Queensland Pug Dog Club

The Orient undoubtedly gave the world this philosophical little fellow. During what century or what age, however, appears to be impossible to say. There is a Chinese object d’art depicting two dogs, both of the figures have a curled tail; the ears are small and fall forward as “button” ears; the blunt face with clearly discernible wrinkles has large, almost round eyes; and the artist certainly meant the observer to see a short coat. This piece pre-dated the Christian era by several hundred years and the dogs were, at the time the object was created, termed “Fu” or “Foo” dogs.

Little doubt exists that this “Fu” dog is the breed we now call Pug. Eventually, European traders brought the pug to Europe where they quickly gained popularity. It is not known for sure whether Pugs reached England before William III and Mary II came from Holland in 1688 bringing with them numerous Pugs. These royal Pugs enjoyed the favours of those monarchs. The breed became fashionable due to the royal patronage and it was not an uncommon sight to see a Pug with an orange ribbon around its neck in homage to its royal patron and the House of Orange.

It is believed that the Pug reached Europe via Dutch traders bringing back goods from China, others claim the Portuguese traders brought Pugs around the Cape of Good Hope from China and traded them to the Dutch. The Portuguese had established trade with China quite a bit earlier than the merchants of other Western countries.

During the siege of Peking in 1868 a pair of short-nosed dogs was captured in the palace of the Chinese Emperor. Brought to England these dogs were known as Lamb and Moss, together they produced a dog known as Click, who went on to beget Pugs of great excellence.

The Pug was popular on the continent as well as in England during the 18th century. A writer from Italy in 1786 alludes to the Pug as “a transplanted Hollander, carried thither originally from China,” and continues with “Every carriage I meet here has a Pug in it.”

It is generally not known that the ears of the breed were cropped in the early 19th century. Fortunately by the middle of 19th century the barbaric custom of ear cropping was discontinued.

The Pugs unique appearance and character have changed little over time apart from refinements from breeding to encourage and enhance those physical characteristics that have always made him so readily identifiable.

(Trullinger J.W. 1972 The Complete Pug. Doherty F. & Sims R. 1973 Pugs).