The PUG is not what we think of as an ordinary dog, and this is obvious at first glance. This dog is only for people who don't mind if their best friend snores, grunts, sheds and invariably claims the most comfortable spot on the sofa. The Pug is in a class all its own. It has a split personality. Its face looks as though it carried all the world's woes on its shoulders, but the eyes are full of fire. At times it is calm and friendly, at others wild, playful and filled with amazing athletic spirit.

The Pug probably originated in China. It has the pushed-in face and ring tail that the Chinese valued so highly in their palace dogs. Genghis Khan supposedly brought the dog to Europe. At any rate, it had appeared there by the 17th century and became the pet dog of the nobility, of snobs and of old maids. Contrary to common prejudices, the Pug is not stupid, fat and clumsy, but rather an ideal small companion that does not smell or slobber, is easy to handle and generally responds well to basic obedience training. Keeping the Pug from doing something it has set its mind on does, however, require considerable firmness and persistence. This is an intelligent and cheerful dog that loves children, adjusts to whatever situation it finds itself in, and feels just as happy in a small apartment as in a country manor. It is content with a walk of half an hour, but can easily keep going for five hours. It doesn't snap, but does snore frightfully. The Pug has always had just one mission in life; to be loved, and that mission it fulfills brilliantly.