Pugs are one of the oldest dog breeds in the world, dating back to 400 B.C., when they were known as Lo-Sze (or Lo-Chiang-Sze or Happa) Originating in ancient China, they were bred as loyal companions for royalty and nobility. They were considered so valuable that outsiders could only acquire them as gifts, not buy them. In the 16th century, Dutch traders with the Dutch East India Company brought Pugs from China to Europe. The breed quickly became a favorite of European nobility. By the 19th century, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom developed a deep passion for Pugs, which set off a major craze for the breed among European aristocrats. She established England’s Kennel Club in 1873, and her dedication helped shape modern pug breeding standards. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the pug in 1885.
I often hear people mistakenly believe that Pugs “used to have a longer muzzle”, and refer to what they believe to be “retro Pugs”. They think that “modern breeding” has changed the breed to be inherently unhealthy because of their flat profiles. When in fact, the ancient breed from China, as well as the 19th Century Victorian era breed standard written by the kennel clubs, indeed called for the muzzle to remain flat as they have always been. The biggest difference in “modern Pugs” is heavier in bone than their early ancestors. Todays Pugs typically also have much better front and rear angles, which can make for more lasting soundness.
Many pictures in the 1800’s indeed show what appear to be long legged Pugs with some muzzle length. In reality, these pictures depict Terrier/Pug crosses. Because the 19th century demand for Pugs began to outweigh the supply, and there were not enough purebred Pugs to meet the demand, mixed breed Pugs became much more abundant. It was not until the late 1800s when the breed standards were written and the stud books closed, that purebred Pugs started to become recognized and more people started to more carefully breed them.
All of this is not to say that a brachycephalic skull does not come with any issues at all. Brachycephaly does inherently make the cooling mechanism more inefficient. The best bred Pugs that are completely unaffected by BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome), will still need care under conditions of extreme heat and humidity. I can tell you first hand that there are breed standard Pugs, that are fit and capable of exertion for a short duration under very extreme heat and humidity conditions. You must use cool coats, fans and cooling mats, and keep sessions short. We still train outside in the summer and we have competed in FastCAT and agility, even in triple digit conditions that were dangerously hot for any dog or human.
I write this, not to promote Pugs as good candidates for a marathon training partner, but to dispel the myths that: ALL Pugs are suffering just to live, that brachycephalic skulls are an atrocity created by modern breeders, that Pugs – as the breed standard is written- should not be allowed to be bred. In Europe, many countries have banned, or are working on banning, breeding Pugs with a flat profile. They require mixing breeds (they are calling it “outcrossing”), in order to lengthen the muzzle. They are still brachycephalic, and yes can still suffer from BOAS, but they believe not having a flat profile will somehow make the breed healthier. There is no predicting what new issues mixed breeding will end producing. I do not at all believe mixed breeding is the answer or the solution to healthier Pugs. Dr. Jane Ladlow, a leading expert in BOAS, and the developer of the RFGS testing (Respiratory Function Grading Scheme), has shown some completely flat profiles that do not suffer from BOAS, and some dogs with slighter more length of muzzle that are affected with BOAS. It is much more to do with what is going on inside the airway, than simply the length of muzzle. Before people condemn one of the oldest breeds of dogs to exist as they currently do, all based on the belief that they are suffering; I hope that breeders and all the dog owners that support them, take the threat to the Pug breed seriously. I hope breeders and the people seeking out Pugs, pay attention to the breed standard, and to health equally. Even if you do not breed or intend to breed, the Pug you own is an ambassador of the Pug breed and their public relations. This can work for – or against- the future of the Pug breed.