The Pug Dog Blog

Dudley has a Facebook!

2009-04-16T14:48:00.004-04:00

It's official. I'm deranged. I actually made a Facebook for a dog. But i swear, never before has a dog so deserved a little social networking :) He probably has more friends than I do.

I would post his public search listing, but apparently facebook doesn't create them for minors. I guess they don't count dog years..

So if you'd like to see his page, or friend him ( do it! ) then just login to facebook and do a search for Dudley Atwood. He's wearing a blue sweatshirt in the profile picture.

P.S. The "Find Me on Facebook" shirt is from the wonderful Red Dog Spa in Fairfax, Virginia. It just openned up and it is awesome! Pricey, but well worth it if you like to pamper :)

The illusive "American Lo-Sze Pug"

2009-04-08T12:34:00.008-04:00

So I thought I knew my dog breeds pretty well, especially all of the squishy faced breeds that I love so much, but through my countless hours of aimless internet browsing I discovered a new one, maybe you have heard of it?

It's called the American Lo-Sze Pugg, and as far as I can tell the only difference is that it is smaller with a wierder name.

The odd part is that there is almost NO information online about them. If they have a freakin' MINI pug out there then I want one! I'm sure there are others who share the feeling.

So why are they seemingly unheard of? The only info I did find online was a little bit on Dog Breed Info and a couple obscure pug forums where people pretty much flame eachother to the point where I don't know what is credible or not.

My guess is that there is some iffy breeding going on that has caused pug lovers to discount the breed. Judging by the many different colors they come in it looks as though there might be some Shi-Tzu blood in there but I'm just speculating.

Either way my verdict = Cute as hell. Definitely adding to my wishlist.

Personal screen cleaner - must have for 2009!

2009-04-07T14:12:00.005-04:00

A friend of mine posted this on my facebook page and I have to share. It is simply the latest technology in screen cleaners.

Is your screen smudged with fingerprints? covered in dust?

You can use this revolutionary product on:

PCs and Laptops
TVs
PDAs and cell phones
Windows
Mirrors

It works everywhere! It's sure to be the hot item this year for all tech-savvy people out there.

Check it out! < - - - - CLICK HERE. YOU WONT BE SORRY!

bahaha... you know you want one.

How Rude!

2009-04-05T21:00:00.009-04:00

I started a blog and didn't even introduce myself! You can read the "Why Write About Pugs" blurb over on the right column to hear about how I ended up with Dudley.

I am 22, a Journalism / PR student at George Mason University, and Dudley is my hairy child :)

I would tell you the story of his puppyhood but I think pictures speak louder than words so here are some of the best ones I have:

This is how bowlegged he was when I first got him at 10 weeks old:

"The snug spot" aka my underarm. His favorite place to nap:

Here he is with me when he is about 4 months old:

Upset about his lack of opposable thumbs:

More on the life of Dudley will follow

Mr. Wrinkles - pug health continued

2009-04-03T10:52:00.004-04:00

Why is it that Americans spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year fighting off their own wrinkles, but think it's so damn cute on a dog? And I agree 100%... wrinkled breeds are by far my favorite!

don't they just look like adorable little gummy bears?

The only drawback to all those folds is they have to be cleaned, well the ones on the face anyway. Every pug is different too. Some will only need face cleaning a couple times a week while some will need it once, even twice a day (depending on your tolerance for eye boogers...mine is very low.)

This fact will actually turn some potential owners away, but in my opinion is a small price to pay for an outrageously adorable dog.

It could be worse, you could have a Shar-Pei!

Massive Pug Recall

2009-03-24T14:19:00.004-04:00

Thank you to The Onion for this breaking news report.

The recall may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is true that pugs are known to have some health issues. Anyone who owns a pug or is considering owning one should read up about their health and know how to deal with issues that may arise.

The most common complaint is breathing issues. The cute little snorts and snores that pugs make are actually a couple of the things that endear them to most owners.

However when the cute piggy noises start to become gurgling, honking or otherwise alarming noises, it may be time to go to a vet.

I'll include more info later, but Pug Village is a great place to get information on pug health issues.

Pug merchandise

2009-03-15T21:09:00.005-04:00

Pugs are inherently goofy creatures, and they are a very popular household pet, so it is no surprise that some "pug merchandise" as surfaced on the internet: Mugs, calenders, figurines, even paper weights and slippers.

So this and the next post or two are dedicated to Pug products!

