Puggle

Puggle
The appearance of a Puggle varies.
Origin	United States
Breed status	Not recognized as a breed by any major kennel club.
Dog (domestic dog)

A puggle is a crossbreed between two breeds of dogs, a pug and a beagle.

Appearance

A 1 year old Puggle colored more like a Beagle than a Pug.

Puggles tend to be between 15–30 pounds and stand 13–15 inches at the shoulders. While colors vary, the vast majority are fawn–colored with wrinkled black masks similar to Pug. There are also completely black as well as multicolored puggles, both of which tend to have a longer body, slightly increased size, and longer nose and floppy ears associated with beagles. There are advantages for the mix breed. For instance, while pugs tend to have pushed in faces, puggles do not. This avoids respiratory problems, which is associated with pugs. Likewise, most puggles do not inherit the notorious beagle howl.

Some Puggles carry more traits from a Beagle or a Pug so their appearances may vary. This is due to the decreased ability to predict which attributes will be inherited from which parent. Commonly referred to as a "designer dog", puggles have a playful temperament. Since they are classified as "lap dogs", puggles love to cuddle.

Puggles have a tail the length of a Beagle's, but it tends to be curled like a Pug's.

Health

A black puggle.

Because of their longer legs, eye socket size, and less effusive wrinkles, puggles often avoid many difficulties with eyes, joints, and skin wrinkles common to pugs. While pugs are particularly susceptible to heat stroke, the longer nasal cavity of the puggle makes the breed more tolerant to the heat, and less likely to overheat while running in the summer. Conversely, their nasal cavities are likely to be shorter and less efficient than those of beagles, which could be a problem if the dog also inherited the beagle's propensity to run; especially for long periods. Crossbreeds like puggles often inherit many genetic problems are their purebred parents are rarely tested for breed specific health problems such as OFA (hip/elbow displaysia), BAER (hearing) or CERF (eyes) testing.

Maintenance

Puggles are low maintenance dogs. They need an occasional bath, nail clipping, tooth brushing, and ear cleaning. They are not hypoallergenic because neither a Beagle nor a Pug are hypoallergenic. They shed quite a bit especially in the spring.

Temperament

2nd generation Puggle (pugglexpuggle)

As pets, puggles have the mild mannered yet playful "lap dog" qualities often associated with pugs, mixed with the more energetic tendencies typical of the hunting qualities of a beagle. A cheerful clown who loves to play but then quickly tires for a short nap, puggles are mid-sized dogs that make excellent house pets, and many puggle owners testify to their winning personality as one of their strongest points. Puggles are affectionate and get along well with children. They retain the friendly, laid-back disposition of both breeds, but while their size makes them perfect for apartments, they need a bit more exercise and attention than some traditional apartment dogs (pugs included). Puggles vary widely as to how often they bark. Some inherit the odd, nasal baying of beagles, a mix of a baying hound and the cooing of a pigeon (some say sounding like Gizmo from the movie Gremlins). That said, their barking is much more easy to deal with than most beagles, and many puggles are barely vocal at all. Some can be very wild and frisky.

Miscellaneous

The Puggle's face often shows the influence of the pug in its flat features and round eyes.

• Puggles are mixed breed dogs, and are not eligible for registration with any major kennel club. The AKC, the UKC, the NKC, The CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) and Continental Kennel Clubs do not recognize puggles as a breed. Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America offers a registry for sterile puggles. Puggles are terrific athletes, and enjoy field trials, agility trials and obedience. Some clubs offer these events to mixed breed dogs.

References

• New York Observer article about Puggles
• Columbia News article, "Puggles have dog breeders snarling"
• CBS news article "Designer Mutts"

External links

• Puggle.org : A site dedicated to puggles
• Preston the Puggle a blog about a very adorable and smart puggle living in California.[Image:Preston and Kong.jpg]]
• Oliver the Puggle