What is a Pug? When I was asked to write this article, I thought, “What would people want to know about Pugs?” The breed originated in the Orient and dates back to the pre-Christian era. They were prized possessions of the Emperors of China and lived in a most luxurious atmosphere, at times even guarded by soldiers. Dutch traders brought Pugs from the East to Holland. In 1688, William II brought his Pug to England when he was crowned King. By 1790, the Pug’s popularity spread to France where Josephine, wife of Napoleon, depended on her Pug “Fortune” to carry secret messages under his co ..read more

  Interview with Douglas Huffman, Breeder of Broughcastl Pugs, by Allan Reznik.   Where did you grow up? Douglas Huffman: I was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Then we moved to North Carolina. When I was a freshman in high school we moved to St. Louis, Missouri. I have been here ever since. I come from a long line of farmers. My great-grandfather, Amiel Heuer, moved from Hanover, Germany in the mid-1800s to Cape Girardeau, where he bought two sections of timberland to clear. He became the patriarch of a farming dynasty that continued through the years to 2020. The original farm pr ..read more

  We are all excited to get back to dog shows after our COVID hiatus. We want to restore that little bit of normal back into our dog life. It feels like we were all put on pause, there was a rewind, and now we are starting fresh. We are raring to go. With this in mind, I would like to take the opportunity to refresh readers’ understanding of some of the points of the Pug standard. I want to emphasize a few of the nuances that make a Pug, a Pug. I want to address the high points of type in our standard. My hope is that anyone officiating in the ring already has a firm grasp of what modera ..read more

Pug Myelopathy is a recently recognized spinal condition believed unique in purebred Pugs. It is called by several terms (e.g., constrictive myelopathy, facet hypoplasia), and it is most often referred to as “Pug Myelopathy.” With an average age of onset of ~nine years, the rear limb incoordination (ataxia) may progress to paralysis of the rear limbs over a period of one to four years. Originally referred to as “weak rear,” this has become a widespread problem in Pugs. Although the rear legs appear to be weak, the cause is a neurological deficit that develops in the spine. Affected dogs may i ..read more