Why Do Pugs Scream Reasons And How to Get Them To Stop

If you’ve ever had a Pug, then you know that they can make some cute and not so cute noises. If you’ve ever wondered “why do Pugs scream?” then you’re in the right place. We’re going to take a look at what it means when a dog screams and what you can do to stop this Pug behavioral problem.

Why Do Pugs Scream

Every dog is different and has their own unique personality. In fact, not all Pugs will scream. However, a canine scream can mean a million different things. As with barking, dogs who whimper, whine, or scream are your dog’s way of communicating their excitement, frustration, pain, anxiety or just seeking attention.

While it doesn’t always sound pretty, it’s important to understand the behaviors of your Pug. For instance, if your dog is normally quiet and one day starts screaming out of the blue, they are most likely yelling out from some chronic pain.

why do pugs scream

I’ll be sharing some of the most common reasons that Pugs scream below.

Are Pugs Noisy?

Pugs are generally very quiet dogs, this is why they make a great pet. These dogs are known to make several bodily noises, such as farting, snorting, and snoring. The snoring comes from them being a brachycephalic dog breed.

Some will scream, cry and whine for several different reasons. Mindy my black Pug NEVER screamed, so it’s important to remember that not all Pugs scream.

Personally, I think it all comes down to how well you train your Pug. I’ll share some tips on how to stop a Pug freaking out below. But first, let’s take a look at some possible reasons a Pug might scream.

Screaming Pug Reasons You Should Know About

Pug Screaming At TV

Television can be a confusing concept for dogs. They can see lifelike images and hear common sounds, but the scent and physical presence of the images on television can freak them out. It’s not uncommon for some dogs to bark, and growl at your television set.

How to Get Them to Stop: Some dogs won’t show any interest in watching TV. If your Pug does enjoy watching TV and is screaming at the television set, there’s a chance that they could be quite sensitive to the sounds and images on the TV. It’s no different than when a dog barks when they hear a doorbell.

These types of issues can mean that your dog is sensitive to changes in their environment. If they scream or react fearfully in outside environments, it could be a deeper-rooted behavior that may require the assistance of your veterinarian or professional.

Nail Cutting

Most new pet owners avoid cutting a Pugs nails because they have heard stories about a Pug screaming or howling like they’re being killed. It took me a while before I finally mustered up the courage to trim Mindy my black Pugs nails.

How to Get Them to Stop: Make sure that you’re using the right clippers, I highly recommend these which won’t cause them to bleed. Make the whole nail clipping as positive as can be. Don’t forget to give them a treat after you’re done, eventually, they will learn that the whole process is painless.

Excitement

Maybe your Pug screams when they are excited to see you after a long day of being away from home? Or maybe they scream when they see a squirrel outside? Some dogs react differently when they are excited, some will bark, pant, whine, or even scream.

How to Get Them To Stop: The best way to stop this unwanted behavior is to keep them busy with a variety of activities such as long walks, food puzzles, and games. If you can redirect the screaming and refocus your dog’s attention to a more acceptable outlet.

Fear

It’s not uncommon for dogs to scream when they are scared. Some dogs will scream at night, when you take them to the vet, in the car, or for no reason at all. If you have put your Pug in a different situation they have never been in, then they may scream bloody murder.

How to Get Them to Stop: If your Pug hates riding in cars and you need to take them to the vet. You can try some herbal calming remedies (aka over the counter doggie drugs). You may also want to take them for rides more often in the car, instead of when you just need to take them to the vet.

Attention Seeking

Pugs love their people and it’s not unusual for them to become overly attached to one person. That’s not always a bad thing, but this can lead to issues such as separation anxiety in Pugs.

It can also lead to issues as your Pug screaming for your attention.

How to Get Them To Stop: You don’t want to reward your Pug by giving them attention, especially, while they are screaming. You’ll be tempted to because it’s the fastest way to get them to stop. However, that will just reinforce the behavior and they’ll learn that whenever they scream you give them attention.

Instead, you want to try giving them a dog time-out. You can even put them inside their playpen while you tend to other things around the house. These playpens will work great for giving your dog a time-out.

The most important thing to remember when your Pug screams bloody murder is to stay calm.

My Pug Screams In His Sleep

According to Rover.com dogs can have nightmares and may end up with night terrors causing them to scream out in their sleep. Canines have a long-term memory and will remember traumatic experiences such as getting their nails trimmed or getting a bath.

Maybe you rescued your Pug and they had a traumatic past, that now haunts their dreams?

Some people have even reported that once their Pug lost their hearing, they started screaming at night. This is usually due to them hearing a loud noise and not being able to see due to their vision loss.

If this is the case, they were able to fix the issue by using a night light.

Unfortunately, if your Pug screams at night, there can be several reasons. If your Pug suffers from disrupted sleep, the best thing you can do is create a soothing environment for snoozing. You can do this by providing them:

  • A cozy canine bed, one that supports their joints.
  • Play quiet music like jazz or classical to help calm them down.
  • Start using a crate to give them a safe sleeping environment
  • Try using a pressure wrap to help them with their anxiety.
  • Turn on a night light to help keep them calm.

If nothing works, you will need to contact your veterinarian. They should be able to diagnose any underlying medical problems your Pug can be dealing with.

Pug Screaming Like Human

If you’ve never heard a Pug scream, this video will show you how loud they can get. These two fawn Pugs love riding in a car and scream loudly when they get to their destination.

You can see they scream loudly and it sounds like someone is hurting them, it’s actually kind of sad. But don’t worry, they are NOT being hurt, they just hate it when one of their owners leaves the car.

How to Stop Pug Screaming?

Your first reaction will be to “yell at your Pug” or say “bad dog,” because you want the piercing noise to stop. However, your dog will NOT respond well to negative reinforcement training and may just get louder.

In fact, your dog could develop other behavior problems like peeing in the house or just become overly stubborn.

The best way you can get them to stop screaming is by trying to calm them down and reassure them that everything is okay. Don’t give them a treat while they are behaving this way, otherwise, you’re just reinforcing the bad behavior.

As soon as he/she starts making the screaming sound, let them know you don’t appreciate it. Stay consistent with your training every day.

If you still can’t get your Pug to stop screaming, then you may want to look into a dog obedience class to fix this issue.

References and Further Reading

AKC – How The Sounds Dogs Make Reveal Their Emotions

Black Pug Site