Feeding:

Ensure that your Pug always has access to clean and fresh water.

The amount of food a dog is fed depends on his age.

Until about six months of age, the Pug puppy can do well on three meals a day (morning, noon, and night).

By the time your Pug is 10 to 12 months old, you can reduce feedings to 1 a day. The main meal can be given either in the morning or in the evening, but, is very important to feed your Pug his main meal the same time every day and make sure that you feed him a well-balanced, nutritious diet that includes the necessary amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins.

Dog foods are available in many varieties: canned, dry, semi-moist, etc. Most supermarkets and pet stores carry a wide enough variety from which to choose.

The single meal can be supplemented by a morning or nighttime snack of hard dog biscuits made especially for small dogs. These biscuits are helpful in maintaining healthy gums and teeth and are yummy treats for your Pug.

It´s best to avoid products that contain sugar. Refined sugars fed with any regularity at all can quickly cause your Pug to become obese and will definitely create tooth decay.

Pugs have two loves in life: their family  and food !

The first presents no problems, but the second can be dangerous. When it comes to eating most Pugs do not know the meaning of the word "enough ". They will eat and eat and eat all day long and, as a result, can become overweight easily.

Excessive weight can create very serious health problems for a Pug, not to mention the injurious effect it has on the dog´s heart.

You, the owner, must control this to insure that the dog stays within the guidelines for their age and size.

An overweight Pug is an unhealthy dog.

Special Needs:

Daily exercise is one way to keep your Pug healthy and fit. They need at least a 30 minute daily walk in open areas.

The short-nosed (brachycephalic) construction of the Pug makes him sensitive to hot weather.

Because of the Pug´s intolerance for the heat, be sure to conduct all physical activities in the cool weather hours, such as early morning or evening.

Compared with other breeds, Pugs' eyes are large and slightly more prominent and are therefore more vulnerable. To keep your Pugs' eyes healthy it is absolutely essential to check them regularly, because ulcers can be the result of an injury (bumping against furniture, playing with another dog, thorns etc) or can occur spontaneously.

Because some Pugs are allergic to flea bites, it´s very important to regularly check your dog´s coat for parasites like fleas and ticks.

The Pug´s wrinkles over the nose and on the forehead require special attention. Make sure that these are always kept dry, clean and free of inflammation.

Bathing:

Starting at an early of 45 days puppies can and need to be introduced to bathing. This will help them to become accustomed to and accept a bath with little or no resistance and may in time even come to enjoy it.

Use a shampoo made especially for dogs, soak the dog in warm water and lather thoroughly. When rinsing be careful not to get water in the dog's ears, make sure to rinse the the coat completely to make sure that all shampoo residues are removed. This will help to prevent dry skin and incessant scratching. When finished bathing the Pug have a couple of clean towels handy and vigorously rub the coat dry or use a hair drier.

Before your puppy's first bath make sure he has received all of his immunizations.

As far as bathing goes, a lot of folks like to bath their Pugs every week to once a month. The choice is yours based on how active your Pug is. Personally, we do it every other week in the summer and once a month in the winter.

Grooming:

Although the Pug does not have a long coat to contend with, regular brushing with a natural bristle brush keeps the coat neat and shiny and helps to keep dead hair off your carpet and clothes.

Nail Trimming:

The Pug´s nails can grow long very rapidly. If your Pug seldom gets enough exercise on rough surfaces, which helps wear down their nails, it will be necessary to clip or file your Pug´s nails on a regular basis.

Nails can be trimmed with canine nail clippers or a coarse file made specifically for trimming. One must proceed with caution and remove only a small portion of the nail at a time, which helps to avoid cutting into the quick, which grows close to the end of the nail and can result in a great deal of bleeding and be painful for the dog.

Teeth:

Your dog´s oral care is just as important as his grooming or nutritional needs.

It's a fact of life, puppies need to chew.

It is a necessary part of their physical and mental development. They develop muscles and necessary life skills as they drag objects around, fight over possessions, and vocalize alerts and warnings, which helps them in communicating with us.

Puppies chew on things to explore their world. Puppies that have adequate chew toys will have less destructive behavior, keeping his teeth and jaw occupied.

By the time your dog is 6 months old, the permanent teeth are all in and plaque can start to accumulate on the tooth surfaces.

This is when your puppy needs to develop good dental-care habits to prevent calculus build-up on its teeth. Brushing is best, but with Pugs, it is not easy to do.

Make sure your dog has safe, clean and attractive chew toys, like nylon bones and ropes , these chewing aids keep a dog´s teeth strong and healthy.

Also, to control dental-plaque offer your dog hard biscuits, but in moderation due to the Pug´s tendency to be over-weight.

Immunization:

Maintaining your Pug´s immunizations schedule and booster shots will help him live a long and healthy life.

Puppy´s immunizations are started at an early age, 45 days old, and to complete the first year old vaccination protocol.

It is strongly recommended once a year to take your dog to the veterinarian .The annual checkup, which includes the booster vaccinations and physical examination, is good preventive medicine and helps in keeping a happier and healthier Pug.