no further than the outer corner of the eye. The rose ear appears smaller and folds differently, with the inner edge against the side of the head. The inner burr of the rose ear does not show like that of a Bulldog. The rose ear is small, neat, and tends to give the head a rounder appearance. Ears are always black, and both ears should be of the same type. Head wrinkle is another trait essential to a Pug’s expression. The standard says no more than the wrinkles are large and deep. In the fawn Pug, the wrinkles are set off by a darkening within the folds of the wrinkle. Wrinkles in the black Pug are more difficult to discern, so be sure to take a good look. Wrinkles can conceal an incorrect skull shape. “THE PUG’S MUZZLE IS SHORT, BLUNT, AND SQUARE, BUT IT IS NOT UP-FACED. The muzzle is almost half The Pug’s muzzle is short, blunt, and square, but it is not up-faced. The muzzle is almost half of the dog’s face and is extremely important. It should be flat when viewed in profile. The cush- ioning of the muzzle should appear to be equal to the width of the skull. The width of the muzzle should be in line with the outer edge of the eye. The underjaw is wide and deep. The upper lips should be full and the lip line firm. When viewed from the front, the muzzle should not fall away under the eyes. To complete the round head, there should be sufficient fill and cushioning un- der the eyes. The bite of the Pug is very slightly undershot. An overbite distorts the expression and gives a lippy appearance. Too much underbite makes the dog look up-faced. Kindly remember that we are a “thumb breed.” There is no need to lift the lips, pry open the mouth or stick your fin- gers in there. Use the flat of your thumb over the mouth to feel the bite. We highly recommend that the bite check should be the last part of the table examine. I said in the beginning that I wanted to hit the points of our standard that are essential to Pug type. However, there are two other points I want to touch on before I close this discussion. Pugs come in fawn or black. Period. Fawn or of the dog’s face and is extremely important.”
black only; any color other than fawn or black is a disqualification. It is the only disqualification in our standard. While fawn comes in many shades, black is black. It is important to remember that a small amount of white on the chest in either color is perfectly acceptable. Another note on color: Pugs should be judged with no preference for color. My final note in our conversation today is that Pugs should also be judged with equal consideration afforded to both dogs and bitches. Welcome back to the ring, and let’s hope that we never have to take a hiatus like this one again.
Nose: Although the Standard does not mention the nose, a short discussion is neces- sary. The nose is black, wide, and lies flat when viewed in profile. The top of the nose bisects the center of the eyes. The stop is concealed by an over-the-nose wrinkle. An unbroken wrinkle, set on the nose, unifies the face. Undesirable: A nose wrinkle covering a significant portion of the nose so as to negatively affect the Pug’s ability to breathe comfortably; a nosepad that is too large; lack of noseroll.
62 • T op N otch T oys , S eptember /O ctober 2022
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