There are a lot of arguments in many Pug information sources as to where the Pug originated and what breeds went into making such a distinctive looking dog. All the sources agree the dog has Asian roots, although not all of the experts are convinced that China was their home country. However, snub-nosed golden dogs were recorded in the days of Confucius, about 700 BCE. A more detailed report is found of Chinese dogs that very much resembled Pugs in 400 BCE.
The origins of the Pug are shrouded in mystery and controversy. Some say there is written proof that they existed in 400 BCE, but some insist that there was proof they existed as far back as 700 BCE. It is generally believed that Pugs were originally from Asia, most likely China. This is logical, since all other breeds of snubbed-faced dogs originated in China, in particular, the Pekingese. There is some thought that the snub-nosed dogs mentioned in Chinese writings around 700 BCE were actually Pekingese and not Pugs.
Small snub-nosed dogs in China were considered Imperial property. Chinese Emperor Ling To (168 – 190 CE) is reported to have any Pug-nappers be put to death. However, his Pugs had Imperial guards around them, so they were most likely safe. Back then it is thought Pugs came in both long and short coats, again suggesting a Pekingese influence. Pugs were also seen in many colors, not just the three colors recognized today (fawn, black and silver).
This is because a Pug’s timely warning saved his master, William, Prince of Oranges, from an assassin’s strike. By the sixteen hundreds, Pugs were popular in most European courts. Other famous owners of Pugs were Josephine (Napoleon’s wife, who proves she always liked them small) and the popular English painter William Hogarth.
Other Pug owners of note throughout history include Josephine, the infamous wife of Napoleon and the English painter William Hogarth, who included his Pug “Trump” in several paintings. If Hogarth was accurate, then Pugs in the sixteenth century had much longer legs, leaner frames and slightly longer noses than they do today.
The Pug as we know it didn’t come into being until the formation of a breed standard in the 1800’s. Although Pugs had been longhaired, they now had to come in short haired coats in order to be shown. Pugs used to come in many different colors, but for some reason only three official colors are allowed in both the show rings of Europe and America.
The Pug as we know today came about in the 1800’s, when the first organized dog shows began in Europe. It didn’t take long for the idea of dog shows to cross the Atlantic. The American Kennel Club (AKC) officially recognized the breed in 1885.
Since the Pug has stuck by man throughout the centuries, the least we can do is breed healthier Pugs.
