All You Need To Know About Pug Chihuahua Mix

Who wouldn’t love an adorable, compact, and loving dog breed? The Pug Chihuahua mix can be the perfect addition to your large family or an excellent companion who likes to live alone. Basically, for any kind of environment, they are a joy to have around.

In reality, the designer dog is on the verge of becoming overly popular among pet lovers.

So, if you are on that list, you should know more about the pup before adopting one for your home.

So, what else is there to know about this adorable little pooch?

Well, in this guide I’m going to talk all about the Pug Chihuahua mix starting from their history to how to get yourself one. Anyhow, let’s begin!

Why Are Designer Dogs A Controversial Topic?

Well, if you are an animal lover and know about the inside world of breeders, you may have come across the fact that designer dogs are not worth it. Sometimes people even say that they are unhealthy or overpriced compared to purebreds.

In reality, this statement is not entirely true. Even so, there are many cases where purebred dogs are more unhealthy because of too many breeding and lack of providing strict standards.

Moreover, if someone breeds for specific traits, the breeder puts the dog in a maximum health risk. You could even see narrow hips or larger head, and that would make it so much harder on the dog.

On the other hand, in many cases, mix breeds may not even inherit the genetic issues directly from their parents. It’s because these breeds would take the genetics from a much larger gene pool.

And thus, the chance of getting a healthy gene is higher than purebreds.

Genes Are Awfully Diverse

Here, I mean to say is that a parent’s gene may contain traits that aren’t healthy. But the other parent can potentially correct it using its very own characteristics. However, you need to know all the mixed breed dogs are different from one another. You won’t get the same output every time as you do in purebred.

More, so, as they tend to get the genes from entirely different kind of gene sets, they can inherit a mixed gene trait. So, instead of getting one trait from one parent, it can get a mixture of two traits.

Thus, not all the mix breeds would be 50-50, and in case of Pug Chihuahua mix, it won’t be half Chihuahua and half Pug.

Getting Multigenerational Crosses

In case of designer dogs where you are breeding a Chihuahua with a Pug, you may get 25% pug DNA and 75% Chihuahua DNA. More so, if you cross pug Chihuahua mix with another one, it’s more likely that the cross would get the traits that are more prominent in their DNA.

However, it’s quite difficult to anticipate what the puppy will really get, even if you know what percentage of both parents it got.

To help you with it, I’ll explain what characteristics both the parents have so that you know what to expect in your puppy.

Moreover, I’ll also point out which traits are common between both parties. In those cases, the puppy will likely to have them.

History of the Pug Chihuahua Mix

Well, it’s unknown when anyone first attempted to mix both breeds, like any other crossbreeds. However, I can assume that it has been in the last two decades.

Anyhow the parent’s history is well known, and you can know more about them to understand the cub better.

Pug Origin

Pug happens to go back in 2000 years from now. They first started out as Chinese royals companions because they wanted a flat-faced dog breed. Later, the breed then spread out in Asia mainly in Tibet.

More so, Buddhist also kept this breed around as their pets in the monasteries. Right around the 16^th century, the pug started to become a popular breed among the European royals. But soon after Dutch merchants bought them to the Netherlands.

It was easier to spread in England from Dutch and from the royals in Europe they spread to other regions as well in the sixteen and seventeen century.

In reality, to this day, pugs are a favorite royal dog in Europe.

Chihuahua Origin

The origin of the Chihuahua ancestors dates way back even before the recorded history time. So, I can’t really say when the first time they actually came to be our companion. However, I know that the breed actually came from the Techichi. In reality, Techichi was one of the breed choices in the Toltec civilization in Mexico.

Once the Aztecs conquered the Toltecs in the 1100s, they started to make the dog breed lighter and smaller.

As a result, now we have the modern Chihuahua. However, in the 1500s the breed started to become rare because of the Spanish colonization. However, later, when Americans got interested in the breed in the 1800s, the breed started to be more prominent.

And now many famous people adore these small pooches.

How Is The Physical Appearance of This Breed?

When you want to get a crossbreed, the physical appearance actually varies drastically. It’s because you can’t know how much of a parent breed ill it takes after. So, almost all the pups in this breed would vary extensively.

But that makes it more special because you will always get a dog that would be different than others. In the end, it would be more unique.

Initially, the Chug or Pug Chihuahua mix is actually a toy dog. But you would see a more muscular and sturdy nature in the appearance.

Basically, you could see a rounded face with almond-shaped brown eyes. Moreover, the nose is quite dark and short, making it look like a miniature boxer.

Anyhow some chugs have pug ears – flop down and folded. On the other hand, some tend to have peak ears with folds at the peak similar to Chihuahua’s. So, no matter what your Chug puppy may have, it will surely look adorable.

