Читать книгу Puggle - Miriam Fields-Babineau - Страница 13

Let’s look at what happens when we bring the Pug and Beagle together. Because both individual breeds have similar attributes, the Puggle isn’t drastically different from the parent breeds in size or temperament. Also as with the parent breeds, this little dog is long lived, typically reaching 15 years.

The Puggle does differ in appearance from the Pug and the Beagle. Puggles are about 13–15 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh an average of 15–30 pounds. However, there is such a thing as a Pocket Puggle, where the dam is a small Olde English Pocket Beagle, weighing only 8–12 pounds, which makes the pups quite small.

Puggles are energetic little dogs with short fawn or tan coats, black faces and wrinkled foreheads. Their legs are short, stocky and straight. Most have tails that curl upward, some over their backs. Their ears droop or fold over. Unlike the Pug, the Puggle’s eyes don’t bulge outward, but they are still large, dark, liquid, soulful eyes that steal many hearts.

The Puggle’s short coat requires little care besides regular brushing, and other grooming tasks are minimal: the typical cleaning of ears and clipping of nails. Those Puggles with very wrinkled foreheads should have the creases cleaned to prevent skin infections, to which this hybrid is prone. Because he sheds a lot, the Puggle is not the dog for those with allergies or for people who don’t like vacuuming.

Puggles inherit their temperament from both parent breeds, and both the Beagle and the Pug are friendly, loving and great with other dogs. With a Puggle, nobody is a stranger, and being a lap dog is the ultimate luxury. Puggles love nothing more than to curl up and cuddle, though they do have a lot of energy when they play. Their gait, a combination of rolling and trotting, is funny to watch and their expressions are priceless.

Puggles are willful, a trait they inherit from the hound side, but their intelligence makes the training process fairly easy. They can learn any command and can perform tricks very well. House-training is often an issue, though, as their small size can make their human companions lax with the rules. Yes, their droppings may be small, but they need to be potty-trained just like any other dog. Puggles can easily learn to do their business outside or in a litterbox indoors.

Wave hello to a hybrid who’s exploded onto the designer-dog scene.