Puggle Preston Little Grocery Helper

Dogs 101: Puggles

We are puggles and we love each other!

Treat time

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.  ~Phil Pastoret

This quote is super cute and true. I have Ronnie in intermediate dog training at PetSmart and Mabee is in beginner training, even though she's older. They have been doing pretty well, but I definitely need to practice with them more.  Of course they do amazing when they know treats are involved. One night I was giving them both treats after having them Sit & Stay, they both knew how much the other one received and it was definitely a challenge to keep them happy. I'm only doing training separately from now on. They're too crazy. Ronnie is the super crazy one who jumps in Mabee's face and tries to get every treat I give to Mabee. Poor girl.

I love the bikes!

I am loving riding my bike with these puggles. It is a lifesaver. If you ever have trouble exercising your dog especially your puggle! Get a bike.

I am in love.

Back

We had a few vacations and a few weeks of crazy work. Now things have settled down. However just as usual the puggles are still crazy as ever.


Ronnie healed super well from her spay surgery and graduated from PetSmart Puppy Training with a breeze. 

When we're off on vacation we choose two options for our pups. We either board them at the PetSmart pets hotel or my dad stays here at the house with them. They love both. They absolutely love PetSmart PetsHotel and Doggie Day Camp. They love ALL their friends at camp and they are usually the life of the party. They love being with my dad because he gives them treats non-stop and lets them do pretty much whatever they want. Either way they're in good hands and they have a blast.

Ever since Maybelline was a puppy I had a hard time finding the time to walk her. Now that we have Ronnie it's even harder because they fight the whole time. Not to mention the fact that they both NEED & CRAVE to go faster than my two feet can walk. So, I decided that it's finally time to invest in bikes. Saturday afternoon was a fun-filled day of bike shopping. We decided Costco would be the best bet because they have decent bikes and the ones we bought were only $199.99. Right when we got home we adjusted our newly purchased bikes. Right away I let Maybelline and Ronnie take turns testing them out. Of course I took the older one (Maybelline) because she is older. DUH! She had a blast. I could tell right away that her and the bike were a perfect match. She knew she needed to be cautious and she knew how far away to stay from the bike as I rode. I was able to ride pretty fast after a few minutes. She kept up great and she had the look of joy on her mug. Ronnie on the other hand had a little difficulty realizing that the bike, IS DANGEROUS! She immediately wanted to lick the tires and run towards the tires. She thought it was fun to bounce in front of the bike as I rode. I finally got a good enough grip on the leash so that she really had no choice but to stay on my right. However, she still tried to chew the pedals. After a little while, she caught on and she was running just fine. Bikes=Successful Purchase!

Ronnie is Healing Well

Little Ronnie had her spay surgery 1 week ago from today. She is healing well and I finally took her cone off on Monday morning. I was able to take Maybelline and Ronnie to the dog park every day since Saturday so they've been completely calmer than usual. I have made a commitment to take them to the dog park every morning. They love it and it really helps to keep them calm throughout the day. Of course I have to walk them too. I am letting you know Ronnie is healing well because I think it's important every dog gets fixed.

Ronnie's surgery went really well and we had no issues. We have the Banfield Wellness Plans so both our dogs receive awesome preventative care through Banfield at PetSmart. The cost is about $30 each and its totally worth it. I pay about $360 per year for each dog which can be racked up in just one visit to the vet.

What is a puggle?

I've scoured the internet for keywords/adjectives describing the famous, Puggle.

cute
intelligent
sweet-tempered
playful
energetic
affectionate
great companion
curious
happy
prancers
social
friendly
easy to train
quite
barkers
howl
high energy
lapdog
sensitive
big eaters
low maintenance grooming
hyper
crazy

These are just a few to begin with. As you can see, the puggles have varying adjectives to describe them. That is because they are a hybrid, cross-breed, mixed breed, or as some so kindly refer to them as a Mutt.

Regardless of what you call it, Puggles are cute and fun just like most canines. In the end if you love dogs it really doesn't matter what breed or mix you find, all that matter is if you share the same energy and lifestyle.

Puggles are a mix between a Pug and a Beagle. Some puggles will grow up to look very much like a pug, with short stubby features and a very short snout. Other puggles with grow up to have long ears longer snouts and longer statures like a Beagle. Sometimes you can tell as puppies what they'll look like as adults, but it's best to pay close attention to their parents and their previous litters if you really care about what they look like as adults.

Beagles are sturdy hounds. They typically have a square body and muzzle and large eyes and ears. They're hounds so they like to track and sniff and find exactly what scent they've caught. You'll see this come out in most puggles. (Tip: It is very important to teach your puggle Leave It or Watch Me, because when they've picked up a scent it is typically extremely difficult to defer them away if you don't have a command they know 100%.) Beagles range anywhere from 13 to 16" usually. Beagles have a distinctive howl and usually use it as they wish. Ronnie howls more like a beagle than Maybelline, Maybelline usually barks, which to me sounds like she is saying "Help". As is the case with most dogs, it is a good idea to teach your bog a command such as "No Bark" because Puggles like to howl/bark and can be confident "watchdogs". Maybelline "knows" No Bark, however if you tell her No Bark she begins to whine as if she really doesn't like when you say that, she'd much rather Bark until she knows that there is nothing to bark about on her own.

Pugs are one of the oldest breeds, and they're companion dogs 100%. They usually weight between 13 & 18 pounds depending on your feeding schedule. They have a round skull and they're ears are small and thin. Pug bodies are square with lean legs sometimes they're called cobby. Pugs usually have a loving and happy companion-like disposition.

Likewise, I'm sure by now you've found quite a few characteristics between these two breeds within your puggles. I think it's important to know the two breed histories somewhat, because your puggle is going to have some from one and some from the other. I know that each day I find a new trait in my puggles that I can trace back to either a pug or beagle. But, every puggle owner knows that you'll always find that hyper characteristic. My puggles are hyper. period. They're companions like Pugs and they're trackers like Beagles.

I hope this post is a good introduction into the world of puggles and my next post will be about the trials and tribulations of House-Training Your Puggle.

Raising Puggles: Our First Post

This is Ronnie. She is 18 weeks old, however this picture was taken at 9 weeks. She is the new addition in our home. We also have a puggle, Maybelline, she is 18 months old. Maybelline is a fawn female puggle. They are from separate litters and parents, but they're 99% identical in personality and about 51% identical in physical features.

Raising these two puggles has been a feat in itself. Puggles are the most hyper and crazy dogs I've ever owned or experienced. They are also extremely loving, sweet, and loyal. I've decided to document the growth of my puggles and their interactions and experiences with each other. I thought bringing Ronnie into our home would make Maybelline a much calmer and less hyper dog. I thought Ronnie would tire her out every day and make her craziness slightly subside. I was about 2% right. I was right about the fact that they would play and tire each other out. However, despite my efforts to give both equal amounts of attention so as to not bring upon jealousy, Maybelline has become increasingly attached and developed separation anxiety. Ronnie is now developing separation anxiety with the fact that she was spayed 3 days ago and has to be in her crate almost every hour of every day. I hate to keep her in the crate ALL DAY LONG but she is such a hyper puppy that she will not stop: running, jumping, climbing, and playing. I am terribly afraid she'll rip her stitches. This is simply one of many puggle mania experiences I go through of every day.

Through my frustrations with the outcome of raising these two puggles I've decided its best that I document their growth and my experience with them. I know that most puggle owners go through the same daily activities I go through, raising these two. I love my puggles very much and I want them to be the happiest puggles around. I hope that I can bring serenity and a sense of community with the sharing of my life of Raising Puggles.