As far as records go back, the pug dog breed has had a rather short coat. It’s an old breed though. In fact, the origins might have been as far back as 700 BC. There are writings indicating that the ancient Chinese might have own some flat-faced dogs not all that different than the pugs known to exist today.
They were quite likely the direct ancestors of this breed. They also had very short coats. In fact, lo chiang sze was the specific name for these short-haired dogs and later it moved more towards the more simple lo-sze. Given the ancestry, this particular breed often gets called by the nickname of “Chinese Pug.” Later in history, specifically 1688, this breed wound up becoming the one and only official canine of the Dutch royalty. This breed was considered by many to be quite special, often involved in crucial events like royal ceremonies. The popularity of the breed continued as time passed on. In fact, in 1796, both Napoleon as well as his wife owned one. They were introduced to the United States sometime after the Civil War happened.
Myths About Long Haired Pug
The breed got perfected over time, and not the modern pug experiences global popularity.
Most, it not all, of these pugs have short hair. However, rumor, myths, and urban legends have persisted from the 1800s on about there being long-haired pugs. However, the photographic evidence is scant, and what little there is proves either debatable in authenticity or inconclusive. Some dogs with pug ancestry did have long coats, but it almost every case, they weren’t purebred. Still, enthusiasts hunt for evidence of the mythical long-haired pug. The long-haired version of the pug would be a very rare thing, but there are a number of things that might fuel the speculation behind this peculiar phenomenon, leading to the persistent rumors of such a canine existing. There are a few physical traits that might actually be confused with an actual long coat. One could be a pug with a very long tail or even a long uncurled tail.
Double Coated Fur An Overcoat And An Undercoat
Fur thickness can be deceiving as well. Most dogs have two layers of their fur, an overcoat and an undercoat. Most pugs have both being short and thick, although pure black pugs have just a single coat 80 percent of the time.
Crossbreeds can also be misleading, as a dog might look like a pug but be half Pomeranian. Planned breeding of dogs with characteristics that might skip generations can possibly result in a mostly-pug having a long coat inherited from another breed in the ancestry.
The concept of a long-haired purebred pug is a fascinating story, but as yet unproven.
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