If there is one thing that Pugs enjoy, it's being groomed because they love the one to one attention it involves. Being heavy shedders, Pugs need to be brushed every day, it not only strengths a bond between owner and dog, but it keeps their coat and skin in tip top condition.
If you are about to get a Pug puppy, it's important to start grooming them as soon as possible so they get used to the brush and all the other tools you would use to keep their coats looking good. You should also teach a puppy to have their nails touched which means that when and if they do need trimming, you would be able to trim their nails without any drama or stress.
One thing that's worth noting is that fawn coloured Pugs have double coats, but a dog with a black coat only has a single coat with the other difference being their hair is a little finer too. As with all other breeds, Pugs shed more during the Spring and then again in the Autumn which is when more frequent brushing helps keep shed hair under control. Females also tend to shed more when they about to come into season which is also worth making a note of if you share your home with an unneutered female Pug.
When it comes to bathing a Pug, this might need to be done on the odd occasion and ideally it should be when the weather is warmer so that a dog does not catch a chill. You also need to make sure a Pug is thoroughly dried after having been given a bath, paying particular attention to the wrinkles around their faces. If any moisture is left in the folds, it provides the perfect environment for bacteria to take hold which could lead to painful sores and infection.
It's really important that Pug puppies are not given too much exercise because too much could have serious consequences on their well-being. Puppies are still growing and developing and as such only need to be given a little exercise to avoid having too much pressure put on their joints and backs. Pug puppies should not be allowed to run up and down stairs or jump up on furniture. They should always be lifted into a car too. Being allowed to run around and play in a garden is all that a puppy would really need in the early stages of their lives.
Mature dogs don't need a lot of exercise, however, Pugs need to be taken out for a walk at least twice a day for 20 or so minutes each time. With this said, if you have a secure garden, there's nothing these little dogs enjoy more than spending as much time as they can out in it when you are at home and the weather is fine.
Care has to be taken during the hotter weather because a Pug can easily get overheated not just when they are out on a walk, but also if they lie in the sun for too long. During the summer, it's best to take a Pug out for a walk early in the morning and then later in the evening when the sun is lower in the sky and the temperature has dropped to reduce the risk of them overheating.
A lot of Pugs don't particularly like going out when it's raining or cold outside and will refuse to take a step outdoors when the weather is bad which means you might have to gently coax them out to do their "business" when they need to. It's also important to invest in a nice warm coat for a Pug because they are not particularly fond of the cold either. If it is really wet and windy, it's best to just take them out for a really short walk because weather conditions like this can seriously hurt a Pug's eyes. It's also important to keep an eye on their breathing when they are out on a walk to make sure they are not straining to catch their breath which could lead to them overheating.
However, it's important for Pugs to be given enough exercise otherwise they will happily turn into couch potatoes which means they would end up putting on too much weight, a problem that Pugs are prone to suffer from.
If you have just got a Pug puppy from a breeder, they would have provided you with feeding instructions so they are fed the same amount of food at the same time of the day which helps avoid any digestive upsets. The breeder would also recommend a puppy be fed the same type of food to begin with for the same reason.
Puppies need to be fed more frequently than adult dogs, and ideally this has to be either 3 or 4 times a day. You can change a puppy's diet gradually over a period of a few weeks, but you have to do this very carefully always making sure they don't suffer any tummy upset in the process. Once a Pug is around 4 months old, you can cut their meal times down to 3 a day remembering to give the same amount of food a day only split into three instead of four. At 6 months, puppies can safely be fed twice a day.
Older Pugs have to be fed a good quality, well-balanced diet to suit their ages making sure it contains the correct levels of nutrients to meet a dog's needs. Some Pugs are fed three times a day throughout their entire lives, but it is more usual to feed two meals a day, once in the morning and then again in the evening.
Pugs are not generally fussy eaters and in fact, quite the opposite is true because they tend to like their food a little too much which means keeping an eye on a dog's weight and to always make sure they are getting enough exercise to burn off any excess calories. Obesity in Pugs is a real problem and could end up not only shortening their lives considerably, but it would make moving around a lot harder so that going out for a walk is quite painful for a dog to do.
