How to Create an Album of Pug Dog Pictures

There's nothing in the canine world quite as cute as the puglet, or puppy of a pug dog. If you're starting a photo album of pug dog pictures, you'll definitely want to begin with a picture of when your dog is in its early months of life. Any moment that you capture, even in a still photo, will be a special moment. Watching them grow into their full size, which isn't all that large, is a pleasure. It can also involve some work on your part. Pug dogs are a breed that can suffer from a variety of aches and ailments, some of which are preventable and some that are just inherent in the breed. Before you can spend time enjoying pug dog pictures you'll need to pay some attention to the health and welfare of the dog itself. We've included a few tips here.

Origins and History of the Pug Dog

The earliest pug dog pictures most often seen are those that were painted back in 16th Century England, Ireland, and Scotland, where they were the favored breed of the Stuart family. They were also adopted as the official dog of the House of Orange in the Netherlands when a pug named Pompey saved the life of a prince by alerting him to assassins in 1572, so their portrayal in pictures from that era is always one of regality and respect. This time in history, though undoubtedly the most prominent period of their existence, was not their first impact on the world. Their origins are much further back in time, nearly two thousand years earlier.

In 551 BCE, Confucius described a breed of dog in China as "small and short-mouthed, but with a big heart and mighty voice when needed". The dog was the pug, and any pug owner today would agree with the assessment. The Chinese sovereigns of the Shang Dynasty in 400 BCE bred them to be lap dogs and legend had it that they were actually mystical dragons in canine form. The legend was so widely accepted that Qin Shi Huang the First Emperor of China, destroyed all records of the pugs existence, making it difficult to determine the exact origins of the breed. Thankfully, at that point, roughly 200 BCE, both Tibetan monks and Japanese nobles had already started breeding them, so the animal was available for export to Europe centuries later.

First in Show and a Royal Favorite

During the 18th and 19th Century, the pug became a fixture in the royal houses of Europe and a show dog in the United States. Pug dog pictures were some of the first taken by fledgling photographers when the camera was invented. They took well to film, and today they can be seen in a number of movies, usually portrayed as more intelligent than other animals around them with a strong protective instinct. This characteristic of the pug is what made them so popular with kings and queens who often questioned the loyalty of their subjects. The pug, with no need to be sycophantic or appeasing, always showed absolute fidelity and obedience to their owners. Queen Victoria had several of them, actually breeding them herself, and Josephine, wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, used her pug, Fortune, to carry concealed messages to her family while she was imprisoned at Les Carmes prison.

Health Problems and Potential Issues to Watch For

One of the main reasons why pug dog pictures are so common throughout history is the fragile nature of these wonderful animals' health. They are loyal, friendly, and playful when they are with us, but their life spans are often cut short because of health problems inherent in the breed. Their facial structure makes them susceptible to eye injuries and facial puncture wounds. Many develop eyesight problems later in life as a result of scratched corneas or entropion, which is the folding back of the eyelid. Since they are miniature, or toy dogs, they also have compact breathing tubes which can cause them respiratory problems and they often become obese, something you should be conscious of when you feed them.

It is recommended that you clean the folds in a pugs face and body to avoid infection and dermatological conditions. Mange is common, as are various immune deficiency conditions that are sometimes seen in the purer breeds of dogs. The pug breed, as evidenced by pug dog pictures that go back two thousand years, has remained unchanged for millennia. That kind of purity usually involves at least a little inbreeding, so some of these problems are hereditary. If you are a pug owner you need to be aware of them and take the necessary steps to prevent what you can.

Ideas and Suggestions for Your Album of Pug Dog Pictures

Obviously, if you own one, you'll want pug dog pictures of your own dog in various stages of its life, but to spice it up you can include movie photos, sketches from medieval Europe or ancient China, or snap shots of show dogs in the pug category. Pugs have appeared in the movies Men in Black, The Adventures of Milo and Otis, Disney's Pocahontas, 12 Rounds, Marie Antoinette, and Dune. On television, they have appeared in The King of Queens, Spin City, Legend of the Dragon, The West Wing and Eastenders. They also make appearances in a number of fictional and non-fictional books and stories, many of which have illustrations and photos. You can select any of these and include them in your album. Arranged properly, they can compliment the pug dog pictures of your own dog. Any number of themes can be developed using these ideas.

The English painter William Hogarth was a devoted collector of pug dog pictures. In 1745, Hogarth, most well known for his satirical art which laid the groundwork for 18th and 19th Century caricatures, painted his self-portrait together with that of his pug, Trump. The portrait is now in the Tate Gallery in London, along with many of his other works. You might want to check it out on the internet and view a few other classic pug dog pictures and portraits before you start your album.

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Pug Dog Pictures are great for any pug dog lover.