The Puggle is a cross breed dog with Pug and Beagle parents. They are loving and affectionate with big personalities, making them a very popular dog across the US. Their social nature means they are good with both adults and kids, making them the perfect family pet.
In this article we will tell you everything you need to know about this intelligent and enthusiastic small dog, from their history and characteristics, to everyday life, feeding and grooming. Take a look below and see whether a Puggle is the dog for you.
History Of The Puggle – Pug & Beagle Mix
The Puggle is the result of a female Beagle and and a male Pug mating. The mother must always be a Beagle and the father a Pug because there are known complications that arise when a larger male mates with a smaller female dog.
Breed Origin
The Puggle was first bred by Wallace Havens from Wisconsin in the 1990s. By cross-breeding dogs, you can cherry pick the most beneficial characteristics from each breed and remove faults and less desirable traits in pure breeds. Havens especially wanted to remove the complications that can arise with a Pug’s snout, but wanted to keep their loving nature. This way, he managed to create a fun-loving dog with a Beagle’s snout and intelligence.
Since the 1990s when the Puggle dog was first bred, they have gained popularity due to their appearance and sweet nature. They are also popular with celebrities which has only aided their demand.
Characteristics
A Puggle litter ranges in size of anywhere between three and seven puppies. These puppies can cost anywhere over $400. Take a look below at the characteristics that make a Puggle so desirable to have in your home. As an adult, they will typically weigh 20 to 30 pounds as a male, or 20 to 25 pounds as a female.
Appearance
Because a Puggle is a cross breed between a Pug and a Beagle, there is not a lot of consistency when it comes to their appearance. However, a typical Puggle will have short legs, a stocky thicket body with large eyes and a black muzzle, as well as a screw tail.
The ears, long body and longer snout come from their Beagle mother, while the furrowed face, large eyes, short legs and screw tail come from their Pug father.
Color Types
Their coat normally comes in one of three colors — tan, fawn or rich brown. They also occasionally have small black and white markings and a black mask from their Pug parent.
Coat
A Puggle’s coat is a double coat. It is always short and straight with a smooth and shiny finish. The shiny finish is due to the slightly longer topcoat covering the shorter and dense undercoat. Unfortunately, a Puggle does shed a lot of their fur. This makes them unsuitable as pets for those with allergy issues. Further on we go into detail about how to groom and care for your Puggle’s coat.
Temperament
A Puggle is a very affectionate and playful little dog. They have a lot of energy and love to be around people. This Beagle Mix loves both adults and children, making them the perfect family dog. Because of their intelligence, they thrive in a home where they will get a lot of attention and where there a lot going on.
Puggles can be good at socializing, but because of their stubbornness they will require positive reinforcement training from a young age. We go into more detail about training your doggie further on.
If your Puggle does not get enough attention, they will resort to disruptive and unwanted behavior to show their irritation. This could mean scratching or chewing at the furniture, so make sure you are able to give your pup the attention they need! They are also likely to bark, whine or howl when left alone and can suffer from separation anxiety, so you will need to make sure you are at home for large portions of the day, or you can take them with you most places you go.
Lifespan
A Puggle has a typical life expectancy of anywhere between 11 to 15 years.
Known Health Issues
Because Puggles are a cross breed, many health issues present in their parent breeds are not present in Puggles. This is one of the best parts of cross breeding. For the most part, Puggles are a healthy and happy cross breed.
That being said, Puggles still do suffer from some health problems. The shape of their snout comes from their Beagle mother and they are much less likely to suffer from respiratory problems, but these issues can still arise. Fortunately, they are not going to be as serious as a Pug’s.
However, Puggles are known to suffer with pinched nostrils, also known as stenotic nares. This can cause noisy breathing, snoring and snorting and, on occasion, respiratory problems such as breathing during and after strenuous exercise.
They can also suffer with cherry eye and eye infections because of their large Pug eyes, as well as ear infections because of their large floppy ears. You can prevent ear infections by regularly checking their ears for any signs of infection and taking them to the vet when needed.
Hip dysplasia and epilepsy and two more health problems that may arise in your Puggle. However, as we said above, generally Puggles do not suffer with many illnesses or diseases.
Daily Life
Now you know all about a Puggle’s temperament and characteristics, it is important to take a look at what everyday life with a Puggle is like. In the section below we will cover food, training, grooming and exercise, so you can keep your Puggle in the best condition.
Food And Diet
A Puggle is one breed of dog that loves to eat. While it is good they have a healthy appetite, if you are not careful your Puggle can quickly become overweight. How much your dog should eat depends on their age and their weight, and it should be adjusted as they grow.
