We all know that dogs are man’s best friend. This also goes to the royal family clan, which them no exception to this saying. In fact, the royal family members are known to shower their love to their fur babies with a full royal treatment as well – from expensive clothes, fresh food to high-quality invisible dog fences and their own security people.
One of the most popular dog breeds taking the royal family members by storm are pugs. Because of their energetic, fun, and loving characteristics, it is no wonder why this dog breed is among the top dog breed choices for them.
With this being said, here are some of the notable royal family members who are known to love their dogs – specifically pugs.
Emperors of China
Since pugs are said to have originated in China, this dog breed is known as a companion for the ruling families in China. In fact, only the royal family had the right to keep them during the ancient Chinese Period. In addition, pugs were highly valued by the Chinese Emperors – which as a result, these royal pet dogs were at the comforts of luxury with their own guards.
Prince of Orange
Aside from the Chinese Emperors from ancient times, pugs are also famous dog breeds at European courts. With this being said, in 1572, pugs became the official dog in a branch of the European House of Nassau – the House of Orange in Holland. One notable story about this dog breed was about a pug named Pompey who saved the life of William the Silent, the Prince of Orange by constantly alerting him that a bunch of assassins was coming.
William III and Mary II
During the same era as the Prince of Orange, another pug paved its way as a member of the royal family. This is because a pug traveled with William III and Mary II from the Netherlands to England to accept the throne. This was the time when this dog breed was bred with a King Charles Spaniel, which explains the pug’s modern characteristics.
The breed pug then became famous in other European countries like Spain and Italy. Pugs were painted everywhere and they were dressed in expensive jackets and pantaloons and were carried by private carriages. Aside from this, pugs were also used by the military to track and using them as a guard dog.
Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine
Another royal family member that was known to have a pet pug was the infamous French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and his wife, Josephine. However, even if the pug was owned by Napoleon Bonaparte, it was said that Josephine kept it to continuously send messages to her family, friends, and loved ones while she was in prison since the pug was the only one who was given the visiting rights.
Queen Victoria
One of the reasons why the pug flourished is because of Queen Victoria’s patronage. She, herself, bred a number of pugs namely Olga, Pedro, Minka, Fatima, and Venus. Because of her genuine eagerness and involvement with the dogs, it immensely helped build the Kennel Club – an organization about canine affairs that focuses on breeding and showcasing various breed of dogs.
Queen Victoria’s admiration and fascination with pugs was then passed to other members of the Royal Family, including his son King Edward VIII and his grandson King George V.
Key Takeaway
To this day, pugs have been one of the favorite and most picked breeds by people because of its great and lovable characteristics. In fact, it is the most sought after dog breeds of today – from royal family members to celebrities.
