T he Pug is, perhaps, one of the eas- iest of the Toy breeds to judge. He is one of those “what you see, is what you get” dogs. He is a clown that picks the worst times to embar- rass his handler, and he enjoys every minute of it. The words to remember are “round head, square body, and curly tail.” This is a square breed, not literally, of course, but when we look at a Pug from any angle you should get the im- pression of squareness. From the side, front, and rear, you should see a cob- by, well-muscled dog. It is important to remember that the level topline is echoed by the underline; no sloping toplines and no tuck-ups. I recommend letting the dogs go around first, then your first impres- sion is of them moving naturally and not posed into position by the handler. When the dog is set up on the table, stand back and look from the side to ascertain the correctness of the body shape. When you approach from the Look at the head from the side. While it is flat, it is not perpendicular be- cause of the slightly undershot bite. Some Pugs have an exaggerated over- the-nose roll. If this is so great as to detract from the flat face, you should consider this in your judgment. The ears are soft, small, dark, and trian- gular. The two acceptable types are the button (preferred) and the rose. A rose ear on a Pug does not expose the inner burr, such as in the Bulldog, but JUDGING THE PUG by Charlotte P. Patterson front, look first, and then put both of your hands around the head, using your thumbs to feel skull structure under the folds of skin. This also helps the dog to stand still. Please keep in mind that he has no muzzle to protect his eyes and does not appreciate the judge who covers his eyes while examining his teeth. The parent club video shows how to examine the bite with the flat of your thumb to ascertain that he is slightly undershot. The Pug Dog Club of America has repeatedly asked judges not to open Pug’s mouths. The head is round, and if you drew a line across the face it should touch the tip of the ears (when alert), bisect the eyes, and touch the top of the nose. Remember that one of the most endearing traits of this breed is his dark, round eyes. A light-eyed Pug is not desirable and does not have the proper expression for the breed. The head wrinkles around his face, covering his brow and looping over his nose, contribute so much to his characteristic expres- sion. At this point, if judging a black Pug, you must look closely to see those wrinkles, but they are there.
Ch. WooWoo Serendipity (Winner of Three BIS) shows proper gait.
46 • T op N otch T oys , N ovember /D ecember 2020
Powered by FlippingBook