As a puppy, your Puggle should be eating around 1400 calories a day if they’re male and 1,100 if they’re female. This translates to about five or four cups a day respectively. If your Puggle is an adult, they should be eating 700 calories a day if they’re male and 500 calories a day if they’re female. This about 2 cups or 1.5 cups respectively.
The food you give your pup should always be a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. This should be in the form of a dry dog food, but you can always consult your vet if you have questions about what dog food is going to be best for your pooch.
Exercise
Puggles are certainly an indoor dog, but this doesn’t mean they don’t have daily exercise needs. They are a very active dog, but their activity comes in short “puppy-like” bursts rather than long active periods. This is very similar to their Beagle mother.
There is a difference between energetic and active dogs. Energetic dogs need to be walked and exercised a lot, where as an active dog needs smaller amounts of physical exercise as well as mental exercise. Therefore, your Puggle will not need as much walking as an energetic dog, but they still need about 15 to 20 minutes of walking, twice a day.
Because of their Beagle hunting nature, it is best to keep your Puggle on a leash when walking. This helps prevent them from wandering off.
It is very important not to over-exercise this hybrid dog or allow them to reach the state of exhaustion. As we mentioned above, they can suffer from respiratory problems and these can become much worse when they do a lot of physical activity.
Family Compatibility
As we mentioned above, Puggles thrive in busy and fast paced environments where they get a lot of attention. A family home with children is the perfect place for a Puggle. They love playtime and will want to join in with things, but they will also want to curl up on the couch with you for a cuddle at the end of a long day.
You will want to make sure they are socialized from a young age. We go into more detail about socializing your Puggle below.
Training
A Pug Beagle Cross breed is an intelligent dog, which makes them fairly easy to train. You will need a lot of patience and persistence when training your dog, as well as using positive reinforcement to make training easier. This involves using treats and praises to show your doggo that they are doing a good job. The use of treats works especially well with Puggles because of their love for food.
You should start training your puppy from about 8 weeks for the best results. This will ensure you get an intelligent and loyal dog that is well adjusted to family life. If you do not train your dog properly, your Puggle can become stubborn, disobedient and mischievous.
Socializing your Puggle is one of the most important things you need to do as their owner. It is easy to do because of your Puggle’s natural intelligence, curiosity and social nature. You should start socializing them at home with children and other pets, and work up to socialzing them with other people and dogs.
Socializing your dog will prevent them from becoming timid and scared in social situations. If you are struggling with socializing, you can always take your Puggle to a dog training session or an obedience class.
Grooming
A Puggle does not require much grooming. Both Pug’s and Beagle’s have short hair that is easy to manage, so your Puggle will too. Unfortunately, because Puggles shed their fur it means they are not hypoallergenic and are therefore not a good dog to have if you suffer from allergies.
Bi-weekly brushing is recommended within Puggles. This only needs to be done for five minutes at a time and should be carried out with a soft-bristle brush that removes dead or loose hair, prevents skin or pest conditions and prevents matting. This will help to reduce the amount of shedding going on around your home, too, as well as evenly distributing their natural skin oils across the fur.
You should also pay attention to other parts of their body when grooming them. This includes their teeth and nails. You should brush their teeth regularly to help prevent the build up plaque and tartar, which helps the prevention of gum disease. Cutting their nails, checking their eyes for dirt or discharge and checking their ears for infection are also important health checks. You can bathe your Puggle too, but experts recommend only doing this once every few months. When bathing them you should wash between the folds of your dog’s furrowed face to prevent the buildup of dirt and bacteria.
Puggle FAQ’s
Where can I buy a Puggle?
It is always worth having a look on the internet to see if there is a Puggle breeder near you. You should always buy from a reputable breeder. Remember, just because one breeder sells their Puggles at a higher price, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are better dogs. You should always take a look at the breeder and meet with them before you buy to see if they are looking after the Puggle puppies properly.
If buying a Puggle is out of your price range, you can always rescue one from your local shelter. Puggles often end up in shelters so by rescuing one instead of buying from a breeder you are giving a dog a much needed home.
Are Puggles safe with small children?
The simple answer to this question is yes. Puggles are active dogs who need a lot of attention, so small children are the perfect people to have around these pups. You will need to make sure your Puggle is trained properly, but with their sociable and sweet nature they are not going to cause children any harm.
Summary
The Pug Beagle Cross breed is a fun-loving and sociable little dog that loves to be around people. Puggles thrive in environments where they get a lot of attention and hate to be left alone, so a family with children and lots going on are perfect. They love to eat and like to exercise, but you need to make sure you don’t over-exercise them. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical activity for a Puggle, especially as they are a very intelligent breed of dog. Their intelligence makes training and socializing them from a young age easy, and hopefully you’ll think about making them your trusty companion. Always remember to buy from a reputable breeder.