Pug
The Pug is a toy breed from China (Ming dynasty), standing males 12–14 in · females 10–12 in at the withers, weighing males 13–20 lb · females 13–18 lb. Recorded lifespan is 13–15 yrs.
- Breed group
- Toy
- Origin
- China (Ming dynasty)
- Height
- males 12–14 in · females 10–12 in
- Weight
- males 13–20 lb · females 13–18 lb
- Lifespan
- 13–15 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Pug is taller than 11% of the measured breeds, heavier than 12%, one of 20 in the Toy group.
Living with the Pug
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Pug’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 5 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 4 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 3 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 3 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 3 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 5 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 2 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 5 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 1 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 1 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 1 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 2 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Pug on AKCPug on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Pug
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Pug.
Mountain Cur
Villano de las Encartaciones
Pražský Krysařík
Pinscher (Miniature)
Corsican Dog
English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)
Height 0–38 in
- Pug12–14 in
- Mountain Cur18–26 in
- Villano de las Encartaciones22–24 in
- Pražský Krysařík8–9 in
- Pinscher (Miniature)10–12 in
- Corsican Dog18–23 in
- English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)10–12 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Pug13–20 lb
- Mountain Cur30–60 lb
- Villano de las Encartaciones77–84 lb
- Pražský Krysařík3–8 lb
- Pinscher (Miniature)8–10 lb
- Corsican Dog55 lb
- English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)6–8 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Pug13–15 yrs
- Mountain Cur10–13 yrs
- Villano de las Encartaciones9–11 yrs
- Pražský Krysařík12–14 yrs
- Pinscher (Miniature)12–16 yrs
- Corsican Dogno recorded figure
- English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)no recorded figure
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.
Guides that mention the Pug
Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.