Choosing a little pug from the crowd of welcoming adorable lumps that happily run out to meet you can be more difficult than you thought. After all, they are all so charming! How to stop at one and only one and do everything right?
Health status
A puppy should be taken no earlier than two months of age. By this time, he is already completely independent of breast milk and is accustomed to feed. Often, breeders at this age already give babies the first batch of the necessary vaccinations.
The first step is to make sure your pug puppy is healthy and well. To do this, carefully examine it. Ears, eyes and nose should be clean and free of mucus, dirt or pus. The puppy's coat should look neat and moderately shiny. If the wool is dull, covered with dandruff or traces of insect activity are noticeable on it, it is better to refuse the animal. By the way, if one puppy in the litter is sick with something, most often the others also have the disease, just not so noticeable.
A healthy puppy should be moderately mobile and cheerful. Compare his behavior and activity with his brothers and sisters. Too sluggish a baby is a reason to be wary, but overly active too.
Appearance
If it matters a lot to you how your future pug will look, be sure to check out his mom. In dogs of this breed, 60-80% of the exterior signs are transmitted precisely from the mother, therefore, even if the father of the family is a champion, the kids may not be like him at all.
Of course, at the age of two months, it is very difficult to understand what your puppy will look like as an adult. But if it is important for you that he meets the show criteria, pay attention to the breed signs. The head of a pug puppy should be large, with chubby cheeks and folds. The tail is bent into a ringlet and set high, and the height of the puppy at the withers is practically equal to its length. Check that all canines and incisors are present in the pug. Of course, the teeth will change and the bite may also change, however, non-compliance with the criteria already at an early age is a reason for abandoning an exhibition career.
Psychological aspects
The pug is a domestic dog. Therefore, it is very important that the puppy is comfortable living with its new owners, and his character and temperament correspond to your wishes. Make sure the puppy is not afraid of you, is peaceful and open. It may be that little pugs before your arrival did not see strangers and this event confused them a little, however, healthy babies very quickly get used to people and will happily begin to communicate with you. If you can't choose a puppy yourself, just wait until one of them chooses you. Great love begins with the first meeting.
