puggle puppy

Question
I am considering buying a puggle puppy and was wondering has anyone had any experience with one and are there any major problems with them?

Answer
A puggle is what is known as a cross-breed (in other words, a mutt), so one doesn't have the advantage of the many generations of purebred breeding that tend to set in the qualities of certain temperaments and behaviors that one might expect from any one breed. One can end up with the best of both breeds.... or the WORST.

Beagles were bred to hunt rabbits in packs. They tend to follow their noses everywhere, are quite vocal, and tend to be independent as they were not bred to work closely with man. They cannot be trusted off-leash because they will tend to follow any interesting scent and they have a high chase instinct. They are stubborn, shed, and have a "doggy" odor. Beagles are a very happy breed whose tails are always wagging and they have a high activity level. They are prone to epilepsy, thyroid abnormalities, hip dysplasia, eye problems, and disc disease. http://www.adoptabeagle.org/BeagleInfo.html

Pugs are true companion dogs; they MUST be with their people and crave attention and are good with children. They are clowns, very intelligent, and very stubborn and require a lot of patience to train. They remain puppies until close to three. Apparently they shed *A LOT* and they love to eat. They also have a number of health issues.... luxating patellas, progressive retinal atrophy, pigmentary keratitis, dry eyes, elongated soft palate, stenotic nares, encephalitis, trichiasis, entropion, Legg-Calve Perthes disease, and hip dysplasia.   http://members.lycos.nl/huisdier/pugs/

As with any dog, shop/acquire wisely, and then socialize and train it as much as possible and mold it into the dog of your dreams.

Karen