Reuniting with Puggles!

After almost a week apart, I returned home, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Puggles. I was a little nervous that he wouldn't remember me or that he would be mad that I had left him for so long.
Thankfully, as soon as he saw me he ran full speed and jumped into my arms. After 10 minutes of kisses, jumps and licks, he was back to normal. I could tell he was happy to be back at home, when he eagerly took me for a walk around the block and dashed up the stairs to our apartment. Once inside he grabbed his favorite toy and was ready to play. After playing for a while, and examining the apartment for new items, Puggles exhaustedly curled up on my bed.
I guess all of the excitement of the car ride, the reuniting, and the playing had exhausted him. Taking my cue, I went to bed, and was more than happy to snuggle my precious puggle.

Vacationing without your puppy

Can pet owners suffer from puppy-separation?
Recently I went on a business trip and had to leave Puggles for the first "long" trip. He had never spent more than 2 consecutive nights without me since I got him.
I went through a quick checklist to make sure I was doing this in the most non-traumatic way for him (and me).

First I racked my brain to find who would be the best match to watch him. Then I called to ask for the huge favor and give some preliminary directions. Then as my trip came closer I tried to give Puggles as much love as I could (crazy I know). I felt like overstocking him with affection would somehow hold him over.
The night before I was leaving I doublechecked that I had packed everything on his list, from food, to favorite toys, to extra treats. I next wrote out very specific directions and made sure that if anything went wrong that they would call me immediately.

Leaving was definitely the hardest part, I felt so bad for him as the car drove away. His face looked like, "Hey wait, what is she doing?!". I smiled and waved as my wonderful puppy-sitters fed him treats to appease him.
After calling them to check in many times, I finally feel ok about leaving him.
So far he has been very wellbehaved, no accidents, no issues, and he has had a lot of fun.
I am sure I will keep calling to check in, I can't help it, Puggles is like my child.
This will definitely ease the puppy-separation for my next trip.
I just hope that when I get home, Puggles is as excited to see me as I am to see him!

Puggle Meet Ups

If you are running out of puggle-friendly things to do this summer, go to

Meetup.com

to find a puggle Meet Up group in your area. Above is a picture from the New York City Puggle Meet Up.
The site features pictures, profiles of puggles and their owners, a message forum to discuss puggle questions/issues and meetup event schedules.
This site is a very handy tool to have when you need immediate feedback from a fellow puggle-owner.
The meet ups are a total blast! The puggles seem to sense that they are all similar and play quite well together. They all seem to play, run and jump the same!

So if you are in need of some puggle advice or a puggle play date check out Meetup.com and search for puggles!

Puggles + Water = ?

Ever since I got my puggle, he absolutely hated getting a bath. He squirms when he sees me preparing a bath and tries to spastically escape while I wash him. This has gotten so bad, that I now pay to have him groomed, just so I do not have to deal with his bath tantrums.

Then a few weeks ago I went to the dog park and there was a plastic baby pool. I figured that Puggles would steer clear of the pool but he went over, examined, and tentatively went in. After a few shy attempts he was diving right in, and even laying down. I couldn't believe it! How could he like the baby pool when he despises the bath?
I think he was peer (dog) pressured, since all of the other dogs were doing it.
I am hoping this will make the bath experience a little less awful for him.

A Day in the life of Puggles

Bad Day Puggles
On a bad day, nothing can satisfy my puggle. These days are growing farther apart but sometimes he just has a bad day.
On these days he will want to chew everything in sight, and I go through our collection of toys trying to keep him interested. He gets restless, and walks around, almost not being able to decide what to do. To avert his attention, I usually
try to play a game of fetch (which only works inside), go to the dog park, fill a Kong toy (as pictured above) or find a bone that he likes. On an "off" day at the dog park he runs around like a speed demon tempting other dogs (most who do not want to play) to chase him. One of these options will usually work, but somedays he just has a bad day.

Good Day Puggles
On a good day puggles is happy, moderately energetic and very loving. He will cuddle on the couch and watch TV or bring you a toy to play with. On these good days he is happy to listen and follow directions. On a good day at the dog park, puggles will play nicely with the other dogs and come and check every so often.
Now my mission is to figure out what triggers these good or bad days and try to promote more good days to occur.

Puggle Adoption

Adopt Me!


In case you are strapped for cash but still really want a puggle or any puppy, check out http://www.petfinder.com/. It is a site that lets you search for dogs to adopt in your area, by breed.
When you search, puggles are not listed under the breed "puggle", they are listed as pug, beagle.
There are so many cute puggles waiting for a nice home, so check it out!

