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These are some books I found helpful in trainning my dogs. I hope you will too.

Kennel club book ( Pug ) PUGS Raising a Champion, a guide Things needed to

By kennel club books A New Owner's Guide to Pugs to showing Dogs. know about Pugs

This is a story written by an AKC Writer,Brenda Belmonts. On puggles.It is my hope you will become more educated on this situation. For more info on this go to www.pugs.org

Designer Dogs

The subject of "designer dogs" has been well publicized. Supporters of new "breeds" imply that these hybridas are created to be genetically superior to their parents. There was the cockapoo and the peekapoo, then the labradoodle and the goldendoodle. Now the designer dog craze has hit the Pug fancy hard: puggles-Pug/Beagle crosses are in high demand, especially in the Midwest. We cannot escape inquiries about this new fad, and must be prepared to answer questions from prospective puppy buyers as well as from individuals looking to capitalize on the trend by breeding their Pugs. having worked with several puggles in the veterinary practice and in my training business, I've made some observations that can help educate Pug owners, both currnt and future:

Puggles shed! Incredibly, this dog is being marketed as a minimal shedding breed. An aspiring "puggle breeder" approached several Pug exhibitors at a show recently inquiring about using a Pug stud for her Beagle to begin breeding nonshedding puggles. I asked her why she thought two breeds that shed would produce a nonshedding puppy, and her response was, "It's OK, I have a West Highland White Terrier to help with that." I'll bet she isn't telling the puppy buyers though!

Puggles are not Toy-sized. One of the appealing traits of the Pug is his compact size. Cross this with a big Beagle (most of the puggle " breeders" aren't usen't the cute little 13-inch variety),and you get a dog who weighs around 30 pounds-assuming one of the parents really

is a Pug! Several of the puggles sold here have matured to weigh more than 45 pounds, and resemble Boxer mixes. How do you trace the parentage of these puppyies?

Puggles aren't smarter or easier to train. Neither Beagles nor Pugs get high marks for being highly motivated, obedience-traaining whiz kids! The puggle takes two breeds that are both somewhat stubborn-one with a great nose for mischief,the othe uninterested in anything other than seeking out his next meal and a warm spot to sleep-and combines them into a dog who doesn't know whether he should chase the rabbit, check out the garbage can, mark his territory, or snooze until something better comes alon!

Besides Pug/Beagle crosses, I have also seen an increase in Pug/Terrier mixes, Pug/Shih Tuz mixes, Pug/Boston Terrier crosses, and Pug/French Bulldog mixes in my area. Imagine what our rescue programs will be seeing in the next three to five years, once this fad passes!

Do your best to edcucate people when they inquire about these "designer dogs." As frustrating and irritating as the situation has become, we cannot eliminate the people who are attemoting to capitalizeon the unsuspecting puppy buyer. Instead,we can make every effort to educate people about this issue, and hope they'll make an informed decision regarding their puppy purchase.

Written by: Brenda Belmonte, 815 Jenkisson Ave.,

Lake Bluff,IL 60044: E-mailBenichpugs@sbcglobal.net.

Please educate yourself on this breed (Pugs) & any other breed your thinking of purchasing!