When I am out walking my pug dog, Licorice, I know I am going to hear one of three things from people: “Oh my gosh, what a cute dog!” “Wow, that’s a fat dog,” and, “What kind of dog is that?” The first comment goes without saying (I couldn’t agree more), the second one stuns me a bit (she’s a pug, not a whippet) and the third one completely catches me off guard (how on earth does anyone not know what a pug is?).

 I have to remember that not everyone is a dog person and not every dog person loves a smoosh-face, heavy-panting, snore machine. With that in mind, my mission here at Baby Pugs is to bring as much awareness as possible to the lovable, incomparable, adorable pug. I will answer some frequently asked questions about pugs in my ongoing blog posts and articles. As a picture is worth a thousand words, I know that showcasing a gallery of adorable pug pictures might save my poor fingers hours of typing time! And who doesn’t love looking at cute pug pictures?

Thanks for reading!

Look at that face.

That is the face of love, appreciation, intelligence, devotion, wisdom, peace, and purpose. That is the face of my baby pug, Licorice. She’s the reason I started this blog, and she’s the reason I get up and take a stab at writing something that I hope inspires compassion and love for animals.

I love that little face.

This is Licorice’s story and it’s one I love to tell…

It all started one day when my partner and I were walking back from lunch. We lived in a very small town — and when I say very small, I mean very, very small. Like population 308 small. The restaurant where we had lunch that day was across the street from our home in a tiny fishing town on the coast of northern California. I was home from work that day. I had called in to say I was staying home. I wasn’t sick and I wasn’t sick of work, I just felt that urge that we sometimes have that feels more like guidance and less like ego. I learned later that that feeling was me being directed to exactly where and when I needed to be.

We were headed home from lunch when I heard the beep.

It was faint, but it called my attention as it was odd and out of place. It was an electronic noise amid the sounds of the ocean waves, the seals barking and the seabirds crying. Beeeeeeep. I cocked my ear to the wind. What is that? As we walked, the sound got stronger until I realized it was coming from the neighbor’s house. I cautiously approached their front door. The beep was louder. It was definitely coming from inside. I put my ear to the door and that’s when I smelled smoke. I knocked on the door. Once. Twice. I turned to my partner. “That noise is a fire alarm. I smell smoke and they’re not answering.”

Panic set in.

The kids! Our neighbors had two small children and two small dogs. What if they were inside? I knocked louder again while my partner ran around to the back of the house. Shortly after, I heard the sound of breaking glass. The front door swung open and thick clouds of smoke billowed out. “Come on. No one’s home. Help me get the animals out.”

It turned out our neighbors and their kids were in town – the “big” one, 20 miles away – and had left a brisket on the stove and had forgotten to turn it off. The 100-year old, all wood house had suffered severe smoke damage, but didn’t burn down. Everyone was safe, including their pet rabbit, kitty, and two pugs, one of whom was pregnant.

Three weeks later,

a litter of puppies was born to Moose and Millie (the pugs, not the neighbors), and little Licorice was given to us as a token of our neighbors’ appreciation. Yes, Licorice and I were destined to be together. I am so grateful for her presence in my life and I know she feels the same.

Take some time today to reflect on what you are grateful for, who and what you love, and who and what loves you.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish friends!

We are getting set to head off on our holiday travel to visit family, and wanted to take this time to wish everyone a wonderful holiday. Baby Pugs will be back in action after the new year and we’re looking forward to 2012!!

Before we go, we wanted to share some silliness from our friends over at Pet365.

Enjoy!

Have a wonderful, safe holiday!!

This time of year can be exhausting. So much to do… so many parties… all that shopping!

I hope you’ve had a good week so far! Things around here are pretty busy. Even if it wasn’t the holiday time, getting this blog up and running, earning a living, being a daughter, partner, friend and pug mom takes up a great deal of time and energy. I try not to slight any of those areas, but I know that’s impossible sometimes. I am sure many of you can relate.

If you can believe it, I still haven’t started (that’s right — started — my Christmas shopping. I’ve barely decorated the house and I haven’t made one thumbprint cookie. This is serious stuff. But I have wrapped up the final installment of the “should I or shouldn’t I get a new pug puppy?” series. Priorities!

