of having a dog are well worth it.
An often overlooked, but very important step in caring for your Pug stays safe is to get obedience training. Believe it or not, many people do not see to this important task and then wonder why their dog jumps up on visitors or won’t listen to their commands. Many a dog has been considered a “bad” pet when all he really needed was the owner to take the time out to train him properly.
Proper training isn’t just about performing cool tricks, although that is one side benefit. A properly trained dog will be safer than one who is not trained. Should your dog be heading off into a dangerous situation, your obedience training will come in handy and you can call him back to your side and safety. A well trained Pug Will be a pleasure to be around and the training process can act as a bonding experience for you and your pet. You can train a dog on your own, or you can join an obedience training class and get instruction from professionals.
The Pug is a very sociable dog as well as being extremely smart and quite stubborn. They are sensitive so yelling at him will not help you in training. Since Pugs are very smart they will train easily but can get bored with the same old lessons so you must always be showing them new tricks.
Also important for the health of your Pug ownership is to get regular vet checkups. He should have a checkup every year and please make sure all vaccinations are up to date. Also, if you notice anything different in your Pugs behavior schedule a vet appointment right away. Oftentimes animals hide the fact that they are feeling sick and even a small change could indicate something more serious. Have your Pug neutered or spayed – they WILL be much happier.
Providing a safe environment for your Pug is important, especially for puppies. Be careful to pick up small objects your dog could ingest and make sure there are no unsafe places in the home. Make sure your guests and family knows that the dog should not be let out unattended. Refrain from feeding your Pug food from the table as some of it can be harmful.
Grooming your Pug can be a great way to spend some time bonding, but is also important to your pets health. Make sure you brush his coat so that there are no matts and keep the nails trimmed so that he does not have a hard time walking. Proper dental care is the most important grooming task you can do for your Pug. Bacteria that builds up in your dogs mouth can cause serious health problems – the least of which is bad breath. Brushing your dogs teeth every day can avoid these problems and can actually help to extend your dogs life!
No one likes to think about it, but you should have a plan for your dog in case of emergency. Make sure that someone in the family is responsible to grab the dog in case of fire, flood or other emergency. It’s not a bad idea to have a designated person that can mind your dog on short notice if you get called out of town on an emergency.
When you bring a Pug into your home, it is a lifetime commitment to provide everything he needs. Some Pugs can live for 15 or more years and the rewards of having one will be much more than the work you have to put into it.