Before I get to the serious, well...semi-serious goods, I just have to post some pictures of these absurd pug figurines I found through Google Shopping.

There is a startling number of these things for sale at Giftapolis, all for about $14 or $15

Random is the first word that comes to mind.

What kind of dog is THAT?

2009-03-12T01:52:00.008-04:00

It's not all about the pure-bred anymore. You know, the pedigrees that go back twelve generations, AKC registration, boasting that your Pomeranian's great grandpa was a show dog, etc.

I'm sure you've all noticed by now that the new trend is "designer dogs." Apparently dropping 3k on a purse isn't enough for some people.

It used to be that you could explain the obscenely high price you paid for your dog because he was a pure-bred with papers. You can't register mixed breeds though, so the papers excuse is out the window, and mixed breeds are now just as expensive as purebreds, if not more!

People have take it a little far. Just take a look at the Hybrid Dog section of DogBreedInfo.com and you'll find everything from labradoodles to beaglmans (beagle / doberman) Ridiculous.

It's just an excuse for lazy breeding in my opinion. Not that I have anything against mixes, just the breeders.

Unfortunately, through my research into pug mixes I have found some troubling results:

Pom-a-pug aka pugeranian (pug / pomeranian)

Pugamo (pug / american eskimo)

Pugairn (pug / cairn terrier)

Who knows what this one is..

And last but not least the pugland (pug / west highland terrier) HIS NAME IS KOSMO KRAMER!

And this one just creeps me out:

Pug Ugly

2009-03-11T11:12:00.007-04:00

There is an ongoing debate about whether pugs are ugly or cute, or as I prefer "ugly-cute." Part of what makes them so cute is that there is just a tiny hint of ugly. Like a gnarled little old man with hair on his ears can still be cute in his own way.

After years of working at a pet store I've heard everything from "cutest, wrinkliest little nugget" to "only a mother could love THAT face."

Egor: aptly named..

Cute overload:

Yes, I know that beauty is subjective, but how can you not love him?!

Smallest Pug in the World!

2009-03-03T14:18:00.003-05:00

Small is the new big.

It used to be that bigger was better. Bigger planes could carry more people and cargo, bigger buildings used land more efficiently. Bigger houses, bigger cars, you get the point.

Then small happened. Maybe is was the invention of nanotechnology, or the smart car, but now it seems less is definitely more.

Exhibit A:

This could not be more right than in the world of dogs. True, some people see a tiny, yappy dog and want to punt it across the room. MOST people, however, can appreciate the preciousness of a mini man's best friend.

Lo-and-behold: You are about to see the worlds smallest pug. Just try not to break a smile, I dare you.

The Smallest PUG In The World - The funniest videos clips are here

Warning: Clearly the small rule is not all encompassing:

Kaci Update

2009-02-28T20:10:00.003-05:00

Great news, Kaci's former owner actually tracked me down online because she wanted to know how she is doing!

She said she googled Kaci, Puggle, Annapolis and BOOM there she was! Sometimes the internet is scary good. Imagine being abe to track down one individual dog among the 73 million dogs in the country.

She was happy to hear that Kaci is doing well and is in a good place. She sent me the picture above which was taken in her old home in Oregon.

It's good to know that Kaci came from a good background and wasn't abused which many dogs are. A couple days ago we almost placed her in a home with two women and a dog which is perfect for her (she's shy around men.) Unfortunately it fell through.

We are still taking applications on Petfinder so if you are serious about adopting apply now because this is a great dog!

Adopt me pwease?

2009-02-23T13:57:00.004-05:00

I'm in the process of writing a mini bio for Kaci to be posted on Petfinder. It's supposed to pull at people's heartstrings and make them adopt.

As I'm looking at other bios on the site to get ideas, the whole thing suddenly seems so weird to me. People take these little unwanted creatures into their homes, then write cute little blurbs about them, putting them out there in cyberspace for anyone to see, and hoping someone else will want it.

The funniest bios, and probably the most effective, are written from the animals point of view as if they could talk. Of course if they could talk dogs would surely not be quite as eloquently spoken as humans. So most bios end up including something like:

"Is you can take me home now pwease?"

"Me like play wif my foster brover."

"I wuv my nummy nibbles. Now I fat."

etc..

We all know they can't actually write, but amazingly some of them can actually talk! Kinda..

