Page 299 - (DK) The Dog Encyclopedia
P. 299

CROSSBREEDS


           Puggle                                                                                A CELEBRITY PET


                                                                                                 The Puggle’s meteoric rise to fame has been
                HEIGHT       WEIGHT       LIFE SPAN          Red or tan   Any of these colors with   helped by the huge celebrity interest in the dog.
                  10–15in    15–31lb      10–13 years        Lemon        white (particolor). May   Stars such as James Gandolfini, Jake Gyllenhaal,
                (25–38cm)    (7–14kg)                        Black        have black mask.       Uma Thurman, and renowned dog-lover Henry
                                                                                                 Winkler (below) are just a few of those who own
                                                                                                 a Puggle. In taking the dogs with them to parties,
          A sweet-tempered, intelligent dog that makes an ideal                                  TV shows, and media events, and being
          family companion if given sufficient exercise                                           photographed with them, celebrities have helped
                                                                                                 introduce the Puggle to the public. People
                                                                                                 wanted to know what this unusual dog was and
          One of the most newly created “designer   more than 50 percent of sales of crossbred
                                                                                                 some then went further and purchased one.
          dogs,” the Puggle is a cross between a Pug   dogs. The Puggle is now the most popular
          (see p.268) and a Beagle (see p.152). These   crossbreed in the US and in 2013 puppies
          dogs were developed in the US in the 1990s.   were sold for as much as $1,000 each.
          The breeders’ original goal was to produce    The Puggle looks like a snub-nosed Beagle,
          a dog with a Pug’s compact size and a     and often has a curly tail and black facial
          Beagle’s sweet nature, but without some    mask like a Pug. Easy to train, it makes a
          of the health problems that can afflict Pugs.   lively and affectionate family dog, bonding
          The new crossbreed is now registered with   easily with its owners and loving human
          the American Canine Hybrid Club.          company. It is good with children and readily
            In recent years the Puggle has seen a huge   accepts strangers and other dogs. Because it
          rise in popularity. It was named in the US   will easily adapt to living in an apartment, it
                     media as the “Hottest Dog of   is particularly popular in urban areas such as
                       2005” and has been an        Los Angeles and New York. The Puggle
                        enormous hit with celebrities  needs daily walks, including games, to keep
                        and Hollywood stars. In     happy. The short-haired coat requires little
                       2006 Puggles accounted for   grooming, aside from a weekly brushing.

                                                                                                      Very pronounced
                                                                                                      stop


                                                      Drop ears with
                                   Square body       some black hairs



             YOUNG DOG





                                                                                                                                 Short, dark
                                                                                                                                 muzzle
                                                                                       Lighter-colored
                                                                                       chest and throat



                                                                                   Fawn

                                             Short, smooth
                                             double coat






                                                                               Compact,
                                                                               round feet





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