What’s the biggest pug you’ve seen around?
So you’ve fallen in love with pugs and now’s your time to finally get one?
There are many things to consider such as how big does a pug get? In short, according to the AKC, a show quality pug will be about 14-18lbs. But of course, like their human counterparts, pugs can be below that range, but more often than not you’ll find them above that range because pugs love to eat! So if you’re going to shop for pug clothes, which we all do, definitely read the sizing guides!
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Pug Size Height
When fully grown, pugs are generally between 10 inches and 13 inches in height– in centimetre, they are between 25cm and 36cm. Sizes depend on the gender of the pug – male pugs tend to be taller than female pugs. According to the experts at Animal Answer Guide, a website that provides questions and answers about pets and other animals, “Both pug genders grow at the same rate and the difference in height of them is not too noticeable unless they are next to each other.”
As Pugs grow, it’s important to provide them with enough space to roam comfortably in your home, ensuring their environment isn’t as confined as a chicken coop, allowing them to thrive in their playful and curious nature!
Pug Average Size and Weight
You may be wondering, what is the ideal pug size?
As with their height, male pugs tend to weigh more than females. According to the AKC standard, the pugs should ideally weigh between 6.5 kg (14.3lb) and 8.5kg (17.6lb) for both male and female pugs. Pugs outside of this range may be classed under-weight and over-weight.
BUT – in reality,
this may not always be the case. Our pug weighs 9.5kg (21lb) and the vets have told us this is completely normal, healthy and he is definitely not an over-weight pug.
So it is safe to say we can use our judgement a bit to decide whether our pugs may be getting too large. It is when a pug starts looking like a big barrel out of control, you should really start getting concerned.
More seriously, if your pug starts struggling to carry out everyday activities, such as going up stairs, and generally walking and breathing, this would definitely be a sign of warning.
Stopping your Pug becoming from over-weight
Pugs are prone to being overweight – some studies show nearly 50% of all dogs are overweight – and we are guessing much higher percentages for the pug breed.
This can be due to a number of reasons:
- Pugs love eating. What’s more, when they are being so cute, looking at you with their puppy eyes, some owners can’t help but feed more. Stop feeding them your ice cream!
- Pugs can easily become couch potatoes. One other thing pugs love other than eating is sleeping. This may result in them refusing to go for a walk and, therefore, lack of exercise.
You can do a few things to stop your pug before becoming from overweight, or control the weight if your pug has already become overweight.
- Eat less – Cut down on the feeding portion. Making sure to stick to the amount recommended by the food supplier or by your vet can really make difference.
- Put down on diet/weight control food.
- Encourage your pug to eat more slowly to prevent indigestion. You can use a slow eating food bowl like this one. Make sure you read all the reviews and see what others are saying about those products. These are some of the good ones that are on the market!
- Cut down on treats between meals, or replace with less fattening things like carrot peels.
- The importance of regular exercise should be emphasised – ensuring you take your pug on a regular walk (even when they initially refuse) can be effective. Getting your pug to play and run around more outside in the garden where more spacious may also help him/her get more exercise, and having a good outdoor pet house may make it more enjoyable. Please remember, pugs are Indoor dogs, meaning they don’t do very well when the temperatures are too hot or cold
- Regular vets check-ups can help you make sure your pug’s weight is kept under control.
Remember, a healthy and perfectly sized pug will mean a longer happy life!
Pug size at puppies and when do pugs stop growing?
It is a slightly different story when it comes to pug puppy weight. Puppies can have more round appearance and this is totally ok. This can make sure they are growing healthy by keeping their normal body temperature and the right sugar levels.
Pug Size at 6 months
At 6 months, pugs should weigh between 3kg (6.6lb) and 5.5kg (12.1lb).
Pug Size at 9– 12 months
This is when pugs reach their max size, and by between 9 and 12 months, pugs should be at their fully grown size. This is also the time you should start keeping a close eye to make sure they don’t become obese.
Similar sized dog breeds to the Pug
In terms of size, some of the breeds similar to the Pug are some of those in the Toy group, such as:
- French Bulldog vs Pug size – Although very similar in size, French bulldogs generally weigh slightly more than pugs, with the average being between 20 lb (9.1kg) to 28 lb (12.7kg). Furthermore, the French bulldog tends to be slightly taller than the Pug.
- Boston Terrier vs Pug size – The Boston Terrier has a much “skinnier” appearance – due to them being taller than pug and slightly lighter in terms of weight. Boston Terriers are typically between 39cm (15.35 inches) to 44cm (17.32 inches) in height and 4.5kg (9.9lb) – 10kg (22lb).
Pug foot size
Why do we need to know the pug foot size?
In some cases, you may decide to get shoes for your pug. Now, some people may be wondering why do pugs need to wear shoes? There can be a few reasons.
- To protect their paw pads from rough, extremely hot or cold surfaces.
- If your pug has, for example, spinal injuries, shoes can help them stop dragging their feet and causing scratches and injuries when walking.
- Pugs may wear shoes as fashion accessory. Yea.
In most cases, pugs don’t need shoes as their paw pads are thick anyway, but when they do, it’s important that they wear shoes that are perfectly sized.
In daily life, people often buy novel shoes and clothes for their pugs, so that when they take them out to play, they will always attract the attention of passers-by. You can also decorate their shoes and clothes with unique accessories, such as customizing personalized PVC Patches.
So what is pug’s paw size?
On average, pugs’ foot size, specifically the paw area is about 1.5 inches wide x 2.5 inches long. (3.8cm x 6.35cm). It is always advisable to use a ruler to measure the pug’s foot size to be sure.
Teacup pug size
What is a teacup pug?
There really is no such a thing as a “Teacup pug”. Some unethical pug breeders will try to produce a pug puppy that is smaller than normal size by breeding two pugs that are as small as possible, and sell them off as “teacup pugs”, “miniature pugs” or “micro pugs” for higher cost. We have seen them sold for more than $5,000 (£3,500)
We really recommend avoiding buying these teacup pugs, as they will be unhealthier, more fragile and will be even more prone to developing serious health problems.
So what size is a teacup pug?
These so-called fully grown “teacup pugs” can be as small as 1.5kg (3.3lb), literally small enough to fit in a teacup, hence the name.
Again we would like to emphasise on the fact that teacup pugs are abnormally small, (in)bred by irresponsible backyard breeders, and therefore, discourage anyone to buy them to become your pet because “they may look cute”.
