It is hard to differentiate between the different Pug dog breeds even though they come from different nations. Their pedigree has not changed that much over the centuries and no matter which country they come from, they are still part of the ancient pug heritage and family.
The Pug is said to have entered into life about 400 BC, yes that is written correctly. This breed is said to be an original dog breed that did not come from the combining of other existing dog breeds at that time.
This dog breed appeared in many ancient manuscripts at that time, and it wasn’t until Europe started to trade with Asia that the Pug came to Europe. This was back in the 16th century.
One has to be careful about calling the Pug American or English. There is only one dog breed named Pug, and they are all the same no matter which country they have been given a home.
If you run into a breeder selling ‘old-school’ or ‘Celtic’ pugs, they are not a different Pug variety. If kept as purebreds, they are a pug, just like the Chinese Pug is a Pug.
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The Pug Breed
This is important as there are so many different names for Pugs and none of them, except one, is the real registered name. One and only one Toy dog breed, the Pug, is recognized by the American Kennel Club, the Canine Kennel Club, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, and any other significant, respected dog breed organization.
This recognized Pug breed weighs around 13 to 15 pounds and is the largest of all dog breeds. What these organizations want you to know is that there is no such thing as a Chinese Pug, Celtic Pug, long-haired Pug, and so on.
These additional names are merely a marketing ploy to sell the puppies at a higher price. That strategy includes when they are marketed as a royal bloodline or a special Pug variation. There is only the Pug, and when bred correctly, they all have the same features, coloring, and same body structure.
What helps expose these marketeers for what they are, it is impossible to trace the ‘special dog to any ‘ancient’ genetic bloodline that would directly tie any current dog to his mysterious ancestors.
The ancient breeding documents have been said to have been destroyed to protect the breed’s secrets.
The Pug Look
There are no ancient breeding documents to prove what the original pugs looked like. What is known about the ancient pugs is that they are an original dog breed and that they were first talked about in 400 BC.
However, documents from 300 to 400 years ago show that the Pug of the Medieval era had longer snouts. The shortened snout seems to have been a development since the dog arrived in Europe in the 16th century.
The 17th and 18th-century paintings that depict Pugs with their masters indicate the dog breed did have a longer snout. The bulging eyes, flattened face, and forehead seems to be body parts that developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
While it has been said that the Pug goes back only to 400 BC, there are some records that this dog breed goes back to the Shang Dynasty that ruled China from 1766 BC to 1122 BC.
There are no documents to verify the look of this dog, as Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, had all Pug records destroyed. No one knows the reason for this destructive act.
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The Term Chinese Pug
This first came about after the Europeans started importing Pugs to Europe. This name was given to the Pugs to indicate where they came from and not a variation of the dog breed.
In other words, The English Pug is a Chinese Pug, and both dogs are known and registered as the Pug. There is no difference between these dogs, even if they come from Germany, France, or Holland.
Some people say that the Chinese in Chinese Pug is just a nickname and not the name of the breed.
Some Final Words
When you delve into the history of different dog breeds, many fables are exposed and the real story comes out. The Chinese and English Pugs are the same dog breed and not variations of each other.
If a breeder is calling them a retro pug, a Celtic Pug, a Mos Pug, or a Carlin Pug, and so on, they are just trying to raise the price of their puppies. There is only one Pug dog breed, no matter which country they hail from.
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