What about Coats?

Obviously, your puppy will have different coat variations than parents. Basically, the coat will vary according to the active and passive parent’s gene in their DNA. Moreover, toy dog doesn’t cause severe allergic reactions to people that are allergic to dogs.

But I have to say they aren’t entirely hypoallergenic either. But if you want a dog and have an allergy, you could consider this breed over another.

Anyhow, the coat can range from medium and soft to dense and short. It’s mainly because their parents tend to have this. Also, if the Chihuahua parents had long furs, then the pup can also inherit that as well.

In terms of colors, chug can have a lot of variations. Usually, the color of their coat can range from white to black with brown and cream colors mixed together. So, you might get a golden chug or chocolate or even a black one.

Furthermore, you can expect the height of it to reach 6 to 14 inches as an adult. More so, you can expect them to weigh at 20 pounds max. So, that makes it a cool toy dog that’s easy to carry around.

Chug Temperament

It’s always the best decision to know about a dog’s personality before welcoming it to your family. However, in the case of mixed breeds, this too is quite unpredictable. Well, it’s a surprise package, and that is actually the beauty of taking any mix-breed dogs.

So, in the end, you might have a lively and courageous Chihuahua trait or get a playful and comical Pug trait. Furthermore, you could even get all the characteristics within your pup.

In that case, you will get a chug that’s super playful and loyal to the core. But enough about the good traits!

There are loads of bad traits in every dog breed as well. So, you can get a mix of Pug’s stubbornness and too much yappy side of Chihuahua’s. But that shouldn’t make you not want this dog breed. Overall you will get an energetic, friendly, loyal and affectionate dog. Who wouldn’t want that, right?

Moreover, they can be well behaved with proper training, and that’s why they are good therapy dogs as well.

No matter what kind of personality the dog may have, it’s evident that it will surely melt your heart and fill your life with joy.

But you need to make sure that you don’t overestimate their sizes as well. In many cases, you would see Chihuahua’s barking at a very larger dog. Even though it might look very funny, but you need to socialize it properly.

Socializing from a very young age would make it act more calmly. More so, never overlook any bad behaviors just for its size. Thus, always make sure that it does not provoke others to attack it and get injured in the process.

Also, they are quite suspicious of new visitors. But once they get to know him/her, they would be playful.

Grooming Schedules for Chug

To maintain your Pug Chihuahua mix, you need to make sure that you groom him accordingly. Let’s see what you have to do –

Brushing the Coat

In the case of shedding, you should expect heavy to moderate shedding. In case if your pup gets the longer variation of coat, then you will see more shedding than shorter ones. To minimize the shedding, you need to brush off the coat 2 times in the day.

If anything makes sure to do it at least 1 time. It will help you to get rid of any dead hair and will keep their fur shiny and smooth. If you don’t have any time, then you need to do it even once a week, or else their furs would lose their shine.

Face Cleaning

They might end up with pug’s wrinkly face with folds. To maintain that, you have to keep the folds completely dry and clean. In reality, the folds can become infections if not cleaned properly. Moreover, they would also smell bad if you do not clean them well.

You could gently use a damp cloth to clean the folds and then dry it off with a soft cloth.

Maintaining the Teeth

Your chug puppy will need several teeth brushes in a week to keep the gum and teeth from any diseases. Also, it will help to get rid of any bad smell breaths your dog may get overtime. So, cleaning is absolutely necessary.

Nail Clipping

Well, based on the activity level they have, you should expect them to trim down their own nails. However, if they aren’t that active, you would have to clip them. Try to check them out every week and if they need a cut, do it.

If you are afraid of doing it, take it to experts.

Training Sessions

In many cases, small dog owners tend to skip the training sessions and forget to socialize them properly. In reality, the dog owners think that the small sizes would not be a threat or won’t show any dominant attitude.

Unfortunately, this belief can’t be further from the truth. If you let the small pup do whatever they please, then they would get small dog syndrome.

Here, toy dogs become overly noisy, annoying, and extremely difficult to maintain. Also, the parent of Chug puppy is prone to stubbornness. Thus, you would need to train them properly. There’s no point in skipping it.

Also, due to the aggressive nature of Chihuahua, the Chihuahua pug breed is prone to that as well. So, you need to make sure that your dog doesn’t become a diva. Anyhow, the moral of this concept is that you should not accept any bad behavior for this dog.

If you lack experience in training, then get help from an experienced trainer. Because the amount of stubbornness would need time and patience to get over. It could be something that you may not afford to.

