It’s one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK.
But if you’re considering getting a Pug, vets suggest you look at Jugs or Puggles instead.
These crossbreeds – Pug x Jack Russell Terrier and Pug x Beagle, respectively – have the same lovable personalities as flat–faced breeds, but a fraction of the health problems, according to experts at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).
In their study, the team compared 150 pet Pugs and Pug–crossbreeds in the UK.
The results revealed that nearly half of purebred Pugs suffered with severe airway disease, while all Jugs and all but one Puggle were unaffected.
Elizabeth Youens, who led the study, said: ‘Our findings suggest that improving the welfare of brachycephalic dogs does not have to come at the expense of the qualities owners value most.
‘The Jugs and Puggles in this study showed markedly better health outcomes than purebred Pugs while maintaining similar behaviour profiles and strong owner–dog relationships.
‘Purposeful crossbreeding away from extreme body shapes is now shown as offering a practical route to improving canine welfare.’
It’s one of the most popular dog breeds in the UK. But if you’re considering getting a Pug (left), vets suggest you look at Jugs (middle) or Puggles instead (right)
Nearly half of purebred Pugs suffered with severe airway disease, while all Jugs and all but one Puggle were unaffected
From French Bulldogs to Pugs, flat–faced breeds are widely known to suffer from a breathing disorder called brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS).
BOAS leaves dogs struggling to breathe, unable to exercise or cool off in the heat, and can be fatal in extreme cases.
However, until now, whether or not Pug–crossbreeds suffer from the disorder has remained unclear.
To get to the bottom of it, vets from the RVC studied 150 pet Pug and Pug–crossbreeds.
The dogs were assessed for respiratory, eye, dental, skin and neurological disorders, as well as BOAS.
In addition, their owners were quizzed about their pet’s health history, vet costs, exercise and maintenance requirements, behaviour, quality of life, and owner–dog relationship.
The results revealed that purebred Pugs are much more likely to suffer from health issues than Pug–crossbreeds.
Purebreds were significantly more likely to be reported by their owners to have breathing, heat regulation and exercise problems (51 per cent compared to two per cent of Jugs and 4.2 per cent of Puggles).
Pictured: This chart shows the owner–reported quality of life scores for Pugs, Jugs and Puggles
They were also much more likely to have eye abnormalities and orthopaedic and neurological abnormalities than the crossbreeds.
As a result, vet costs were substantially higher for purebreeds – coming in at around £45/month for Pugs, compared with £10/month for Jugs and Puggles.
However, where the dogs were similar was in personality.
The results showed that the behaviour profiles and owner–dog relationship scores were very similar between purebred and crossbred dogs.
Dr Rowena Packer, a senior author of the paper, said: ‘Improving the welfare of dogs with extreme conformations is one of the biggest challenges facing the canine welfare community globally.
‘This study provides evidence that moving away from extreme body shapes by shedding the shackles of breed ‘purity’ can offer a rapid and effective pathway towards innately healthy companion dogs.
‘If international kennel clubs and breeders are serious about tackling the high disease burden in breeds with extreme conformation, carefully managed crossbreeding programmes should be recognised as one of the most effective tools available for improving canine welfare.’
