T he Pug is perhaps one of the easi- est of the Toy breeds to judge. He is one of those “what you see, is what you get” dogs. He is a clown who picks the worst times to embar- rass his handler and 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 cobby, well-muscled dog. It is important to remember that the level top line is echoed by the underline. No sloping top lines 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 in 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 to detract from the flat face, you should consider that 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 the Bulldog, 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 he has no muzzle to protect his eyes and does not ap- preciate the judge who covers his eyes while examining his teeth. The par- ent club video shows how to examine that bite with the flat of your thumb to ascertain 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.
62 • T op N otch T oys , S eptember 2019
Powered by FlippingBook