Q&A for How to Live with a Pug Dog

A crate is your friend! Dogs don't like to poop or pee where they sleep, so an appropriate size crate will be extremely helpful to have them hold it in for a short period of time before you lift them up. Take them outside and set them down on the surface where you'd like them to pee or poop (usually grass, dirt or something like that outside). If you walk the dog from point A to point B, they'll likely urinate or defecate on the way, which is why it's important to pick them up. Then, say whatever verbal cue you'd like (such as "go pee" or "go potty") and then give them a treat to immediately reward the behavior.

Make sure that you're feeding them high-quality food—oftentimes, excess shedding is related to the quality of the food. Beyond that, be sure to groom and inspect your pet to make sure their nails are trimmed, their skin is pliable, their coat is shiny, and they're not shedding excessively. It can help to check for hotspots while you're brushing them, as well as fleas, ticks, and any other bumps that might materialize.

This is largely a matter of personal preference, but dogs in general are more active at dawn and dusk, so breakfast and suppertime are good. Pugs under three months of age should be fed 4 times a day, but by the age of six months twice daily feeding is fine. Always give your pug the opportunity to toilet, around 15 - 20 minutes after eating, as food in the stomach stimulates the bowel.

An average weight is around 14 - 18 lbs, however, a small framed pug would be overweight at 18lbs and a larger male may be underweight at 14lb. Rather than have a general guide which could be inappropriate for your dog, it's best to body score the dog. This is a measure the fat cover over the ribs, usually giving a score between 0 - 10 where, 0 is emaciated and 10 is obese. The ideal score is 5 - 6, meaning you can feel individual ribs but the dog isn't bony, and they have a visible waistline.