Puggle Blog

Puggle, Thunder & Lightning

2006-07-13T15:01:00.000-04:00

Last night, Puggles experienced his first thunder and lightning storm, ever! At the start of the storm Puggles was curiously watching the window light up with lightning. Once the storm was overhead the thunder startled him. As the thunder got louder, Puggles would jump further back from the window. It was hysterical because he could not drag himself away from watching the window, even though he was afraid. He cuddled up next to me, eyes glued to the flashing window until the storm passed.

My Rain-hating Puggle

2006-07-12T21:13:00.000-04:00

Ever since I got my puggle he has completely despised the rain. As soon as we walk outside and it is raining he immediately turns around to go back inside. Since we still have to go for a walk, Puggles will walk ever-so-painfully slow along the side of the building to avoid getting wet. If by chance he does get wet, he stops and looks at me pitifully.
If Puggles was a normal dog I could buy him a cute little raincoat and call it a day. Unfortunately, he freaks out whenever we try to dress him in anything (sweater, raincoat, costumes etc). If I had started dressing Puggles as soon as I got him, he would probably be more acceptant of doggie-clothes.

Puggle Gear for Humans

2006-07-11T21:05:00.000-04:00

Check out this pro-puggle gear for puggles and owners here!
Way to support your dog!

Snuggle a Puggle

2006-07-11T20:49:00.000-04:00

Not only are puggles full of energy, but they are great snugglers once they use that energy up. Everyone that I talk to who has a puggle says that puggles are very cuddly. At night, as soon as I turn the lights off, Puggles will curl up at the end of the bed. After about an hour he will work his way up to me and burrow under the blankets and sleep close to me for the rest of the night. It is adorable! When my alarm goes off he usually sighs and snuggles closer. I usually have to coax him out of bed to go for a walk so that I am not late for work.

Puggle roll?

2006-07-11T20:34:00.000-04:00

I am not sure if it is a puggle thing, or a general dog practice, but every time Puggles sees a door mat he throws himself down and rolls around on his back. The larger and dirtier the mat the better. He would do this all day if I let him. Unfortunately once he bends down, it is near impossible to stop him. I have resorted to pulling, dragging, threatening, and leaving him there. None of the above work very well. It is really embarrassing when we walk by a fancy restaurant and he rolls himself around in front of a ton of people. After realizing that "no" wasn't working, I am now using treats to lure him away from the mats, and when possible, avoiding them.

Puggle puppies for Sale!

2006-07-10T10:14:00.000-04:00

If you are interested in buying a puggle, check this website out:

Breeder writes, "I have 4 adorable puggle puppies ready to go to a new home. 1st shot, wormed and paper trained. 2 females & 2 males. 2 Each of bl. & white and fawn. Please contact me if interested in giving them a great home. Very loving breed, get along great w/ other animals and pets. Mine are well sociailzed and hand raised in my home."

For more information, click on the above link for email address and telephone number.

July Puggle Meetup

2006-07-09T20:37:00.000-04:00

The July Puggle Meetup was a great time.
Here are some pictures.
All of the puggles got along really well together and played the whole time. It's so funny to see them in a group because they run, bark and play exactly the same. After hours of running, my puggle is passed out sleeping. The aftermath is one of my favorite parts of the meetups.

Next Meetup the first Sunday in August.

Puggle, Mouse Hunter Round 2

2006-07-09T20:15:00.000-04:00

What a night! Last night Puggles was pawing at the side of the couch, which isn't totally abnormal behavior for my dog. I didnt think anything of it until the pawing became more rapid, and a tiny mouse shot from under the couch to under the TV stand. Puggles quickly followed and stood guard in front of the TV. With no luck, we set traps and went to bed.
Unfortunately, I went to bed, but Puggles stayed up mouse-hunting. Every slight noise or movement, Puggles would jump of the bed and try to attack. Finally after over an hour of "hunting" we both went to sleep.

