Collection: Personalised Pug Gifts

The Pug might be small but he doesn’t know it and this breed has a hugely long lineage going as far back as 206 AD to the Han dynasty. Their wrinkled faces were thought by the Chinese to bring good luck and they were also kept as pets by the Buddhist monks in Tibet.

Some think the rather unusual name comes from the Latin word, ‘Pugnus’ meaning fist, a reference to the dog’s appearance but no one is really sure. 18th and 19th-century paintings depict the dogs with longer legs and noses and it seems the modern pug came about in the 1850s and 1860s when new bloodlines were imported from China.

Originating in China, the Pug was revered by the Chinese and lived in luxury accommodation even guarded by soldiers. The Pug first appeared in Europe in the 1500s and 1600s brought by Dutch Traders under the moniker, Mopshand, which is a name that still exists today. They quickly became popular with royalty particularly in Holland where the Pug became the official dog of the royal family after a Pug reputedly saved the life of Prince William of Orange. When Prince William became King William III of England, he and his wife Mary took their pugs with them.

Their popularity increased during the Victorian era and Queen Victora and her grandson, King George V and great-grandson, King Edward VII, all owned pugs. This royal patronage meant that the Pug was one of the first breeds to be recognised by the Kennel Club and it is still a very popular breed today.

You need to have a good sense of humour if you want to own a Pug. This breed is hugely human-focused but known to be headstrong – there is a lot of character and attitude in this pint-sized package.

Training can be challenging but they do respond well to children and other pets so it is worth persevering. They are docile and well-suited to urban living.