Pug Puppy Guide: Care, Feeding, Health & Training Tips

Pug Puppy Guide: How to Care, Feed, Health and Training

You have made up your mind to invite one of such resistibly wrinkled faces to your house and the excitement is actually there. However, even with all these cute snorts and these sincere looking eyes, you must be wondering: how do I go about taking good care of this pug puppy?
The reality is the fact that having a baby pug in the house is not the same as keeping other breeds. They have special physical structure, special health needs and special personality, which demand special knowledge. This manual can provide you with the down-to-earth knowledge required to bring up a healthy well-adjusted partner.

What You Can Expect of Your Pug Puppy

Smith (2010) provides this timeline of physical development

The normal growth patterns will assist you to keep track of the progress of your little pug:

8-12 Weeks (Early Puppyhood)

• Weight: 2-4 pounds
• Wholly reliant on care-giver.
• Basic coordination teaching.
• Baby teeth coming in
• Sleeping 18-20 hours daily

3-6 Months (Rapid Growth Phase)

• Weight: 7-12 pounds
• Increased energy bursts
• Teething intensifies
• Greater independence
• More confident exploration

6-12 Months (Adolescence)

• Weight: 14-18 pounds
• Approaching adult size
• Testing boundaries
• Sexual maturity (unspayed/unneutered)
• Personality solidifying

Temperament Characteristics

Cute pugs have personality traits that are not developed late:

• Nurturing Personality: They need to have a human presence in their lives and experience separation anxiety when they are left alone too long.
• Food Motivation: Nearly higher-weight with food and therefore easily trained, but very likely to be higher-weight.
• Moderate Energy: No hyperactivity; happy with brief physical activity.
• Stubborn Streak: Smart and choosy with obeying orders.
• Social Disposition: Children as a rule are friendly to individuals, yet other pets.

Care Requirement Essentials

Creating a Safe Environment

A safe environment should be prepared by you before taking your pug puppy home:

Puppy-Proofing Checklist

• Eliminate poisonous vegetation (lilies, philodendrons, sago palms)
• Tie down electric cords and cables.
• Keep the cleaning products stored away.
• The first step should be to block access to stairs.
• Get rid of small objects that can result in choking.
• Install room gates on the baby.

Temperature Regulation

Mini baby pugs are unable to regulate the body temperature because of their flattened faces:

Heat Safety

• Do not work in high temperatures (26 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Ensure that there is always an access to fresh water.
• Air conditioning should be used in the summer.
• Be able to identify signs of overheating; over ventilation, excessive salivation, fatigue, blue
• gums.

Cold Protection

• Dress in coat or jacket under 45degF.
• Restrict the exposure of the body in freezing weather.
• Wipe down after a rain or snow.
• Warm bedding should be given without drafts.

Sleep and Rest Needs

The rest is very essential to development:

• Older Set aside a silent sleeping place.
• House training Use a crate to secure.
• Keep regular bed time schedules.
• Do not wake up the puppies on superfluous grounds.
• Assume 15-18 hours of sleep when they grow up.

How to feed your Pug Puppy

Choosing Quality Nutrition

Choose puppy-based food, which is small breed:

Key Nutritional Components

• Protein: 22% and above of good quality (chicken, lamb, fish, etc.)
  Fats: Healthy coat and energy 8-15% percentages.
  Carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates as a source of long term energy.
  DHA: It is beneficial to the brain and eye development.
  Calcium/ Phosphorus: Adequate proportion in bone development.

Feeding Schedule at the right age

2-4 Months

• Frequency: 4 meals daily
• Amount: 1/4 cup per meal
• Total daily: 1 cup

4-6 Months

• Frequency: 3 meals daily
• Amount: 1/3 to 1/2 cup per meal
• Total daily: 1 to 11/2 cups

6-12 Months

• Frequency: 2 meals daily
• Amount: 1/2 to 3/4 cup per meal
• Total daily: 1 to 11/2 cups

Preventing Obesity Early

Pug pups adore food and it is important to keep them on weight:

• Precise portions of measuring cups should be taken with a standard measuring cup.
• Eat only 10 percent of calories in form of treats.
• Avoid feeding table scraps
• Kibble pieces ought to be used as training rewards.
• Check body status on a weekly basis.
• See your veterinarian in case of excessive gain of weight.

Essential Health Attendances

The brachycephalic Airway Management.
The flat face of your baby pug makes him/her have breathing difficulties:

Daily Monitoring

• Monitor respiratory rates on exercise.
• Watch out to hostility wheezing or snorting.
• Color of check gums (they should be pink but not blue)
• Limit strenuous exercise
• Do not wear any neck collars, wear harnesses only.

Vaccination Protocol

Keep your pug puppy disease-free:

Core Vaccines Schedule

• 6-8 weeks: First DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza).
• 10-12 weeks: Second DHPP
• 14-16 weeks: Third DHPP plus rabies
• 12 months: Booster shots
• Annually: Updates according to the recommendations of the veterinarians.

Common Puppy Health Issues

Eye Problems

• Conspicuous eyes face danger and atrophy.
• Wipe with sterile on a daily basis.
• Look to see if it is too much crying or cloudy.
• Arrange eye checks when required.

