I loved Mindy my Pug dog and I’ve personally NEVER had a male Pug. If you’re thinking about getting one for your family, then you’re in the right place. We’re going to look at the differences between a male vs female pug puppy, to help you decide which gender is right for you.
The Difference Between Male and Female Pugs
There are some distinct personality traits and differences between caring for a male or female pug. However, the biggest difference is the cost of spaying a female as opposed to neutering a male.
Related: Do Pugs Get Along With Other Pugs?
Of course, some people will want their dog to have babies. We chose to have Mindy spayed when she was 8 weeks old. If you’re going to spay your female dog, you need to do it before their first heat cycle. (we’ll discuss this later on in this article)
Male VS Female Pug A Look At The Differences
Males and females will have a few differences, regardless of which dog breed you choose. Read this article to learn how to check the anatomy of a puppy to determine gender.
Appearance
This breed is known for their obesity because they love eating. This is why it’s so important to maintain a routine eating habit and provide them with the right food. Read this article if you want to know how much a pug should weigh and how to properly care for their diet.
I’ve also put together a list of some of the best dog food for Pugs to help control their weight.
Female:
A female pug will be a bit more narrow and will generally weigh a bit less than males. Females are about 10-12 inches in height. A healthy female should weigh around 13-18 pounds.
Male:
Will have a stockier frame and will usually grow to be around 12-14 inches in height. Adult males will weigh about 13-20 pounds.
Temperament
Pugs are known for some behavioral problems that make them adorable or NOT. Every dog is going to have its own personality, but there are some known differences between both genders.
Female:
The female pugs can be higher maintenance than a male. They are pushier than males, if they want attention, they will let you know they want it. Mindy used to bump her head against my arm whenever she wanted to be pet.
Aside from this, females are a bit easier to train, here’s how to potty train a female Pug.
Both genders can be trained with patience and persistence. I highly recommend using the Puppia Authentic RiteFit Harness, it makes the training process so much easier.
Male:
They are a bit challenging during their teenage years, which is around 6 months old to 3 years old. Once they turn 3 years old, they are a little more laid back than females.
Both Genders:
This breed is known for their stubbornness, which can be challenging if you’ve never had one. Every dog has their own personality and behavior problems, that you will find amusing. This isn’t an aggressive breed, but I’ve encountered some male puts that have shown signs of aggression.
Of course, it all depends on how you raise and train them.
They have a great sense of humor, which is why they are considered a “clown.”
With the right training, you will grow to love this breed. They are extremely friendly and want to please their owners. The more you reinforce their good behavior, the easier it will be to get them to do what you want them to do.
They aim to please and love cuddling and following you around everywhere. Mindy was my shadow, everywhere I went, she was right beside me or behind me.
Health
Females: All pugs have common health problems, however, if you decide NOT to spay your female, they can suffer from other female health issues. They can suffer from life-threatening diseases such as ovarian cancer, or suffer from a uterine infection called pyometra.
Males: A lot of people decide not to neuter their male puppies because they think it makes them less of a man. However, a male dog that is NOT neutered has a tendency to develop a prostate enlargement that can lead to difficulty with bowel movements and urination issues.
I believe in responsible pet control and believe that you should neuter and spay your pets. Find out the best age to neuter your Pug.
Of course, if you want your girl pug to have babies, make sure you do so responsibly.
LifeSpan
Male pugs have a slightly shorter lifespan than females. Females will average around 13.2 years whereas males’ life expectancy will be around 12.8 years. Mindy my black pug lived for 16 years.
So it’s not unusual for a Pug either male or female to live longer than the average life expectancy if they are properly cared for with diet and regular vet checkups.
Read this article to find out about the average pug lifespan, to find out how long pugs live in human years.
Spaying Female Pug Puppy
It’s important to spay your female when they are around 8 weeks old. They will live a much better life and you won’t have to worry about her having her period or bleeding when they go into heat.
A Pug can go into heat twice a year. The heat cycle usually lasts about 3 days. This means that she will attract the attention of male dogs in your neighborhood.
When you open the door, she will try to escape and may even come back when she’s pregnant. Read this article to learn more about the Pug pregnancy stages.
Female pugs tend to shed more than usual during their heat cycle. As I mentioned above, they are more prone to health issues if not spayed, the biggest one is developing ovarian cancer.
They are also less prone to getting breast cancer if spayed.
If you care about your pet and don’t want them to have a litter of babies, then it makes total sense to get your female dog spayed.
The cost of spaying a female dog will vary from $50 – $250 depending on the complication of the surgery. Some animal clinics will charge more depending on the weigh to the breed.
Neutering Male Pug Puppy
Some people think that it’s NOT as important to neuter their boy dog because they can’t get pregnant. However, a male dog that is not neutered will hum anything he can, he will also mark his territory (this includes your furniture or anything in your house) with urine.
While they don’t go into heat like the girl, however, they become fertile after about six months of age. Smaller breeds tend to mature faster than larger dog breeds.
Most breeds will reach full sexual maturity by 12-15 months of age.
If they are not neutered, they will try to escape if they can smell a female in heat. The females will give off pheromones that male dogs can detect from miles away.
The cost of neutering a male puppy will range from $45 – $135. Of course, the prices will vary depending on where you live.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are not a lot of differences between the boy and the girl. As I mentioned, it will be a little bit more expensive when it comes to caring for your female pug.
However, once your pug is neutered or spayed, the costs for caring a pug will be the same for either a boy or girl.
Hopefully, this article helped you decide whether you want to get a boy or girl pug. Once you get one, here’s a list of 157 pug dog names to help you name your new pup.
Related Questions
Are male pugs aggressive? I’ve personally never owned a male pug, but I’ve had friends with them. This breed is NOT known to be aggressive. They are extremely loyal and love attention. The only issue you will have with a pug, is them rolling over wanting you to rub their belly and getting in front of you and tripping you because they want attention.
Will 2 female pugs get along? Pugs are very easy to get along with and get along with cats, dogs, kids, and anyone else. They are not territorial and you won’t have to worry about them getting along with another pug or a different type of dog.
References and Further Reading
Pet Helpful: Selecting A Puppy: Male Versus Female
Dayton Daily News: Pet Not Spayed or Neutered Can Have Serious Issues
Pet Happy: Do Male Dogs Go Into Heat?