Another great trick is to train it to form a young age. Furthermore, make sure that it goes through socialization and obedience training. But don’t skip it when it becomes an adult. Keep it up, no matter how old the dog gets.

However, you would be happy to know that training Chugs are extremely easy. In reality, they like to please their owners, so it’s a plus pint at its best.

Training Tips to Help You

I’m going to leave a few tips that can help you out with your training sessions. These are –

Stay Positive:

You have to remember that the Chihuahua pug mix is a sensitive dog breed. So, you need to be careful while training. If you go for harsh training sessions, you may frighten the dog easily. Thus, you have to go for a strategy that would feel positive.

Try to give your dog treats and even belly rubs or praises.

Short Timing:

Don’t push your dog too much. Also, take note of the attention span of your dog. Yes, the dog breed will learn easily, but it won’t be able to concentrate for too long. So, try to keep the training sessions short and memorable.

Get Close To The Ground:

Well, you would be much bigger compared to your small dog. So, shouting the command while standing up will only startle it.

When you are training the dog, make sure to stay close to the ground so that you are at his/her level. This way, the dog won’t feel intimidated and feel more secure. After your dog is comfortable with, you can stand up and do the rest of the training.

Be Robust:

While training the dog, you can’t be flexible too much. Thinking that your dog is docile or poor based on the small size won’t help. If you don’t stand your ground, your small dog will start to show dominance.

So, if you want to keep it in check, make sure to not award for any bad behavior. Also, remember that the behavior that you won’t tolerate from any big dog should not make you tolerate for the small dogs either.

Be Creative for Housetraining:

This is a different factor when it comes to small-sized dogs. Well, you can use crates to get the best results. Also, don’t forget that this breed comes with a small bladder. So, it means that you can’t keep it in the crate for a long time.

So, you need to let it out from two to four hours. Well, it would depend mostly on its size as well. So, make sure to train it properly or hire a pet sitter when you are out for longer sessions.

Exercise Needs

This dog breed is very adaptive of the owner’s style of life. Also, it needs low to moderate level of activity. But if he takes after the Chihuahua parent, it would need more active time and would be highly energetic.

Anyhow, you won’t have to take him out for long walking sessions. So, walking once a day would be more than enough. Also, remember that pups do get tired quite easily, and sometimes they can suffer from respiratory issues as well. So, don’t get into any exhausting exercises.

When you do not around make sure that you keep him/her busy with giving them toys.

Feeding Time

Oh, you need to feed your dog the perfect amount. No more, no less. Apparently, the feeding varies highly. In reality, the pug parent happens to have overeating issues. So, if you overfeed it, it may become overweight.

This will relatively damage their health. So, keep it under control so that your Chug pup can be healthy. Also, for the diet, you can opt for dog foods that are specially made for small active dogs. Also, you can keep the meat as the center food source and then add in more options to balance it.

Just only a cup of dog food should be enough to get his nutrition up. But before you make the plan, you should contact your vet.

What Are The Health Issues of This Breed?

Well, typically the Chihuahua and the pug is prone to several common health issues. Basically, they are –

Dental problems
Obesity
Necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME)
Epilepsy and seizure issues
Heart conditions
Portosystemic shunt (PSS)
Seasonal Allergies
Patellar luxation
Demodectic mange
Kidney and bladder stones
Legg-Calve-Perthes
Eye problems such as dry eyes, protrusion, progressive retinal atrophy, and distichia.

Well, the issues aren’t that much compared to the flat-faced issues Pug faces. If your Chug puppy gets similar flat faces, then it’s a high chance that it will induce Brachycephaly. Typically, it’s a breathing issue and causes serious problems. These are –

Stenotic nares
Eye problems
Breathing difficulties
Unable to regulate body temperature
Reverse sneezing (it’s kind of like gagging)
Anesthesia sensitivity
Dental problems

The issue is that its part of the structure of every pug dog. So, you mix dog breed would surely get at least some degree of it. It may not be worse and could actually not be that much of an issue.

But if it gets more of the pug parent traits, you’ll have to deal with this issue very carefully. Other than this, they may also get hip dysplasia.

It may also get hypoglycemia form the Chihuahua parent. In this condition, the blood sugar level is too low to maintain normal activity.

Brachycephaly Treatment

Well, the good news is that there are many treatment options when it comes to Brachycephaly. But first, you need to contact your vet to get a proper diagnosis of what the condition of your dog is. Depending on the level of seriousness the treatment should include –

Oxygen Therapy
Surgery for getting rid of any obstructions that are causing the airway to be small.
Steroids for reducing any inflammations.

Is There Any Treatment for Hip Dysplasia?

There are some treatment options when it comes to hip dysplasia. It mainly includes lifestyle changes and surgery.

