Pug Crosses

There has been a trend recently, mainly among puppy farmers and back yard breeders, to cross various breeds and give them fancy names and a fancy price. Poodles and pugs are prime candidates for crossing, mainly because a new name can be easily invented - 'something-oodle' or 'puga-something'. These breeds are known in some circles as 'designer dogs', but 'designer mongrels' would be an equally good term. Such dogs come without registration papers (only pure-breeds can be registered), and will not breed true to type.

The Irish Pug Dog Club is dedicated to pure-bred pugs, and does not agree with the crossing of our wonderful breed in this way.

Please do not contact the Irish Pug Dog Club if you wish to find a crossbreed. If you wish to find a pugalier, a puggle, or any other cross-bred dog, you will need to resort to the various websites that list pets for sale.

Please read the following points before deciding to buy a pug cross:



  • Puppies in a litter of crossbreeds will often to look similar to each other. However, they may all look different as in any litter of mongrels.
  • The adult size of crossbreed puppies cannot be guaranteed.
  • The temperament of crossbreed puppies cannot be guaranteed.
  • The health of crossbreed puppies cannot be guaranteed.
  • The name ‘designer dogs’ was coined by puppy farmers hoping to make their pups sound good. ‘Designer mongrel’ would be an equally good name.
  • Cross breeds are often given names comprising of both the parent breed names. This is one of the reasons that pugs and poodles are often crossed with other breeds, to produce ‘pugwhatevers’ and ‘wahteveroodles’. Having a cute name does not necessarily mean that the puppy will grow into a cute dog.
  • Buyers should beware of paying inflated prices for puppies that are neither registered nor purebred.
  • Breeders of crosses say that crossbreeds have hybrid vigour and are healthier. In some cases this may be so, but how many breeders of crossbreeds actually perform health checks on the parents of these litters? Many of the genetic problems that are found in purebred dogs are found in many breeds, for example, hip dysplasia. Crossing two breeds will not guarantee an absence of genetic problems, and in some cases may double up on problems.
  • Buyers should always question the advantages or disadvantages of crossing breed X with breed Y. What characteristics of temperament will be achieved if a terrier is crossed with a toy breed? Such breeds have opposite temperaments, and the temperaments of the resulting puppies will be unpredictable.
  • Buyers should also question the welfare of crossing breed X with breed Y where there is a large disparity in the size of the sire and dam, the bitch may have severe problems when whelping. This is especially so when a very small breed, such as a Chihuahua, is crossed with a large headed breed, such as a pug.
  • Crossbreeds are not recognised by the Irish Kennel Club, or by any official Kennel Club abroad.
  • Crossbreeds will not breed true when crossed top another similar crossbreed.
  • On the plus side, as with any mongrel, crossbreeds can make good pets, but please, do not be duped into thinking you are buying a ‘designer’ dog.
  • If you do decide to buy a crossbreed, please beware of puppy farmers. Most such dogs are bred by puppy farmers. Please do not support such people.
  Some Common Pug Crosses

These are some of the commonest pug crosses that you see advertised in Ireland.  

Bug                Pug x Boston Terrier

Chug              Pug x Chihuahua

Jug                 Pug x Jack Russell   Pug zu           Pug x Shih Tzu

Pugalier        Pug x Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 

Pugapoo      Pug x Poodle

Puggle          Pug x Beagle 

Puginese     Pug x Pekingese

One has to ask what ‘advantages’ the breeders are trying to achieve with some of these crosses.  For example, there are huge health and welfare implications from crossing a pug with a Chihuahua. The Club has heard of cases of such dogs with tiny Chihuahua bodies and large pug heads that had to be euthanased because the poor puppy could not lift its big head off the ground.  

What are breeders trying to achieve when they cross a pug with a boston terrier or a pekingese? All three breeds have similar brachycephalic heads and large eyes, so any suggestion that they are trying to reduce the supposed problems in the pure breeds is clearly not so.

Why are breeders crossing hunting breeds with toy breeds, as in the case of Jugs or Beagles? What sort of temperament are they trying to create? 

 

Please think before you buy a cross breed.