This one speaks gremlin fluently:

And this one actually says I love you! Cute or creepy? You decide:

As a decent writer I ask myself: should I try to hold on to some sense of dignity or should I give up and lower myself to the level of writing like a dog?

However I decide to write it, I expect her to be on Petfinder by the end of the week so you can apply then, or before that you can apply directly to the MAPR website, fill in what type of dog you are looking for, and they will try to match you up with one of their dogs.

Long live the Pug!

My first foster has arrived!!

2009-02-16T20:10:00.003-05:00

Well actually, she didn't exactly arrive. I had to drive to Annapolis, MD to get her, at which point she was so nervous she crapped herself. Poor baby!

It was all worth it though. She is the sweetest little 5 month old puggle named Kaci who was shipped from California to Alaska to Maryland before her owner decided she was too nervous for them.

I've only had her for two days and she is a totally different dog. She went from literally having the shit scared out of her to romping, playing and licking like any normal puppy. She's still somewhat reserved around men though.

That's her above and on the left with her new pal, Dudley. In a few days you'll be able to see her, and apply to adopt her, on Petfinder.

2009-02-12T00:06:00.004-05:00

Save a life for FREE

2009-02-11T16:12:00.004-05:00

Doing good doesn't get any easier than this.

All you have to do is:

1. Go to the Animal Rescue Site
2. Click on the purple button that says Click Here To Give

And that's it! Every time you click you are giving .6 bowls of food to needy animals.

Not an animal lover? You can also click to give to the rainforest, literacy, breast cancer, child health and hunger.

And it's all 100% free! Finally a donation even a starving college kid can afford. You can do it once per day with no limit. For those who are memory challenged they're nice enough to send you a reminder email if you so choose.

Please spread the news to everyone one you know, animal lovers or not. If you tell ten people and they tell ten people, and you all click once a day, that's 60 bowls a day and 21,900 bowls a year! You could single handedly feed an entire shelter of dogs. Now wouldn't that feel nice?

So get clicking!

Screaming pug

2009-02-08T00:02:00.003-05:00

Here's a video of a screaming pug that I found on youtube. Oddly enough if you type "screaming pug" into the youtube search bar you'll get 62 videos. Even more impressive, the same Google search gets 347,000!

Why is this phenomenon of the canine larynx so wide spread? I don't know the answer to that but Pugs are definitely bark impaired. Dudley sounds a lot more like a turkey than a dog whenever he tries.

Now watch. Dogs don't care if you laugh at them so have at it!

This is just one of the plethora of pug noises that are out there. Check some of them out, you won't be disappointed.

In the meantime..

2009-02-04T13:11:00.000-05:00

Foster Update--

2009-02-02T14:46:00.007-05:00

Right now I'm waiting to hear from Mid Atlantic Pug Rescue(MAPR) about getting my first foster pug! The coordinator for Northern Virginia says that they have more pugs than people to take care of them so I'm expecting a call any day. Fingers are crossed.

They have to do an initial home visit first as a formality to make sure that I have a suitable home. I'm thinking more along the lines of inspection rather than visit which made me nervous so I cleaned the crap out of my house, but the MAPR staff member that's coming to do the home visit said that as long as there aren't any bodies in the crawl space then I will be fine.

Surprisingly they already have a foster in mind for me that's coming from a puppy mill situation. Very sad. My own dog probably came from a puppy mill (most pet store puppies do) as well so I have a soft spot for puppy mill dogs. I feel bad that there are so many mistreated dogs out there, but I'm really excited to be helping out.

I got a call a week ago asking me to take a 9 month old pug named "Mookie" whose owners couldn't take care of him. Then I found out it's because he's a barker with a wall-chewing habit. Um, no thanks. My Landlord would not appreciate getting his house back with swiss cheese walls. Although I do enjoy a challenge, it's probably not good for my first foster dog.

Well, the home visit is tonight I believe so wish me luck!

Hope she doesn't find that corpse in the hall closet..

DISCLAIMER-- please read

2009-01-29T15:51:00.004-05:00

I am NOT a crazy dog lady. I just wanted to get that out of the way, because after 5 minutes of reading this blog you are going to start wondering. I may have a borderline obsession with pugs, but I don't have 30 of them, I'm not a psycho or a spinster, and I don't have a "my pug is smarter than your honor student" bumper sticker. Those stickers immediately qualify you for crazy dog person status whether you like it or not. From the looks of it this lady also probably qualifies.