Puggle, Mouse Hunter?

2006-07-07T19:43:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday night, Puggles was calmly laying on the couch eating a bone. All of a sudden, he jumped across the room, instantly becoming airborn. As he landed I saw a tiny little tail sneak under the couch in the nick of time. After screaming for my roommates, Puggles tried to shove himself under our very low couch. Without much luck, he tried to paw the mouse from under the couch, which made "Jeffrey" (we had to name him) run under the loveseat. After moving the second couch, the Jeffrey ran into our closet in the living room. Puggles, aggressively pawed at the closet door, until I made my roommate hold him back. I decided that a mouse was not going to be dinner for Puggles. After a half hour of mouse hunting we finally found a mouse trap, and Jeffrey moved out for good.

Puggles and Fireworks

2006-07-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

In celebration of July 4th I was debating whether to take Puggles with me to see fireworks so that he didnt have to be stuck inside by himself. A few people warned me that he would be frightened, nervous, and probably bark the whole time. Others told me that he might flip out and need to leave. After thinking about all of this I decided to take him with me anyway, and if he got upset we could go back to our apartment, since the fireworks were only a few blocks away.
When the fireworks started, I made sure to watch Puggles intently. At first there was no reaction. The boom of the fireworks didn't seem to phase him, which made me wonder-is he deaf? Once the fireworks really got going Puggles seemed to be watching eagerly. His ears and head would perk up and turn from side to side when there were a lot of fireworks. He was quite funny.
We took this as a sign that he liked fireworks.

Puggles- lap dog or large dog?

2006-07-03T21:05:00.000-04:00

Puggles have an estranged sense of self. One minute they are a tiny lap dog that wants to cuddle and be carried around like a baby. Other times they think they are tough Boxers that can play-fight with the other 70+ lb. dogs. I have noticed that the change can be instant, which is kind of hilarious. My Puggles usually eggs on the biggest dogs at the dog park and then comes running for safety on my lap.
Some dog parks have two areas, side for small dogs, usually 25 lbs. and under and an area for large dogs 25+ lbs. I have always taken Puggles to the large dog side, even though he is only 21 lbs. He plays rougher than most small dogs, and always chooses to play with a dog much bigger than he is.
While walking on the street, Puggles usually acts like a large dog. If he hears/sees a garbage truck, motocycle, or bicycle rider he aggressively tries to run after them. I honestly am not sure what Puggles would do once he caught up to them if I let him.
So, in the case of puggles, they are definitely both lap-dogs and large dogs all in one!

Puggles-the most friendly dog ever?

2006-07-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

Since I have had my puggle he has always been very friendly and approachable to other dogs and even more so to people. While walking, if anyone even looks at him and smiles he trots right over to be petted. He will usually sit down and lean on the person if they will pet him long enough.
At the dog park, Puggles would rather meet all of the people and sit on their laps, than play with their dogs. At first when children would run up to Puggles on the street and ask to pet him I used to get a bit nervous. Since he is so hyper I didn't want him to get excited and scare the kids. Thankfully when children run up to Puggles he sits/lays down and lets them pet him for as long as they want.
The one drawback of having a friendly puggle is that they could never be a guard dog.
The one exception to my puggle's friendliness is homeless people. My very friendly puggle turns into a ferocious dog when he sees a homeless person. Since they usually egg him on by reaching out for him, it makes him bark even louder. Onlookers chuckle as I try to tame/drag Puggles away as the homeless person keeps calling for him.

So overall puggles are very friendly dogs.

Reuniting with Puggles!

2006-06-29T11:37:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-25T09:43:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

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 = ?

2006-06-20T20:29:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-19T22:48:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-15T11:20:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-15T09:09:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-13T09:25:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-11T23:19:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-11T22:58:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-06T12:44:00.000-04:00

Puggle Picture 1

2006-06-06T12:40:00.000-04:00

General Overview of Puggles

2006-06-04T21:04:00.000-04:00

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