In case you missed the first two parts, you can read them here:

Part 1

Part 2

OK, so, in wrapping up… it’s time to talk about the things no one wants to talk about—the unpleasant aspects of what having a baby pug in your life means. But that’s OK, because at the end of the post, I have some freebies for you to enjoy

Here we go…

It’s not always pretty.

Baby pugs do take a lot of work, so it’s imperative to think about all that is involved when you bring home your bundle of love. Are you ready to wear a constant paper towel glove and carry around a mop? Can you tolerate chewed shoes or corners of furniture? I can’t tell you how many of my books have been nibbled on over the years by little puppy mouths. In fact, I have a dieting book that Licorice chewed on when she was a puppy. Her little teeth marks are still there today reminding me of her food addiction issues

Are you ready to get up in the middle of the night to tend to your baby pug’s potty or emotional needs? How about playing with her when you don’t feel like it, or taking her out for a walk? What about those trips to the store to buy pet food when you’re snuggled down for the night only to realize you forgot to pick it up on the way home? Are you ready to handle emergency situations with your puppy? It also takes hours and hours to physically care for a puppy. There’s training, bathing, brushing and veterinary care. Again, this is not to scare you off, but just to ask questions about the changes that lie ahead.  OK, here’s the big one…

Can You Afford a Puppy?

Baby pugs cost money. Even if you get a puppy absolutely free, he is not going to stay free. Perhaps you are buying a purebred baby pug, or adopting one for a nominal fee. In any case, the expenses do not cease when you bring your sweet pea home– they just begin! You will need money to cover your puppy’s food, dishes, bedding, crates, leashes, collars, toys, treats, shots, grooming, neutering or spaying, routine medical bills, unexpected vet bills, various licenses, obedience classes and more. Be prepared for all of this and seriously consider if you can afford what it takes to raise and care for your new dog.

If you have sincerely answered these questions, you are in a better place to make a decision about whether or not you can bring a baby pug into your life. If your answers reveal that, in spite of your best intentions and desires, you are not quite ready for a puppy, then waiting until the time is right is the best thing to do.  If your answers say you’re ready, then congratulations! Enjoy this exciting time as you embark on your new pet parenting adventure.

And now for the free stuff…

Click on the books below to download your free copies of “Before You Get Your Puppy,” and “After You Get Your Puppy.”

They are in PDF form, so if you don’t already have Adobe Reader, you can download it here.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend

Kali

That’s right, today is National Mutt Day. At Baby Pugs, we celebrate Muttnicity even though most of our focus is on those darn tootin’ cute little pure bred pugs. But, we love all animals here, especially our mutt brothers and sisters. Before we delve back into whether or not welcoming a new pug puppy into your life is the right thing, please take a moment to kiss the mutts in your life and tell them just how much you appreciate them. And if you don’t have a mutt, please just keep them in your thoughts today. Feel free to stop by the National Mutt Day website to learn more about NMD.

Ok–back to pugs…

Last time, we talked about the time factor involved in caring for a new pug puppy or dog. If you missed that post, you can read it here. Today we’ll look at how getting a new dog affects the other people and pets in your life, and what kind of support system you have to help you with the new addition.

Does Your Family Agree?

A new baby pug or adult pug will affect everyone in your family. It’s important to make sure everyone, including any fur babies that are already in the home, agrees to accepting this new family member. This ensures the baby pug comes into an entirely welcoming home and that you do not create any issues or strain between family members.

Do You Have Support?

It is hard work taking care of a puppy. Think about your life. Will you have any support to help you when you need a break? Support comes in many  forms; the family member who is willing to dog-sit when you are out of town, the friend who can offer potty training advice and help, or the neighbor down the road who walks your dog once in a while. Having a support system is not required when bringing a new dog into your life, but if your life is busy and you find it hard to make time even for yourself, it is a good idea to consider what type of help you have available to you when you take on an additional responsibility. If you don’t have help available to you right now, don’t fret — you’d be surprised at how easy it is to get if you simply ask for it.

That’s all for today because I’ve got to get the house ready for the Christmas tree we’re getting this weekend! Woo hoo! And Licorice is starting her gentle whine, which means she’s ready for some toast… I’m telling you, these lovable pugs demand a lot of time and attention. But they are so, so worth it

See you next time for the final installment when we go over a couple of important points.

Take care,

Kali