Pug: Size, Lifespan and Care Basics

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives the Pug a life expectancy of 13 to 15 years. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the UK puts the breed in its “over 10 years” band.

Both figures describe the breed as a whole. They are ranges for typical dogs of the breed, not a forecast for any one dog.

Of the 30 breeds profiled on Pettify, 6 have a longer upper estimate than the Pug and 17 a shorter one.

The RKC suggests grooming a Pug once a week and describes the coat as short; it lists the breed as one that sheds. On the AKC’s scales the breed rates 4 out of 5 for shedding and 2 out of 5 for how often the coat needs care.

Short does not mean shed-free. Once a week, a hound glove, a rubber mitt or a medium-bristle brush gathers the loose hair from the glossy coat. Bath time, in the AKC’s view, comes only after a messy outing or once a doggy smell appears.

The color range is short. The AKC names silver or apricot-fawn with a black mask, or all black; the RKC lists fawn, apricot and silver, each with a black mask, and black.

The RKC puts the exercise a Pug needs at up to 1 hour a day. The AKC rates the breed 3 out of 5 for energy and 3 out of 5 for mental stimulation needs.

Daily walks or play sessions in the yard are the AKC’s answer for a breed it calls playful, sturdy and lively. Given the chance, by the same account, a Pug would also gladly spend long stretches on the sofa.

The mind needs work as much as the legs. The RKC says regular play keeps a Pug from getting bored, and the breed takes part in agility, obedience and rally.

The AKC gives the adult weight of the Pug as “14–18 pounds”, which is 6.4–8.2 kg. The height at the shoulder is 10–13 inches.

The AKC traces the Pug back some 2,000 years, to China, where emperors kept small companion dogs at court and outsiders could get one only as a gift. Dutch traders brought the breed to Europe in the 1500s, and it became tied to the House of Orange; legend says a Pug saved a Prince of Orange by barking to warn of a Spanish attack. When William and Mary took the English throne, their Pugs came too and set off a fashion among the British.

Nothing about the breed was meant for work, as the RKC points out. Charming, loving and mischievous are the AKC’s words for it, and the ratings read like a companion’s résumé: affection for family 5 out of 5, openness to strangers 5 out of 5, other dogs 4 out of 5 and adaptability 5 out of 5. Barking rates 1 out of 5.

Training is where the charm meets a will of its own. Trainability rates 4 out of 5, but the RKC warns of a strong will that can slow lessons down. Praise and rewards suit a dog that the club describes as sensitive to tone, and a heavy hand gets nowhere. Pettify’s care plan gives a Pug puppy status until 9 months.

Time at home is the real requirement. Long spells alone do not suit a Pug, in the RKC’s experience, so the breed is a better match for a household where someone is in for much of the day. The RKC’s home lines, a flat with a small or medium garden in town or country, show how little space the breed needs.

Its many names hint at how far the Pug has traveled: Lo-sze in China, Mopsi in Finland, Doguillo in Spain. The AKC also tells how Josephine, wife of Napoleon, used her Pug Fortune to carry secret messages under its collar while she was imprisoned at Les Carmes.