My pugs
Multum in parvo, the pug motto, a Latin phrase meaning "alot of dog
in a small space". I had no idea how true that was 4 years ago when I met my fawn pug, Zeke,
for the first time.
We had been searching for a small house dog for about a year. Not certain what breed would be
right for us, we had almost settled on a shih tzu but had changed our minds at the last minute.
We had visited a local greenhouse to pick up some starter plants for our garden when we ran into
an older couple and their female pug puppy. I couldn't get that little face out of my mind and
think she had alot to do with turning down the shih tzu. Now I wasn't necessarily looking for a
pug breeder just yet, but I happened to come across one that had a litter of three for sale. I
contemplated talking it over with my husband, but decided to wait awhile, research the breed a
little more. I went to work that Monday afternoon and happened to run into my cousin who was
carrying a pug puppy. You can chalk it up to coincidence or fate. The fact that he has purchased
his puppy from the same breeder I had found was enough for me to go running home to my husband to
scream "I want a pug puppy". We met Zeke that Tuesday evening.
Zeke was born on March 30, 1997. Like most pugs his favorite things in life are eating and sleeping.
He also loves going outside to sniff in the grass. If he happens to find a patch of grass that
smells especially enticing he's not above rolling in it. Since coming home I haven't been in a room alone.
He is my constant shadow and companion and I usually refer to him as my best friend. He loves to play
tug of war with me or Tobias, but prefers if I hold a toy or bone in my hand so he can chew on it. His
favorite words are cookie, outside and hungry. His least favorite sentence is "mommy has to go to work".
He is very loveable and friendly. Anyone that comes to the house asks if they can take him home. I check
all bags before going out the door to make sure Zeke hasn't been stuffed into one of them. Just kidding.
A couple months after getting Zeke we bought our first computer and went online. Of course the first thing
I did was find a search engine and type in the word pug. I was so in love with my little guy I wanted to
learn everything and anything about the breed. Until then I had no idea there was any such thing as a black
pug. But once I saw that first one I knew Zeke would be getting a companion. We found Tobias on Valentine's
day, 1999. Zeke was about a month and a half away from turning two years old.
When we first brought Tobias home he was an 8 week old, 2 pound ball of cuteness. That first weekend I noticed his eye was gooey when he awoke from a nap. When I put him down on the floor to play it seemed when I was on his left side he wasn't seeing out of that eye. I remember waving my hand on either side of his head to see if he could detect movement out of each eye then chalking my fears up to nervousness. Three days later his left eye turned blue and obviously I knew there was a problem. I took him to see the vet that afternoon. She did a stain test and discovered he had a puncture. She gave us eye drops and an ointment to put in his eye and we went back after about a week, ten days to see how it was doing. It showed no signs of healing. She decided at that time the best thing to do was a minor surgical procedure of scraping his eye to make the surface more level with the puncture so it had a better chance of healing. We went ahead with the surgery and Tobias came home with his little eye sewn closed and a cone around his neck. For reasons unknown the procedure was not successful. He stopped eating, drinking and could barely hold his head up. I rushed him down to the vet, she opened his eye and discovered it was damaged and infection had set in. The next day we took him to see a vetrinary opthamologist at Cornell. There wasn't much they could do for his eye, they were more concerned with the infection. I can still hear that vet telling me he might not make it. Maybe she only said it once or twice, but the words still echo over and over in my mind like she had said it a hundred times. They prescribed an antibiotic and I took time off work so I could stay with him 24 hours a day. He could not eat or drink without help and I thought if he had to cross over rainbow bridge the least I could do was be there to hold him. Thankfully he did improve after a couple days.
A vet student called to inquire about him and was quite surprised when I told her he was doing better. Maybe Tobias taught her something no text book or professor could. That miracles can happen. The infection caused muscle and tear duct damage. It sets back in his head a bit and is the size of a ten week old puppies eye. Eventually it may have to be removed, but as of yet there has been no change since our last visit to Cornell.
Tobias was born on January 8, 1999. Like Zeke he loves to eat and is starting to sleep more. He is still quite active though. He likes to play tug of war, but his favorite game is playing fetch with a tennis ball. Actually, he likes to guard the ball, then when I come near him to get it he grabs it and runs away. His favorite words are cookie and outside. He lives for the days when his daddy gets out the lawnmower. He tears through the house trying to catch the big monster that has invaded his yard. He is skittish around strangers and barks alot. I think he has good reason to be after what he went through. But he is also very loveable and spends alot of time cuddling in my lap.
You would think that owning two would be enough, but nooo, I wanted a little girl, LOL. I think pugs are like potato chips, you just can't stop at one. Although I was thinking more along the lines of rescue, my husband surprised me by contacting a breeder around our anniversary. I thought just going to look can't hurt. Uh huh. They were awfully cute and when my daughter confessed that she had always envied how the boys followed me around and wanted this puppy to be hers I caved in. Too bad a week after Emma arrived my daughter decided puppies are hard work and only helps when I insist...or threaten to take away her favorite tv show or computer. Sheesh! Anyways, Emma was born June 28, 2002. This pug is wound up tight and
ready to go 24/7. She loves to give the boys grief, she's not afraid of anything and is cuter than all get out. I thought I had seen it all between the boys, but this little girl has taught me a thing or two. I'm pretty busy juggling 3 and trying to come up with a routine that works well for us. Her favorite things to do are eat, play laser dot, pick on Tobias and bite fingers.
I have always considered myself an animal lover but I was not prepared for how much I would love my pugs. If you let their size fool you, you will be missing out on one of the most special breeds out there. Friendly, playful, funny, loyal, loving, protective little dogs. They have earned their motto, multum in parvo.