History of Petdog “Pug”

A Pug is a toy dog breed with a wrinkly face and medium-small body. Pug puppies are often called puglets.The word “pug” may have come from the Old English pugg, which was an affectionate term for a playful little devil or monkey.

The popularity of the Pug continued to spread in France during the eighteenth century. Before her marriage at age 15 to Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette owned a Pug named Mops (the German, Dutch, Russian, Danish and Swedish name for the dog’s breed. Before her marriage to Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine had her Pug, Fortune, carry concealed messages to her family while she was confined at Les Carmes prison. The pet was the only recipient of visiting rights.

The English painter William Hogarth owned a series of Pugs, to which he was devoted. In 1745 he painted his self-portrait together with that of his Pug, Trump, now in the Tate Gallery, London.

In nineteenth century England, Pugs flourished under the patronage of the monarch Queen Victoria. Her many Pugs, which she bred herself, included Olga, Pedro, Minka, Fatima and Venus.Her involvement with the dogs in general helped to establish the Kennel Club, which was formed in 1873. Victoria favoured apricot and fawn Pugs, whereas the aristocrat Lady Brassey is credited with making black Pugs fashionable after she brought some back from China in 1886.

The Pug arrived in the United States during the nineteenth century (the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1885)and was soon making its way into the family home and show ring.