The Cost of Puppy Love

Everyone always told me to think long and hard before buying a puppy. Without hesitation, I took their precautions and tossed them out the window, thinking they were nothing more than excuses.

Then I bought a puggle and realized exactly what they meant.

I honestly had no idea how much it would cost to purchase a dog, get all of the supplies and maintain them.

On a whim, I bought a puggle for $950.
At the pet store I bought th cage, collar, leash, a few toys, and dog food for $150.
Then we went to Petco to stock up on some treats $30.
Then it was time to go to the vet, (that is where all the money goes).
The puppy needs tests, and shots, and more shots and it comes out to be about $200-$300 depending on your vet.
Then if your puppy gets sick, the visit costs anywhere between $70-$100 and the medicine is extra.
Once you are settled with all of the puppy staples, you will need to regularly replenish your dog food (20lb bag= approx $25) and treats (about $30 for one month's supply).
If you groom your dog yourself you can save a significant amount of money. Grooming a small dog can cost anywhere from $30 to $70 depending on the facility.

So honestly, before you fall in love with that adorable puppy make sure you have enough money in your bank account to give your puppy everything he/she needs, without breaking the budget.

Celebrity Puggle Frenzy

For about a year, puggles have been all the rage for everyone, including celebrities. There have been waiting lists, price lifts and a ton of buzz associated with the newly created hybrids.
These new "it" dogs were engineered to be extremely friendly, adorable, healthier dogs than their respective parents. Who knew they would become as much of a designer accessory as a Fendi bag.

Thus far there are 4 mega stars that own puggles:

Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured with his puggle, Boo Radley)
James Gandolfini
Juliane Moore
Sylvester Stallone

So far Jake Gyllenhaal has been the only one in the spotlight.
More information to come on the celebrities and their puggles.


Photo from http://justjared.blogspot.com/2006/01/jake-gyllenhaal-puggle.html

The many sides to a puggle's personality

1) Loving-Most puggles want to be pet, give kisses, or snuggle in your lap for the majority of the time

2)Playful- Puggles will literally play 'til they drop!

3) Jealous- Most puggles are pretty happy, until someone (or something) else steals the attention away from them. Recently at the dog park a cute little terrier jumped up on my lap. From about 25 feet away, Puggles ran at full speed and shoved the poor dog off of my lap. He then proceeded to sit up on my lap proudly, like Simba in the Lion King.

4) Crazy- sometimes puggles just need to get their exhausting amount of energy out.
One day after work my hyper puggle snuck out the front door to my house and started doing crazy figure 8's on our lawn. Seeing he had no intention of coming back in, I started to panic and ran after him. The workmen next door, who just finished laying cement on my neighbor's driveway decided to help. Before i knew it Puggles had cruised throughthe freshly placed cement, numerous times before I snatched him off the ground.

5) Stubborn-Sometimes, for no reason at all, puggles stop listening. They definitely hear you and understand but they decide to ignore you. It is quite frustrating.

6) Curious-They need to examine (i.e. smell or taste) everything!

Overall, puggles are sweet, good-tempered, friendly dogs that have lots of energy to spare.

One puggle's path of destruction

Everyone says that before you get a dog you should think about the time commitment and responsibility. I say you should seriously think about the possible damage beforehand.

Since I got my puggle, "Puggles", he has done some significant property damage. (Not to mention damage to my checking account!)

Puggles's destruction thus far:

• Almost all of his furry toys
• 1 pair of shoes
• 1 brand new mattress
• 3 leashes
• 1 corner of the rug
• 1 wooden dresser
• any possible wire or cord
• 1 cell phone antenna
• 3 sweaters
• 4 pairs of pants
• 1 pillow
• 2 pairs of sheets
• any garbage can in his way (full of course)

Most of the above damage happened between 9-12 months old. Thankfully at 15 months old, Puggles is calming down and listening better than ever.

And yes, even with all of his destruction, he is still priceless.

Puggle Picture 2

Puggle Picture 1

General Overview of Puggles

General facts about puggles:

• Puggles are part pug and part beagle
• They range in size from about 15-25 pounds
• They are usually light brown, dark brown or black
• They are high-energy, stubborn to train, loving, and loyal
• Great with children
• Very smart
• Puggles play well with other dogs
• Puggles do shed but since they are short-haired dogs they do not need to be trimmed

Purchasing your puggle:

• For the best deal and the healthiest dog, purchase your dog through a reputable breeder
• Puggles are also available at most pet stores

Health:

• Puggles are usually healthy
• They require minimal grooming
• Some have minor breathing problems and sensitive ears