The Pug originates from China. It is small, adorable, and generally very considerate toward people. It does not need a huge amount of exercise and does not require complicated coat styling. So why do so few people keep Pugs, and why do some people say they regret it shortly after starting? The answer lies in the breed's drawbacks.
Pugs Have Strong Body Odor
Pugs are often considered one of the smellier dog breeds. If you raise one, regular bathing, wrinkle cleaning, and expression of the anal glands are all needed to control odor. Many owners who cannot tolerate strong smells choose breeds such as Poodles or Bichons instead, because those dogs generally have less odor and often just smell of shampoo.
Pugs Snore Loudly
Anyone who has kept a Pug knows that it often snores while sleeping. If the dog falls asleep before you do, the snoring may keep you awake. If you are already a light sleeper, it may even wake you up after you have fallen asleep. For people who love quiet or who sleep lightly, the Pug may not be an ideal choice.
Pugs Look Unusual
Some people think a Pug is a little ugly-looking, especially because of the wrinkles on its face. Those same wrinkles are also part of the reason the dog snores. Of course, other people love the breed specifically because of those wrinkles and find them cute. Even so, anyone keeping a Pug should clean those facial folds regularly.
Pugs Shed a Lot
Even though the Pug's coat is short, it still belongs to a shedding breed. In many cases, diet plays a major role in how severe the shedding becomes. If the dog is often fed ordinary human food, the shedding may become worse because such food is nutritionally unbalanced for dogs and often too salty. This can also contribute to tear stains. For that reason, a light diet is best, with a mild, low-salt, balanced dog food as the main staple.
Pugs Are Not Easy to Train
Pugs are not considered highly intelligent, so training them is not especially simple. Owners need to be patient and often use treats as motivation, because Pugs usually love food. Food rewards can make them more cooperative, but training sessions should still be kept short, around fifteen minutes, because they do not maintain patience for very long.
So yes, some people do regret starting to raise a Pug, but in most cases the reason is not that the dog is bad. It is that the owner did not fully understand these very real breed traits in advance.