The Pug Leads a Charmed Life

By Leslie Brown, Chief Editor, JonesTV

Pugs can be traced back to Ancient China around 150 B.C., and they were cultivated for centuries for the sole purpose of entertaining the inhabitants of the Imperial City. Long before the Communist Party condemned pet dogs in China as a bourgeois luxury, Pugs safely made their way to the Royal Courts of Europe, playing the role of the court jester. They were not only comic in appearance, but they also had the perfect temperament--faithful, eager, clever, affectionate, good-natured, hedonistic, and irrepressibly high spirited. They loved and entertained such notables as the Marquise de Pompadour, Marie-Antoinette, King George III and Queen Charlotte, Empress Josephine, Queen Victoria, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Prince Rainer and Princess Grace of Monaco.

The earliest known example of the breed has some resemblance to the Pekingese. Some breed experts also think that approximately 2,400 years ago, Pugs were miniaturized from Mastiffs. Another theory is that the Pug of today is the result of crossing it with a small Bulldog. Yet another school of thought is that it is a miniature form of the rare French Mastiff.

This small dog breed was highly prized by the Emperors of China and lived a pampered existence --at times even guarded by soldiers. Dutch traders brought Pugs to Holland in the 16th century where the breed underwent further refinement. When William III went to England from the Netherlands to become King in 1688, he brought along several Pugs with him.

In nineteenth century England, Pugs flourished under the patronage of the monarch Queen Victoria. In the 20th century, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were probably the most famous Pug fanciers. They took their Pugs, (along with their Pugs' personal chefs) with them to almost all social activities.

The Pug, introduced to America just after the Civil War, became popular in the United Stated in the 20th century, both as pets and as show dogs. In Spain, they were painted by Goya; in Italy, Pugs dressed in matching jackets and pantaloons as they sat by the coachmen of the rich in Germany and France. This century has seen the Pugs' popularity on the rise in European countries.

Famous U. S. Pug parents include Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Andy Warhol, as well as Grace Kelly. The Pug has been featured in a number of film and TV shows. For example, “Men in Black” and “Men in Black II” featured Frank the Pug. Disney’s Pocahontas features Percy, Ratcliff's pet Pug. In "Valentino, the Last Emperor," Valentino had several scenes with his six pugs: Maggie, Margot, Maude, Milton, Monty and Mollie. They all joined him on his private plane.

As a breed, the development of the Pug continues to be shrouded in oriental mystery and speculation. What is known is that the Pug became beloved companions of royalty. It is a tribute to the independent nature of Pugs that in the latter part of the 20th century and entering this 21st century, they have made happy homes not only with the rich and famous, but have endeared themselves in the heartstrings of the common man and woman, making us feel like kings and queens. At your feet, on your lap, or quietly following you around, it is one of the Pug’s greatest charms!

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