Alanna Mallory, BS, LVT, VTS (SAIM)
Where Are Pugs From?
The name “Pug” is suggested to have many different origins. In Latin, the word pugnus means fist, which the Pug’s head is thought to resemble. They are also referred to as carlin in France, carlini in Italy, Mops Hund in Germany, Lo-sze in China, and mophand in the Netherlands. The Pug is the largest of the toy breeds and is also a companion animal. They originated in China and have been traced back to the first century B.C. They were royal dogs in their native land and were often gifted to overseas rulers. The oldest breeding records from China include descriptions of Pug-like dogs with both straight and bowed front legs, which may indicate interbreeding with the Pekingese, Japanese Chin, and Shih Tzu. The breeding records also describe fawn, black, and parti-colored coats.
It is believed that Holland was the first European country to acquire a Pug via the Dutch East India Company. In 1688, when William III and Mary II traveled from Holland to Great Britain to begin their reign as King and Queen, they brought their beloved Pugs along with them. The Pugs wore orange ribbons to represent the House of Orange and henceforth, Pugs became a symbol of supporters of the royal family. Black Pugs were not formally introduced until 1877 and almost entirely unknown until 1886, when Britain’s Lady Brassey showed her black Pugs in Maidstone, Kent. The Pug was officially recognized by The American Kennel Club in 1885.
