Grooming: Great news! Pugs require very little grooming. Brushing their coat once a week will help keep the shedding down.

Pugs are very clean dogs. I bathe by pups about once a month and they are very good about getting in and staying still in the tub. Make sure you rinse your pup thoroughly as residual soap can start the skin allergy and itching process going. I always make certain at bath time to check my pups' face wrinkles for any hidden dirt as well.

One thing you can be sure will cause difficulty is toenail clipping. For some reason pugs cannot stand for you to touch their feet! The only thing they hate worse than you touching their feet is being restrained. The harder you try to hold them still, the more anxious and squirmy they become. Toenail clipping is also made difficult by the fact that pugs have very dark black nails. This makes it difficult to identify the quick (the vein that runs through part of the nail) which can result in clipping the nails too closely. Nipping the quick will cause bleeding which, although this will not cause your pup any distress, can be challenging to stop.

All in all, I find the business of clipping my dogs nails such a stressful, horrible and difficult chore that I leave it to the professionals. I have seen dog groomers perform this same daunting task with ease and without the slightest anxiety from my pups. My advice is to get your pug used to nail clipping from a very young age. If it's too late, take your pup to your vet or the groomer for nail clipping. Groomers charge very little for this service ($5.00) and believe me - it's worth every penny!

Weight: I have often heard that pugs love to eat are prone to obesity. The only pugs I have ever heard of who suffered serious illness were very overweight. It is very important to maintain your pugs good health by maintaining a healthy weight. One way is not to develop the habit of feeding your pug food from the table. Once in this habit, it is hard to break. I use treats for training and give my pups few others. They love Pupperoni and would eat 10 bags if I let them. A better plan is to give your pups chew toys and edible chews. This keeps them happy and busy chewing, but not ingesting a great deal of calories in the process.

Chocolate: Never, ever give your pugs chocolate. Chocolate is poison to your dog. I refuse even to give my dogs carob flavored treats (a chocolate substitute). Why would I risk trying and teach my dogs that this "chocolate" is okay but this one isn't?

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