Pugs were the prized possessions of the Emperor of China and date back as far as the pre-Christian era. During this time pugs lived in luxury with royalty and were sometimes guarded by the soldiers. The short-nosed breed known as the "Foo Dog" is what we know today as the Pug. The Pug shared its life with many Monarchs of Europe and as they migrated into Holland and England became more refined. It has been said that although the Pug arrived in Holland and England simultaneously, it is the Dutch who are responsible for its importation. According to many Pug historians, by the time the Pug arrived in England, he had become the official dog of the House of Orange in the Netherlands.

The Pug arrived in America shortly after the Civil War and was first recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1885. The Pug is the largest of the Toy breed. Between 1900 and 1920 their popularity declined in these early years. In 1915, the AKC registered only thirty-two pugs and in 1920 the number decreased to five. At this time the Pug ranked fifty-one from some fifty-eight breeds  registered with AKC. Because of the dedication of some breeders, the Pug remerged on to the scene and is now maintaining a steady growth of popularity. As the Pug Dog Club of America has stated, "He is not so popular to be common nor so unknown to be rareâ€?.

In the early 1950's the first Pug Dog Club of America, the parent club of the breed, was founded. And the Pug enjoyed its first popularity surge during the 1950's. The breed quadrupled in its registrations with AKC between 1950 and 1980, increasing from 958 new registrations to 5.080 new registrations. The Pug rose form thirty-first place on the AKC list to seventeenth place out of 106 breeds.

What can be said about the personality of the Pug? With their big eyes, round faces and impish ways, they are companions for life. In fact, pugs were specifically bred for companionship. They are social, not "one-person� dogs and gladly share the company of any family or friend. Pugs combine cocky confidence with a friendly, sensitive nature. Pugs are unique in that they are "clowns of the dog world� with a great sense of humor but at the same time carries himself with pride and dignity. They are never too delicate for fun and games. A pug is an acceptable "watchdog� alerting you to the presence of strangers A pug is hungry to please, anxious to learn and desperate to love. His only requirement from you is that you love him back. Some people say that pugs are stubborn. Having as many as I do, I can comfortably state with confidence that pugs are hard-headed, not stubborn. They know what they want and when they want it and you are not likely to change their minds. The trick is to wait it out and they do come around. Patience is a virtue in this case. Pugs will give you every ounce of love they have.

Height: 10-11 inches
Weight: 14-18 pounds
Multum in parvo: compact in form
Well-knit proportion
Hardness in muscle
Coat: short, smooth, soft and glossy
Colors: fawn, silver-fawn, apricot-fawn and black
Head: large, massive, not apple-headed with no indentation of the skull
Eyes: dark in color, very large, bold and prominent, globular in shape, soft and solicitous in expression, very lustrous and when excited, full of life
Ears: thin, small, soft like black velvet Wrinkles-large and deep
Muzzle: short, blunt, and square but not uplaced
Bite: slightly undershot
Neck: slightly arched, strong thick, carries the head proudly
Back: short, level from the withers to the high-set tail 
Body: short and cobby, wide in the chest
Tail: curled as tightly as possible over the hip with the double-curled tail preferable
Forequarters: strong, straight, moderate length and set well under
Hindquarters: strong, powerful of moderate bend
Thighs & buttocks and hindquarters: full and muscular
Legs are parallel when viewed from behind. Gait firm
Nails: black
Feet face the front
Markings: well-defined, muzzle or mask, ears, nose, moles on cheeks, thumb-mark or diamond on the forehead and trace are as black a possible Paws land squarely with the center toes pointing straight ahead, free and self-assured