7 Essential Questions to Ask Before Getting a Puggle

A wonderful mix of a pug father and a beagle mother, puggles are one of the newest and most unique dog breeds in the world! What makes them so unique? Could it be the pug-like face on a stocky but still beagle-like body? Or the adorable snoring combined with a high-energy playfulness? This new and puzzling breed is one of the best things to come out of Wisconsin in a while and we’ll explore all its cool specifics below!

What are the key characteristics that make Puggle dogs special?

The puggle breed is so new that it’s not even recognized by most international kennel clubs yet. This doesn’t mean that puggles aren’t fantastic pets, however, as they most definitely are. Cute and cuddly like pugs, playful and energetic, as beagles, and adorable as both, puggles are fantastic for people who work from home or have families with kids.

Do they have some of the drawbacks of their parent breeds, however? Do they have anything specific you should keep in mind? Let’s explore the breed in more detail below.

The 7 pros and cons you should know before getting a Puggle

Pros:

1. Puggles are highly intelligent and quite self-minded

Puggles are quite an intelligent dog breed even if they look a little silly. Above those wrinkled muzzles are two deep brown eyes that understand the world around them much better than we’d often suspect.

At the same time, however, puggles also have a self-mindedness that’s very typical to both pugs and beagles. They are not selfish in any way – they love their humans – but they do what they want to do when they want to do it.

What does this mean, exactly?

It means that if you want to play with the ball - well, your puggle wants to play with the stick so that’s what you’re playing with!

2. This is a very social breed that loves to be around people

Puggles may be self-driven but they need people around them. These little pups want what they want and what they usually want is to play with you or nap in your lap.

This makes puggles a phenomenal breed for people who work from home or who have kids or larger families. In those cases, both the puggle would be happy for always having humans around and those humans would be happy for having a puggle pup to play with.

What if you’re rarely home, however?

In those cases, it’s better to not get a puggle but pick a less social and active dog breed. Or a cat. If puggles are left alone for lots of hours per day, every day, then you can expect them to get overly bored, to start suffering from separation anxiety, to grow depressed, less obedient, and to even develop destructive tendencies toward your furniture. This isn’t a puggle-specific problem either, every dog breed that’s both social and intelligent is like that.

But if you do want to get a puggle and leave them home alone, here are a few tips for ensuring your pup’s happiness:

• Get a dog sitter or arrange for playdates with the dogs of another dog owner.

• Make sure you give your puggle a great deal of attention both before you leave him and when you come back – if the pup’s completely exhausted when you’re away, he’ll be more likely to just sleep through it.

• Take some interactive dog toys and dog puzzles for your puggle to play with when you’re away. Make sure to get him new stuff regularly to keep him engaged.

• Get your puggle a second pet to play with!

3. Puggles get along great with other dogs and pets

If you are thinking of getting your puggle a pet pal or if you have another animal already, fear not – puggles get along swimmingly with other animals! Of course, like all dogs and pets, puggled will need a bit of socialization at first but once they get to know their new four-legged roommates, they’ll love them as much as they love their two-legged ones.

4. These dogs are surprisingly healthy for a Brachycephalic breed

Puggles inherit the Brachycephalic syndrome of pugs which isn’t fun. While cute, this flat-nosed condition makes them susceptible to breathing problems, overheating, hyperventilation, and other such issues. It also gives puggles the adorable snoring of pugs but the rest of the consequences of Brachycephalic syndrome shouldn’t be ignored.

What does this mean?

It means that you should watch out for:

• High-stress situations

• High temperatures in the summer

• Other dangerous conditions related to Brachycephalic syndrome such as inspiratory stridor, asphyxia, etc.

Aside from the consequences of the puggles’ flat nose, however, the breed is surprisingly healthy. They are somewhat prone to “cherry eye” and progressive retinal atrophy, as well as hip dysplasia, all of which are common for many breeds. The wrinkles on their body also mean that you should maintain a good coat and skincare to avoid skin infections.

And that’s about it – mostly standard issues that are common across the canine world. If you look after your pup properly, your puggle should live a happy and healthy 10 to 15 years.

Of course, routine vet check-ups are a must. It’s also a good idea to always ask for a health certificate for your pup, whether you’re getting it from a reputable dog breeder or a shelter.

5. While Puggles don’t have the short nose of regular pugs, they snore just like their father breed

This is a minor one and it might even be a “con” for some people but it’s worth mentioning – puggles have inherited the adorable snoring of pugs. If you want to sleep with your pup and you’re easily woken up, this might be a drawback. However, most pug and puggle owners love the light snoring of their pets so, for them, this is definitely a positive.

Cons:

6. Puggles shed much more than you’d expect by looking at them

It’s understandable to look at puggles and conclude that they probably don’t shed that much.

But you’d be wrong.

Puggles inherit the coats of beagles and they shed a lot. Fortunately, these are small dogs and their coats are short so it’s not as disastrous as a Samoyed in shedding season. But you should still be ready for lots of short brown fur floating around your home, especially during shedding season twice a year.

The solution?

Brush your puggle’s coat at least several times a week with a nice soft brush to get the excess hair yourself. And for everything you can’t get that way – get a good vacuum.

7. Just like beagles and pugs, the Puggle breed is not exactly “obedient”

Most people assume that intelligent dogs are easy to train. That’s true for some breeds but not so much for others. Self-minded dogs like pugs, beagles, and puggles, can be notoriously difficult to train. Unlike working dog breeds, puggles just don’t have that strong of a drive to obey their owners.

This doesn’t mean that your puggle doesn’t love you, respect you, or want to please you – it just means that they are a little bit more self-minded. Essentially, they are the cats of dogs.

Does this mean that you can’t train puggles?

Absolutely not. Puggles are huge gastronomes – they love to eat, they love to try new foods, and they love to receive treats. In other words – they become much easier to train with the right doggie treats in your pocket.

Another way to make training puggles easier is to focus more on positive reinforcement. This is generally advisable for all dogs as negative reinforcement is just not a good (or moral) strategy overall.

However, positive reinforcement training is even more effective on puggles than it is on most other dogs – that’s how much they love to be petted and to receive your love.

Who are Puggle pups “right” for?

Puggles are ideal for people who love the gentle and playful nature of pugs as well as the energetic playfulness of beagles. If you are an indoors-type person, you have a family with kids, or you want a small dog pal for your other pet, and you are wondering between pugs and beagles – puggles are likely the perfect dog for you.

Do keep in mind their snoring if you want them to sleep in your bed, however, and be ready for a fair bit of hair brushing. Then again, if you’d enjoy both these things too, then you definitely need to get a puggle!

How to prepare for getting a Puggle?

As a small and mostly indoors dog breed, puggles are generally easy to take care of. They do need a couple of walks per day, of course, but they can spend the rest of the time running around the apartment and playing ball with you there.

So, there are very few things you’d need to do to prepare for a puggle and they are typical for most other dog breeds anyway. Learn how to housetrain and obedience train your puggle, get a good dog brush, read a bit more into Brachycephalic syndrome, and – if you want your puggle to sleep in the bedroom – invest in earplugs.