With their flat faces, prominent eyes, chunky bodies, curly tails, and playful, loving dispositions, pugs endear themselves to people almost instantly. In return for their affectionate and entertaining companionship, they have certain needs that must be met for their comfort and happiness.

Besides regular meals and a sturdy roof over their heads, pugs need consistent training, regular exercise, a comfortable environment, and lots of interaction with their people. The pug that's provided these things can't help but become your best friend.

Training

As with any breed, intelligence and trainability vary from dog to dog, but for the most part pugs are smart and have good memories. If they're properly motivated — usually with food — and kept entertained, they are quick to learn. On the other hand, reliability (to the extent that pugs can become reliable) comes only with frequent repetition over a long period of time.

Expect your pug to learn undesirable behaviors more quickly than good ones. You can counter that tendency by giving your pug plenty of opportunities to do things the right way and few opportunities to get into trouble. Just because your pug is smart doesn't mean he's always going to be well behaved.

Exercise

One of the great things about pugs is their adaptability. They are content to spend much of their time asleep on the sofa while you're at work, but they enjoy outings whenever they're offered. Unlike some breeds, they don't need a brisk daily workout to burn excess energy. A nice stroll through the neighborhood will suit a pug just fine and is important to help prevent obesity, which is common in the breed. Occasionally missing a walk because of bad weather or lack of time isn't a problem. Your pug will be just as satisfied with indoor play.

Pugs are sturdy dogs, capable of going on long walks as long as it's not too hot outdoors. Pugs in good shape have been known to walk distances of up to five miles, but a walk of a mile is a good distance for a pug. In any case, be sensitive to temperature. Pugs don't do well in the heat.

Shelter

One of the attractive qualities of the pug is his small size. If you're one of those people who would like to have a big dog but lack the room, then the pug is definitely a breed to consider. He's the epitome of “a big dog in a small body.” A pug is the ideal breed for apartment and condo dwellers, especially in urban environments. Pugs need and enjoy regular walks, but they don't need a yard. In fact, pugs aren't good “outside dogs” at all. Because of their squashy faces, they're especially sensitive to heat and require a temperature-controlled environment. A pug doesn't need a lot of space, but he does need to be comfortable.

Companionship

Most important, your pug needs lots of love and attention. He's a people-pleasing, people-loving dog, and his greatest joy in life is spending time with you. After all, he's been bred for centuries to do a dog's most important work: serve as a companion. By training your pug and providing him with daily play and exercise, you're not only creating a dog with nice house manners, you're also spending quality time with him. In return, he'll bring you a lot of laughter and happiness.