You’ve just finished watching The Campaign with Will Ferrell with your entire family fell in love with Mittens and Poundcake, the two Pugs in the movie. You start wondering “are Pugs good family pets?” After all, it’s time to get a dog to teach your kids responsibility and unconditional love. Well, you’re in luck, we’re going to share why we think this is a great breed for families.
Are Pugs Good Family Pets?
Small but spunky, Pugs are an affectionate breed and make great family pets. They tolerate children and other animals well, and you can always count on them for a laugh.
Kids and Other Pets
Pugs are quite tolerant and patient with kids, babies, and other pets. They generally love playing with children and are quite tolerant towards those who poke, prod, and pull on them.
It takes quite a bit to rile a Pug to the point where he will nip or try to bite. If it comes to that, however, his small mouth and short face make it almost impossible for the breed to strike a meaningful bite. As such, you need not worry about the dog playing rough with your children.
You will, however, need to supervise play as kids can sometimes get a bit more enthusiastic than this small dog can handle. Pugs are a sturdy breed, but their small stature doesn’t do well with aggressive handling, especially when they’re puppies.
Low Exercise Needs
Eager to please, a Pug is always more than happy to play and romp with her owners. Pugs require very little exercise, however, and do fine on a scant 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day.
When the exercise is done, however, this low maintenance breed is happy to turn couch potato and snuggle on the couch with you all day. They’ll be especially happy when they’re allowed to lay on your lap or lay close enough where they can lean against you.
Their willingness to both play and veg out makes them perfect family companions who can handle both busy weekdays and mellow weekends.
Super Cuddlers
Pugs are incredibly affectionate and bond with their family’s quite quickly. Although some Pugs do pick a favorite human, you don’t need to worry about your Pug bonding with one member of the family while ignoring others. Pugs happily take love and affection wherever they can get it and will easily bond with your entire household as well as frequent guests.
They’re Protective
Your Pug certainly isn’t going to take down an intruder during a home invasion, but he will absolutely let you know if something is wrong. Whether someone is poking around on your property who shouldn’t be or a fire breaks out in your kitchen, a Pug will alert you that something is wrong.
Pugs don’t bark often, so you can trust that something is amiss when they do. Every Pug has a stubborn streak, and this serves you well if they’re alerting you to a problem. If your Pug tries to tell you there is a problem at 3 a.m., she won’t just go lay down when you tell her to but insist that you pay attention.
Pugs are Quiet?
Speaking of barking, it’s something Pugs just don’t feel the need to do all the time. This makes them perfect for families who live in apartments or condominiums where incessant barking can cause problems with the neighbors. You also need not worry that your Pug will wake your sleeping toddler or disturb a night shift worker who sleeps during the day.
This lack of barking doesn’t make the Pug a quiet creature, however. Although your neighbors will rarely hear your pet, Pugs do make a of grunting noises do to their short faces. Living with a Pug sounds a lot like living with a little piglet, but many find Pug grunts absolutely endearing.
They’re Well Behaved
Pugs are known for having a stubborn streak and upon occasion have a mind of their own. Generally, this leads to some impish and humorous behavior, but Pugs don’t tend to find any serious trouble to get into.
They’ll absolutely steal food if they can and I’ve known one who loved to pull dirty tissues out of the bathroom trash can, but their antics are generally mild. You won’t come home to discover that your Pug chewed a hole through your drywall or destroyed the decorative pillows on your couch.
Pugs Make You Feel Good
They absolutely love belly rubs and being pet. Okay, this actually makes them feel good. But, according to studies, petting, talking, and stroking a dog has been proven to reduce stress levels.
So after a hard day at work, your Pug will help you forget about that stressful day at work, just by spending some time loving on them.
Pugs Are Trainable
The pug is a smart breed that can learn new tricks and games quickly. If a Pug isn’t taking well to training, you’re probably encountering his stubborn streak rather than a lack of intelligence. You’ll find most Pugs fairly easy to train once you figure out what motivates them.
Given their intelligence, it’s possible even for children to teach Pugs new tricks and games. This allows your entire family to bond with the dog and enjoy pet ownership.
Teaching Responsibility
Because they are fairly low maintenance, Pugs are a good breed for teaching responsibility. Other than feeding, walking and face wrinkle washing, Pugs require very little. Even young children can learn to brush and walk their Pug since the breed is tolerant and patient.
This hands-on experience is excellent for children and may not be possible with a more aggressive or intolerant breed.
Final Word On
Your family will absolutely fall in love with their adorable wrinkles and curly tails. In fact, here are some more facts that you should consider before you decide if the Pug is the right breed for you.
You can’t go wrong getting a Pug. Your family will have a four-legged friend for the next 12 – 16 years!