Chug

Size:

Grooming:

Exercise Level:

Trainability:

Barking Level:

Good with Children:

Good with other pets:

Affectionate:

Protective:

Height: 30 - 33cm M | 30 - 33cm F

Weight: 4 - 9kg M | 4 - 9kg F

Life Expectancy: 10 - 13 Years

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Introduction

The Chug is a new dog breed from crossing the Chihuahua and the pug, thus the name. This hybrid dog breed is not recognised as a purebred and does not have a well-documented history. It is, as expected, a small dog that weighs 10–20 pounds and stands at 15–30 centimetres. The Chug was bred as a designer dog (trendy and adorable). The Chug is an excellent family pet dog that loves its family. It is fun-loving, energetic, and very outgoing. It has an average life expectancy of ten to thirteen years. Another name for the Chug is pughuahua or pugwawa.

Do you like to own a hybrid dog breed like the Chug? Here is complete information about this designer breed.

History

The Chug, albeit a new breed, does not have an exact documented origin. There have been countless hybrid dogs for many years and often not one breeder has been credited with the developments of new breeds. Cross-breeds like the Chug (pug and Chihuahua) have become popular for the past two decades as people began to develop dog breeds that are different for several reasons. For instance, people claim that hybrid dogs are hypoallergenic and can carry the best traits of each breed.

The Chug as a designer dog has been in existence for ten to fifteen years, but this hybrid dog breed has already become popular family dogs because of its adorable look and sweet nature. Currently, the Chug is not recognised by the Kennel Club in the United Kingdom nor by any other international breed associations. However, breed clubs have been set up to make sure that Chugs are bred responsibly to make sure that hereditary health conditions inherited from parent breeds will be kept to a minimum.

Appearance and Grooming

The Chug is a small breed, a cross between a Chihuahua and a pug. It weighs 10–20 pounds and stands 15–30 centimetres. It has a muscular face closely similar to a miniature boxer. Like its parents, the Chug has a compact-built, domed head, large, round eyes, ears that are set high and apart, and furrowed brows. The muzzle is broad and short, sporting overshot jaws that are pug-like. The Chug is brachycephalic, which means it may have trouble breathing especially during strenuous activities. However, some Chugs sport slightly longer muzzles depending on which parent breed the Chug leans toward.

The Chug often has a short and smooth coat. Coat colours vary, but usually include black, brown, tan, chocolate, cream, dark brown, fawn, merle, speckled, and spotted. The coat will likely shed due to its heritage since the pug is one of the heavy shedders and Chihuahua also does its share of shedding. Make sure that you brush the Chug's coat daily to remove loose hair and avoid matting. Apart from this, brush its teeth, clean its ears, and trim its nails regularly to ensure its overall health.

Temperament and Intelligence

Since the Chug is a hybrid between a Chihuahua and a pug, its temperament will largely depend on which parent breed the Chug leans toward. If it takes after its Chihuahua ancestry, the Chug may be a little aloof, or if it takes after the pug, it can be comical. Regardless, commonly observed traits of a Chug shows that this hybrid dog breed is affectionate, outgoing, and fun-loving by nature.

The Chug can also be a little aggressive owing to its Chihuahua heritage. It also often inherits the barking tendencies present in both parent breeds. However, it is vital to make sure that it is socialised correctly whilst young to curb any negative traits early on.

If you ask if a Chug is a great choice for a family with kids, the answer will be not quite. However, it is not because the Chug may become aggressive, but because it is a small breed and prone to get injured easily. Children should be taught how to handle small breeds such as the Chug, and interactions must be always supervised.

Nutrition and Feeding

A typical serving for an adult Chug is 3/4–1 1/2 cups of excellent-quality dry dog food daily. Proper nutrition is required for any dog to grow. Thus, it is crucial that its diet is tailored to what your Chug needs. Each dog breed has unique nutritional needs and will largely depend on its size, activity level, and metabolism. If you're not sure, on top of checking out online pet guides, it is best to check with a veterinarian for a professional recommendation.

Typical calorie needs of an adult Chug per day:

Senior and less active: up to 473 calories daily
Typical adult: up to 532 calories daily
Physically active/working dog: up to 590 calories daily

As a small dog breed, the Chug will need a high-quality commercial dog food diet explicitly formulated for small-breed dogs. The Chug often likes its food too much, so free-feeding is to be avoided so it will not gain too much weight. Gaining too much weight can pose a potential health risk.

Health and Exercise

The average lifespan of the Chug is ten to thirteen years. The Chug is generally a healthy breed. Since the Chug is a cross-breed, its chance of inheriting a hereditary condition is quite low due to a bigger gene pool. However, this also means the genetic diversity makes it difficult to predict which health disorders will be predominant. For the Chug, few potential health issues on the list may include respiratory problems, eye problems, patellar luxation, and hypoglycaemia.

The Chug has a moderate exercise requirement; a thirty-minute walk daily will be enough to meet those needs. Since it is an energetic dog, make sure to take your Chug for long walks often and allow it to roam around the yard or a back garden with a secure fence.

Cost of Ownership

Getting a well-bred pedigree Chug puppy will cost you £400–£650. Monthly food costs will set you back about £15–£25 a month, which is not much since it's a small dog. Pet insurance is also important to help you offset some costs on veterinary expenses in case of accidents or sudden illness. The cost to insure a Chug is around £20 a month for a basic cover and £45 for a lifetime cover. However, pet insurance does not cover the basic veterinary procedures. It is safe to say that a budget of £700 a year will suffice. For the first year, veterinary expense will include initial vaccinations, boosters, and spaying/neutering.

On top of this, factor in the cost for high-quality food suitable for your dog during its lifetime, which can cost about £20 a month. You also need to buy dog supplies and equipment such as lead, collar, bed, bowl, toys, and more. As a rough estimate, the cost to care for a Chug may set you back £35–£70 a month, depending on the type of insurance you get.