(Ottawa Dog of the Week for February 22nd/10)
“Vitals
Name: Finn
Age: 10 months
Breed: Pug
Finn is an energetic, loving, affectionate young man, who surprises us with ever expanding personality, while testing our boundries daily.” – Finn’s Human, Robert
To quote my favourite youtube video, “Who’s the dog with the curly tail, the black ears and the bright pink harness…?” Apparently the dog’s name is Apple, but seriously who are these little dogs with pug faces and beagle bodies that have been popping up all over the place? Jake Gyllenhaal , Uma Thurman, James Gandolfini, Juliane Moore and even Sylvester Stallone own one of the pups, but are they just a celebrity, designer trend or a really interesting emerging breed?
The puggle, a cross-breed between a pug and a beagle, was an innovation of dog breeder Wallace Haven sometime in the 1980s. It must have been an attempt to design the perfect dog, one with the lap dog qualities of the pug with the playful energy of a beagle. Although, with any mix, you get the good with the bad, and in some cases genetic pug respiratory issues coupled with the stubborn energy of a beagle.
Appearance: The puggle has character written all over their face, some describe them as having a face only a mother could love, but any true dog lover will absolutely fall in love with the snouty face and floppy ears. In weight, the puggle ranges from 15-30 pounds and like both pugs and beagles tend to be short and muscular. Colours vary completely, some puggles closely resemble pugs, either fawn or black, with other have white bodies and spots more like the beagle.
Temperament: Like all breeds, temperament varies greatly from dog to dog but overall, these are happy little guys! The puggle is a higher energy dog that does require regular exercise; but this is equally matched with a serious case of the cuddlies as this dog will love to curl up with you on the couch for an afternoon nap. Puggles are generally quite good with strangers, tend to get along great with children and are generally satisfied to be close to people. Training can be an issue as puggles can be stubborn, independent and have selective hearing for commands, but with positive reinforcement, lots of treats and consistent effort the puggle can be a very well trained companion.
So, who’s the dog with the curly tail, the black ears and the bright pink harness? Well, in my case, she’s a sweetheart named Mia, only her harness is green and pink with little bones all over it.
(Ottawa Dog of the Week for July 20th/09)
“I researched for a long time what breed of dog would be best for me, and the answer always came back to a pug. They are funny, clever, affectionate companions, and usually great with other pets and children. I love their wrinkly little faces, sideways walk, and curly, cinnamon-bun tails! I had to wait several years but I finally got my pug! Satchmo is the sweetest little guy! I got him as a puppy at 11 weeks old, and he is now 2 years old.
Wherever I go, you will usually find him there, half a step behind me. He is a lot of fun to hang out with, up for anything from rides in the car, going to Nannie’s, playing in the dog park, going for long walks in the Arboretum, or cuddling on the couch watching TV. He understands over 30 people words, including all of his toys by name: Kong, Hedgehog, Lion, and NewToy (its not new anymore, but the name stuck!) The kitties are not so convinced of his awesomeness, but he has learned that they don’t mind him when he’s on his best behaviour.
He loves going to the cottage in the summer, where he runs all-day with his doggie-cousins, and swims in the lake. Not many pugs like to swim, but he gets right in there and paddles around to play with us in the water and to cool off. He likes to stick his tongue out when he swims. He loves to have visitors over; his snorts, wiggles, and “pug-run” make him the clown of the party! Everyone who meets him loves Satchmo’s quirky, loveable character, but no one loves him like his Mama!” – Satchmo’s mom, Kim
Posting tweet...
Ottawa Dog of the Week for March 8th/10
Stella's Day from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.
Liz Bradley is a dog lover who lives in Ottawa, Ontario with her husband, Thomas, and their two little girls, Paddington and Corduroy. Paddington is a Morkie (Maltese/Yorkie) and was born in September 2006 - she's a ball of energy and both Thomas and Liz love her to bits. Corduroy is a Malshi (Maltese/Shih Tzu) and was born in January 2008 - she is determined, loving and will lick you constantly if you let her. Liz has many sides to her including, web designer, web developer, graphic designer and photographer. ...read more
