Since many of us live in apartments in today’s world, we accept more small breed dogs as a friend to our homes, rather than large breeds, for both our comfort and their well-being. One of the most popular small breeds to be kept at home is the pug. In addition to its small size, the pug is a popular pet both in the world and in our country, due to its cute face and bewildered looks.

Don’t think that pugs are a new breed because they are popular these days. It is estimated that this breed was first bred thousands of years ago. Moreover, it was bred not for the common people but for the royal nobility, and in many different parts of the world, the royal family really loved this breed. Let’s get to know the pug dog breed, which has even been the symbol of a secret society in history, a little more closely.

Interesting facts about the Pug dog breed, many of which you will hear for the first time:

• One of the oldest domesticated dog breeds.
• Pugs are the favorite pets of royal families.
• A secret cult has chosen a pug as its symbol.
• While in prison, Napoleon communicated with his wife with the help of a pug.
• The most famous dog breed in the world of cinema and television.
• Pugs have changed over the years.
• A species that is genetically predisposed to diseases.
• Pugs have a prince stamp on their foreheads.

One of the oldest domesticated dog breeds:

It may be more accurate to say that it was produced rather than domesticated because it is known that the pug dog breed was bred as a lap dog for the Chinese royal family Shang Dynasty in 400 BC. Pug dogs, known as Lo-Chiang-Sze and Foo at that time, were recorded by Confucius in 551 BC.

Of course, the pugs of that period are the ancestors of the breed called Pekingese today. Pug dogs, which were also fed by Buddhist monks in Tibet, spread to Japan and Europe from here. The history of pug dogs is somewhat unclear, as China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang destroyed most of the ancient records around 200 BC.

Pugs are the favorite pets of royal families:

Pugs were first brought to Europe from Japan by the Dutch East India company in the 16th century. The pug dog of the Dutch prince of the Orange dynasty was bred to warn him against assassins. British dynasty of Stuart III. William and II. Mary brought the pug dogs from the Netherlands to England and mated them with the King Charles Spaniel. In the 19th century, Queen Victoria established a Kennel Club for pug dogs.

A secret cult chose the pug as their symbol:

In 1738, the Papacy banned Catholics from joining the Masonic order. Thereupon, a group founded a secret mason community called Mopsorden, also known as the Pug Sect, in 1740. They chose the pug as their symbol because it was a loyal and reliable dog breed.

What made the event more interesting was that a man and a woman chosen as lodge managers were referred to as Big Pug. If you wanted to enter the Mopsorden cult, you had to bark loudly and kiss a pug dog statue called the Grand Pug under the tail to show your devotion. Fortunately, this strange cult was banned and dissolved in 1748.

While in prison, Napoleon communicated with his wife with the help of a pug:

Before Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor of France, he was imprisoned for rebelling against the existing order. He was not yet married to his wife at the time, Joséphine de Beauharnais. Since meeting with the prisoner was strictly forbidden, Joséphine secretly released the prison by tying a letter to the leg of her pug dog named Fortune, thus communicating with Napoleon. According to a story whose accuracy is disputed, Joséphine, who was used to sleeping with her dog after her marriage, did not want to get the dog out of the bed. When Napoleon tried to get him out of bed, he was bitten by the dog.

The most famous dog breed in the world of cinema and television:

With Pugs, especially in the Men in Black series, the Dog Hotel, The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Pocahontas, 12 Rounds, Marie Antoinette, Dune, The Great Race and countless movies like The King of Queens, Spin City, Legend of the It is possible to encounter many television series such as Dragon, The West Wing Eastenders. Pug dogs, who find their place as characters in some books, also appear in a Nintendo DS game called Nintendogs.

Pugs have changed over the years:

When we look at the pug dogs painted in the 18th century, we see that they have much longer legs, long noses and cut ears. That’s how it was grown in Europe, but what’s being produced in China was the way we know it today. The genre we know today became popular when re-importation from China began in the 19th century.

Pugs are stocky-bodied, short-legged, broad-chested and flat-faced. Their fur is short, soft and shiny. In addition to the classic look, they can be black, light brown, apricot tones and silver. They are generally quiet, docile and adaptable. It is suitable for families with children. Due to his genetic heritage, he is a good watchdog, but of course, due to his small stature, all he can do is bark.

A species that is genetically predisposed to diseases:

Since pugs have short noses and the brow arch is not prominent, they are at great risk for eye diseases such as proptosis, corneal rupture and painful eyelid twitching. They have trouble breathing because their airways are small. Because they cannot breathe properly, they cannot cool themselves and their body temperature may rise too high.

At the same time, since they are a breed prone to obesity, extreme attention should be paid to their exercise and nutrition. They always have the genetic risk of pharyngeal reflex, hemispondyli and meningeal damage. Between the wrinkles on the skin and especially the ears should be cleaned carefully. When well cared for, they have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years. The longest living pug was recorded in South Africa in 2018 and lived 27 years and 284 days.

Pugs have a prince stamp on their foreheads:

It may also be a fabricated legend, but let’s face it, it’s interesting. It is not known exactly why Pugs have wrinkled skin, but it is thought that this was done deliberately by Chinese breeders in the early days. You can see the characters 王子, which means prince in Chinese, on the forehead of a pug lying down and looking at you.

We talked about interesting information about the pug dog breed, which is one of the most popular pets in the world. Even though the pug and similar species may look cute, each of them suffers from numerous health problems due to genetic disorders, as we have explained. Instead of buying such specially produced animals, please adopt one of the many stray dogs on the street.