In case of, mild hip dysplasia, you may not need to go for surgery. In reality, the vet would ask you to change some of the lifestyles of your dog such as –

Reducing the weight so that it doesn’t put too much pressure on the hips.
The reduction in exercises and avoiding any hard surfaces that may cause more damages.
Anti-inflammatory medications.
Physical therapy to help out if the dog is in pain and can’t walk properly.
Joint fluid modifiers.

Do note that all I may not be able to list out all the procedures in this list. So, your vet may try out a new thing that works perfectly, and your puppy would be better. So, in any case, always trust your vet.

In the case when your dog may be a candidate for the surgical option you could see these options –

Total hip replacement (THR)
Femoral head ostectomy (FHO)
Double or triple pelvic osteotomy (DPO/TPO)

You can also make sure that from an early age, you keep up with the doctors and try to give your pet a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, you can also avoid overfeeding him and make sure he gets proper exercises to be in shape.

Issues with Face

Well, the puppy may get a pug’s face, so in that way, it will also get the wrinkled skin as well. But you would need to maintain the folds regularly in order to keep any infections happening. In reality, if any moist material is left behind the folds, it can lead to serious bacterial attacks.

Thus, the dog will suffer from skin infections and bad smells due to this. So, always make sure to keep the fold clean and dry.

Issues with Teeth

Typically the head structure of this breed comes with a small mouth. And so, there isn’t much space left for teeth. As a result, many flat-faced dogs actually suffer from overlapped teeth structure, and that could lead to the accumulation of tartar.

If you do not keep them clean properly, it will lead to gum diseases. Makes sure to include daily brushing sessions to maintain oral health. If you think it’s hard to maintain that, then take expert help, but don’t skip it.

Getting Yourself a Pug Chihuahua Mix Breed

You need to find a reputable breeder for this one. Otherwise, you won’t know what would be the condition of your dog.

Usually, puppy farms can cause a lot of damage if not handles carefully. And you won’t know anything until you bring your lovely pet back at home. So, you need to remember these points I’m about to tell you –

Always ask to see the mother, puppies, and the litter. The mother’s health is a really important factor when it comes to puppy farms. Also, make sure to see how she interacts with the puppies as well. If the breeder won’t let you see them, it’s a chance that he/she is not trustworthy.
You can see if both parents are registered in the American Kennel Club or any similar authorities in your region. Also, see the documentation to verify fully.
The next thing you need to see is the medical records of the parents. Also, make sure to find out when they were vaccinated and if they have any history of health issues. Furthermore, try to go to a breeder who is willing to participate in the health screening process. This way you’ll know if the puppies have any inherited issues passed down.
Another thing to keep in mind is the exposure to socialization. Make sure the breeder socializes them when it’s appropriate.
Lastly, any trustworthy breeder won’t mind if you ask too many questions. More so, they could ask you to be sure about it fully and then get your lovely pet.

Reasons for Not Getting the Chihuahua Pug Mix

If you are in a rush and don’t have time to take care of your dog properly, it’s best not to go for it. As you already know that they tend to have inherited health issues. So, you might get a bad mixture of genetics and end up with lots of complications.

So, you need to be able to deal with that kind of scenario.

Also, as small dogs are prone to small dog syndrome, you need to be willing to devote a lot of your time in proper training. Also, you would have to bond with it as well. In many cases, without proper training, they can show a snappy attitude. If you aren’t up for it, it’s best to stay away from this dog.

Also, this breed isn’t suitable for hot climates. They tend to have breathing issues, as well. On the other hand, it doesn’t bode well in extremely cold climates too. So, if you live in a region that’s too hot or too cold, best to avoid this breed.

Reasons for Getting the Chihuahua Pug Mix

Well, if you love cuddles, then this breed will steal your heart. It’s a very affectionate dog and would love to cuddle with whenever you want. Also, it will follow you around and get love in return.

Due to the small size, it’s easy to live in a small apartment with this dog. There would be no issue for it to live indoors. Moreover, it would be more than happy to stay in a small space. So, that makes it easier for people who live in a small space.

Anyhow, it doesn’t need a lot of maintenance. Well, the brushing won’t take much time because the breed is quite small. Also, you won’t have to bathe it too much because that can take away the oil in their skin that protects them. So, you are pretty much in clear.

Conclusion

Pug Chihuahua mix can be a great addition to your family. Basically, if you live alone and want a small dog breed, you can surely try out this dog. In reality, this dog is one of the loving and affectionate dog that you can find.

Also, the uniqueness and figuring out the small surprises can really make your life more enjoyable. I hope this guide helps you to find the lovable pet that you want.