When trying to make a decision on whether to get a puggat or not, M and I soon found that there is very little information about the breed out there. Now that we’ve had our puggat, Roogy, for over two months, we have really seen his personality come alive and learned some things about puggats that nobody told us. So hopefully telling you of our experience with our dog will help you decide whether a puggat is a good match for you as well.
We got Roogy when he was eight weeks old from a dog breeder a few miles from our home. The pups had just been taken away from their mother and were in a new and strange environment, making them deceivingly timid. Even though baby puggats may appear to be shy, they most likely will not stay that way. However, each individual puggat will ultimately have a personality of its own, so keep in mind before you go looking as to what type of dog you are looking for. Our puggat happened to be the only pup that would crawl up to us and check us out. The others were very shy, although they slowly became more playful as they grew more confident with their surroundings.
When we took Roogy home, we were surprised at how quickly he grew comfortable with his surroundings. He didn’t show any fear about his new home, but rather seemed confident. Puggats are very playful! Roogy began playing fetch and returning the object just days after we got him. It was easy to see he enjoys human interaction. He can hardly contain his excitement when someone comes to the door. Puggats are people-friendly, and not so much a guard dog. Another thing we noticed was how rowdy he could be, but not at all aggressive. So if you are looking to get a puggat, know from the start that you are getting a ball of energy, and a lot of laughs too!
House-training is something you should start as soon as you bring your puggat home. Although I have never had the experience of housetraining a dog, I found it to be much easier than I thought. I had to have Roogy in my line of sight almost all the time in order to train him the right way from the start, but he didn’t have many messes that we didn’t catch. He finally got to the point where he would go to the door when he needed out in about a month’s time. And M and I are now better trained to looking for clues as to when he needs out. So just like any other dog, puggats will need a little dedication to making sure they get house-trained.
My favorite aspect about having a puggat is their love of cuddling. Ever since the first day we got ours, he has loved to crawl into our laps and go to sleep. I don’t know if it’s the pug in them or what, but they love to tuck themselves in right next to you. And while they’re sleeping is the perfect time to clip their nails, as we’ve learned the hard way. It’s also a fun time to check out your puggat’s teeth and see if it has an under bite, which I have heard can be quite common. One thing I have learned about Roogy is he loves to sleep in late, and he loves it when we let him in our bed. He makes it in every morning, and now he expects it. So don’t spoil your puggat unless you are prepared to pay the consequences, because they have good memory!
One thing we have found our puggat to love is baths. And he needs them! I was never told how much puggats shed. They have nice short hair, but they do shed. If you’re going to wear dark clothes, keep the lint roller around. We haven’t had Roogy long enough to find out what time of year he sheds the most, or if it stops at all, but just know it occurs. Needless to say, baths keep his coat looking shiny and smelling puppy-fresh. And I can tell he can’t wait to jump in when I start running that bath water!
Another great thing about puggats is that they are good listeners…at least most of the time. M has definitely got Roogy “whooped”. M showed him who’s boss one day and Roogy has listened to him ever since. If he is doing something bad, it just takes a snap of the fingers and a firm “come here” from M, and Roogy lays his ears back and pathetically belly-crawls towards M’s feet. He doesn’t listen as well to me, but I have my own ways of getting him to come to me, such as “want a treat?” That will send him running from wherever he is. I know, that’s probably not the best way to get his attention, but he was smart enough to pick up on it the first time I said it. That’s just another humorous aspect of having a puggat.
So if you are looking for a small dog that isn’t all fluff, puggats are the perfect way to go. In my opinion, they are the coolest small dog around. They’ll drive you nuts with their spunk, and make you melt with their cuddling. I’m sure we’ve got a lot more to learn about the personality of our puggat, being that he is now only four months old, but we’ll keep you posted.