Skin Fold Dermatitis

• Clean facial wrinkles daily
• Wipe down (dry) after cleaning.
• Use powder that has been approved by the veterinarian in case it is wet.
• Observation of redness, odor and discharge.

Hypoglycemia

• Biggest risk in very small puppies.
• Feed frequent small meals
• Identify the symptoms: weakness, shaking, disorientation.
• Apply honey on gums in case of low blood sugar levels.

How to Successfully Train Your Little Pug

The essentials of House Training.

Create bathroom habits as soon as possible:

Proven Strategy

• Take outside every 1-2 hours
• Invariably follow meals, naps and play.
• Go to assigned place of bathroom.
• Congratulate lavishly when things go well.
• Wipe the cleaner with enzymatic cleaner.
• Always correct wrongs- always redirect.

Principles of Basic Commands to Teach First.

Teaching: You should start training after 8 weeks with positive reinforcement:

Priority Commands

• Name Recognition: Prerequisite of any training.
• Sit: Command that is easiest to execute.
• Come: Critical for safety
• Down: Promotes calmness
• Leave It: Aversions to harmful foods.
• Stay: Builds impulse control

Socialization Windows

The 8-16 weeks are the period during which the correct development occurs:

Positive exposures opportunities.

• Making acquaintances with nice, vaccinated dogs.
• To meet different individuals (of different ages and appearance, sexes).
• It is experiencing various surfaces (grass, concrete, carpet, tile).
• Listening (traffic, appliances, music, etc.)
• Going out to pet-friendly stores.
• Taking puppy socialization training.

Top Blunders Beginner Owners of Pugs

Low underestimation of Exercise Needs

• Although pug puppies are small they require movement. Goal on two 15 minutes walks and indoor playtime. Exercise deficiency brings about behavioral issues and obesity.

Permitting Begging Behavior

• So tempting are those pitiful eyes, yet to dine at the table is to have bad habits throughout life. Set strict regulations regarding human food since day one.

Procrastination of Dental treatment

• Pugs have congested decaying teeth. Begin brushing teeth at 8 weeks with dog toothpaste. This helps avoid agitating dental disease in the future.

Ineffective Training

• Today of this and tomorrow of tomorrow, that is to say, should you permit jumping and then instruct to correct on the following day, you confuse your pup. Create regulations and apply them to each and every member of the family.

Forgetting to do Wrinkle Maintenance.

• Such cute folds need cleaning on a daily basis. Failure to undertake this grooming leads to painful infections that need the veterinary care.

Tips on Rearing Healthy Pugs

Immediately subscribe to pet insurance. Cover on purchase prior to the occurrence of any health conditions. Pugs have breed-specific problems which end up being costly without insurance.
Make an investment in quality harnesses and not collars. Pressures on the neck worsen the breathing. Wear loosely-fitting harnesses, which redistribute the weight of the chest.
Growth of documents in terms of photos and weight records. Development tracking of issues that may arise. Disclose this information at the veterinary clinics.
Establish a bond with a veterinarian who specializes in brachycephalic breeds. Vets cannot just know pug needs. Locate a specialist or expert with or often treating of the flat-faced breeds.
Join pug owner communities. Introduce yourself to the established owners via local clubs or on-the-internet forums. They are invaluably helpful and advice-giving.

Pug Puppies: Frequently Asked Questions

Q-1: How soon can my puppy pug begin to attend formal training classes?

• Register in the puppy kindergarten right after the first two rounds of vaccination (usually 10-12 weeks). Through these classes there is controlled socialization and rudimentary obedience within a secure setting.

Q-2: What is the cost of owning a pug puppy in the first year?

• Estimate: $1,500-3000: purchase price or adoption fees (including six hundred to two thousand dollars), initial veterinary care (including three hundred to five hundred dollars), spaying/ neutering (including two hundred to five hundred dollars), supplies (including two hundred to four hundred dollars), food (including two hundred to four hundred dollars), training (including hundred and thirty dollars). This does not include any medical bills that are out of the blue.

Q-3: Are you saying that I should get a pug baby in a crate?

• Absolutely. Crate training is safe, helps in the house training and helps in eliminating the destructive behavior during non-supervision time. The introduction of the crate should be done gradually with good associations never to punish.

Q-4: I have a pug puppy that keeps biting, how do I stop this behavior?

• Biting of puppies is an exploration behavior. Refer to relevant chew toys at once. Bite has sharp reaction by Yelp who comes back to attention. Biting at 5-6 months is eradicated by consistency.

Q-5: Is it possible to leave pug puppies alone during the day of work?</strong>

• Little puppies are unable to retain bladders of 8+ hours. The dog walkers, neighbors, or doggy daycare should be arranged to have midday potty breaks. Too much isolation of puppies leads to separation anxiety and failure to house train.

Creating a Lifelong Health Foundation

Owning a pug as a puppy also requires commitment, patience and certain information regarding the unique requirements of such a puppy. The initial months are critical and determine their physical health, behavioral patterns and emotional well being in the long run.
Pay attention to the right nutrition, regular trainings, comprehensive socialization, and preventive medicine. Combat breathing problems instead of ignoring them as part of being of breed. Keep your weight healthy since you will not have to struggle with obesity in the future.
The rewards of hard work by your pug puppy will include undying loyalty, continuous amusement, and unconditional affection. Count these preliminary months–they pay in all the rest of the life of your companion.