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Pugapoo: Breed Characteristics, Care &
Exercise Needs (Pugadoodle)
About Pugapoo
Country of Origin, History of Pugapoos
There is no known date or person who started the Pugapoo breed, but it is believed it may have existed naturally over the years. However, it was only in the 1990s that designer dog breeders in North America mixed Pugs and Toy Poodles to develop Pugapoos to have an intelligent, affectionate companion dog. As demand for mixed breed dogs kept increasing, Pugapoos became more and more popular.
Pugapoo Tools
Breed Selector Tool - is the Pugapoo the right breed for you?
Is the Pugapoo the right breed for you and your family?
Find out by using our Free Dog Breed Selector Tool
Check Your Pugapoo's Learning Style
Are you aware dogs also have a learning style that can greatly affect their ability to housetrain as well as be trained correctly. Evaluate your Pugapoo's learning style and personality using our free Learning Style tool so that you are better able to provide him with the proper Pugapoo training methods.
Is your Pugapoo dominating over you?
Does your Pugapoo bark unnecessarily? Does your Pugapoo come to you when you call? Download a FREE Report on Dog Dominance for you and your Pugapoo and learn how to control your dog.
Do you make these mistakes with your Pugapoo?
Are you inadvertently snow-balling bad behavior in your Pugapoo? Evaluate your Dog Training Style from our Free Tool and learn how best to deal with your dog.
Pugapoo Calorie Calculator
Do you know how many calories your Pugapoo needs every day and how many cups of food you should be giving it every day? Click here to use our Pugapoo Calorie Calculator.
A General Appearance of the Dog
The Pugapoo is a cross between the Pug and the Poodle, so it can have traits of either breed. It will be smaller if the Poodle(s) used in the breeding were Toy rather than Miniature. Puppies from the same litter can vary in looks and behavior dramatically. If the coat characteristics are those of the Poodle, the dog may be hypoallergenic, but you would need to spend several hours with the dog to know if it affects your allergies. They may snore and snort if they take after their Pug ancestors.
The Pugapoo is normally a loving, cute, intelligent dog who can live in an apartment or with a single person or who will love being in a family and having a fenced yard to explore. They are sociable if socialized early and thoroughly, but they have a wilfulness that makes training somewhat challenging. With consistent firm training using positive reinforcement and games for teaching, they will love to learn and please you.
The Pugapoo is playful and busy, so will only need a walk a day to round out his exercise. He barks to let you know of any strange noise or person. He is prone to separation anxiety. He needs mental stimulation, so enjoys puzzle toys and games that make him think.
Coat
If your Pugapoo inherited his coat from his Pug parents, he will have a short, coarse, but smooth coat, but if he inherited his coat from his Poodle parents, he will have a curly coat that needs professional grooming and may be somewhat to fully hypoallergenic. He may be white, cream, fawn, gray, or black, depending on the coloring he inherited from his Poodle ancestors.
Weight:
11 – 30 pounds
Height:
8 – 15 inches
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Free Course on Pugapoo Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting
Pugapoo Personality Traits
Temperament of the Dog
The Pugapoo is a cute, affectionate, alert, and loyal dog. It enjoys activities with its owner, but can become demanding and “in charge” if the owner is not firm and consistent in training and daily activities. He loves games and learning that is based on fun and positive reinforcement. Some of his play needs to stimulate his brain to keep him out of mischief.
Socialize the Pugapoo early (by 16 weeks you should start) so it is not fearful of new people and animals. He does well with children if exposed to them early and often and the children are trained to play gently with this little dog. They see children of all ages as their playmates.
Better suited to an indoor or outdoor lifestyle?
The Pugapoo will want to live indoors, but will enjoy walks and a fenced yard or dog park when available. He wants to be with his people and always has a “what are you doing?” expression on his face.
Are they suited to homes with kids?
Pugapoos love kids of all ages, so should be socialized with kids from the day you bring your dog home. He will play and play with kids or anyone.
Training
Start socializing the Pugapoo by 16 weeks so he does not become fearful of new people. He likes to be mentally stimulated, so make training into a game and use positive reinforcement and you will get good results. He needs a firm, alpha leader to keep him from running the household and becoming bossy.
Free Pugapoo Training Secrets
Free Course on Pugapoo Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting
Pugapoo Activity Level
How active is the breed?
The Pugapoo is fairly active in playing and following his owner so a short walk each day will give him enough exercise. He will enjoy the physical and mental stimulation of obedience training or rally training or agility training if you are consistent and have fun together.
Beware he can develop breathing issues with long periods of exercise, so break up the exercise and give him a short rest time between sessions. Take more breaks and provide water and shade in hot or humid weather.
Grooming
The grooming of your Pugapoo depends on what type of coat he inherited. Maintenance is a simple brushing once a week with an occasional bath if it is more Pug-like, but any combination or Poodle-like coat will need brushing weekly and a professional grooming every 6 weeks with a possible bath between groomings. If he has the wrinkles of the Pug, be sure to clean the folds of skin a couple of times a week so he does not have skin issues and infections.
Brush your Pugapoo’s teeth at least three times a week. Check his ears for any inflammation or debris. Trim his nails every 3 to 4 weeks.
Free Pugapoo Training Secrets
Free Course on Pugapoo Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting
Health and Care
The Pugapoo is prone to more health issues than many breeds because the Pug and the Poodle are prone to so many dissimilar health issues. The one thing to be aware of with exercise is Brachycephalic Syndrome. They can have issues with their legs and joints such as patellar luxation, hip dysplasia, and Legg-Calve Perthes Disease; with their eyes such as cataracts or progressive retinal atrophy; with their digestive tracts such as bloat; with their hormones such as Addison's Disease, or Cushing’s Disease (hormonal disease leading to diabetes); and with their skin such as allergies and sebaceous adenitis. They are also prone to epilepsy, Von Willebrand's Disease (a bleeding disorder), and Pug Dog Encephalitis. Be sure to get an annual physical that includes special eye exams and neurological testing and sometime early in the dog's life get some x-rays that can be baseline for legs and hips.
Life Span: 11 – 15 years
Litter Size:
3 – 8 puppies
National Breed Clubs
National Breed Clubs: none known
Other Recognition:
ACHC = American Canine Hybrid Club (Pug-A-Poo)
DBR = Designer Breed Registry (Pug A Poo)
DDKC = Designer Dogs Kennel Club (Pug-A-Poo)
DRA = Dog Registry of America, Inc.
IDCR = International Designer Canine Registry® (Pugapoo)
Group: Mixed Breed Dog
AKC Popularity Ranking: Not recognized by AKC.
Also Known As: Pug-A-Poo, Pug A Poo, Pugoodle, Pugadoodle, Pugdoodle, Pugpoo
Train Your Pugapoo To Listen To You
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You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.
You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:
How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.
3 dangerous mistakes that most Pugpoo owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.
The 2 main reasons why your dog barks excessively and how to control its excessive barking.
How to obedience train your Pugapoo to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.
A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.
How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.
Getting Pro help fast - how to get access to our expert trainers when you need them most.
One hidden psychological trigger that all Pugapoos have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.
Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.
Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Pugpoo information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Pugpoos have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.
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