Treats: My pups are finicky when it comes to food and treats, but one thing they always love are pig ears! Pugs love to chew and they can chew these for hours. I also like to keep rawhide bones and hooves for my dogs to chew on.

Pugs also love bones from your dinner. Be careful about giving you pup bones from the table. Pugs have very strong jaws and will easily bite through the toughest bones so bones that splinter will pose a hazard. I never give chicken bones to my dogs (although they would love to have them). The center bone of a pork shoulder or a steak bone (like the one Layla has in this pic) is a safer treat.

They also love Pup-peroni treats. They would eat these by the dozens! They like a strange assortment of things like animal crackers, peanut butter, liverwurst, hot dogs and rice cakes. My dogs also love spaghetti and I can't tell you how much fun it is watching them slurp it up. After two years I still can't seem to predict what my pugs will like or dislike. A good rule of thumb for treats and chews is to buy in small quantities until you are sure what your pug likes, then you can stock up.

Swimming: Pugs are adventurers and probably won't hesitate to jump in to the lake or a pool, but use caution -- these dogs aren't born swimmers like some dogs. Pugs are heavier in the front of the body than in the back (like a bulldog) so they tend to sink rather than swim. Better to keep them in shallow water where their feet can remain firmly on the ground.

I learned the hard way on a recent vacation with my pups at a lakefront property that they need help in the water. I was out in a rowboat with my two little dogs when one of them somehow fell into the water -- and he sank like a stone. Thank goodness I acted quickly and was able to get him back in the boat, but I'll never take a chance like that again. Now I have lifevests for my dogs. There are a number of companies that sell these and the peace of mind they provide is worth the modest cost.

Here are some pics of my pups enjoying our boat ride

These comfy lifevests keep pups safe around the water

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