Change My Puggles for Another Dog? Not On Your Life!

Over the years, I’ve had a few different breeds of dogs, and I’ve loved them all. When I was a kid, for example, my folks had four poodles Kippy, Piere, Beau and Squiggy (yes, named after the show (Lavern and Shirley), and as fierce as it looked to strangers, it was nothing but a bunch of big cuddly toys to me and my sister. Then, as I hit my teens and the four poodles passed on, my mother brought home a box. Out popped this bull frog eye, snorting, wrinkled black animal. Was a dog or a pig?

At the time, our house had a circle hallway and all I can remember is this animal jumping out of the box and running into our bathroom, grabbing the toilet paper from the roller and running excitedly around the hallways in circles. Needless to say, the animal calmed down and I was able to take another look at her. Yes, it was a girl, a dog, and a Pug. My mom couldn’t resist her from the dog store in the local mall and so she brought her home. Her name was Katie and she became the baby of the household, literally! We couldn’t call her a dog, she had to be called Katie or baby and we even had to take turns, my sister and I, holding her bone for her while she chewed for hours on it. Sadly, Katie got older and passed on, but her spirit lives on forever in our families households. It was so bad, that my mom had to move out of the house that we lived in, because she couldn’t bear the memories of Katie and her favourite tree. My mom now has three dogs, which consist of two pugs and a shit-zuh.

Now that I’m older, married, and have four kids and my own home, I have four dogs as well, like when I was growing up. As much as I could have had one that was similar to the dogs I knew in my childhood, I wanted something different, something unusual – so I got myself a puggle.

For anyone who’s never seen a puggle, it’s a wonderful cross between a beagle and a pug, which in my mind has got to be one of the greatest mixes ever – kudos to the breeder who came up with that idea! For a better idea, next time you’re in Toys ‘r’ Us or any similar toyshop, have a look at the Pound Puppies, and you’ll see what I mean. Yet it’s not just the look of these cute dogs that I love so much.

Any dog I’ve ever had has always been affectionate – they’re not called man’s best friend for nothing! But there’s something about a puggle that seems to make them even more affectionate than the cuddliest dog. If I’ve had a rotten day at work and I want to come home and scream at the world, Reece (yeah, I know, not the greatest name, but I like it!) will come on over to me and rest his wrinkly little face on my lap. And when I look at him – well, I defy anyone not to melt when a puggle looks dolefully at you!

Even just the way Reece acts on an everyday basis – he probably doesn’t even realize he’s being funny, but that’s the beauty of puggles. Their noses are a little bit longer than the average dog and this can lead to some pretty funny moments. There have been times when I’ve been watching the television, and have almost collapsed laughing at the noises coming out of Reece as he sleeps. Remember the movie “Gremlins”, and the little noises that the main character Gizmo would make? This is exactly what a puggle can sound like at times.

One of the best things about puggles is that they’re such a conversation piece as well. Take a walk down the park, or on the beach, and people are will surround you dying to know about your little bundle of joy. And you thought it was just newborn babies that get all the love?! If you’re single and you want to attract a potential partner, trust me; buy a puggle!

There’s a whole ton of things I could say about Reece, or puggles in general. They’re adorable; they’re loving; they’re squishy. But when it comes down to it, nothing I could say would do these wonderful dogs justice. Reece has had babies with my Beagle, Daisy. Therefore, I guess you could consider me a part-time breeder. The love I had for adopting out my little baby puggles and the warm fuzzy feeling of finding them a home is priceless. If you are interested in puggles, the best thing to do is get in touch with a local breeder today and see for yourself what all the fuss is about. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

Christy Taylor, author, owner and breeder of Puggles. For more information about Puggles, visit her website at http://www.pugglehugs.com