Is a Puggle the right dog for you?

A Puggle is a cross breed or hybrid dog type that is produced from the crossing of a pug and a Beagle. They retain a charming and almost childlike personality and outlook even as adults, and are a small, cute and very endearing dog type that appeals to a lot of different types of owners.

As a hybrid dog type, they also tend to be more robust and healthy than purebred dogs, which given the well-publicised health issues that affect the pug breed as a whole, provides many advantages for people who love pugs but are concerned about the direction the breed is taking in terms of conformation and general quality of life.

This means that people who love pugs – or beagles – but that don’t want a purebred dog may consider buying a Puggle instead, and they are engaging, loving and friendly dogs that fit in well to a variety of different types of lifestyles.

If you are considering buying a puggle, it is important to research what owning one is like and what sort of traits they will display, and if possible, meet lots of different puggles too to get some hands-on experience of spending time with them.

In this article we will examine the puggle’s main traits in terms of appearance and temperament, and provide a short introductory primer into what owning and caring for a dog of this type is like. Read on to learn more.

Is the Puggle a pedigree dog breed?

A Puggle is a hybrid dog type, or a cross breed – which means that they are not recognised as pedigrees. There is no breed standard in place for the Puggle and they cannot be registered with The Kennel Club, even if both of the dogs from their two parent breeds were registered pedigrees themselves.

The lack of a formal breed standard and the range of variance between individual Puggles can make it hard for prospective Puggle buyers to predict what their dog will look like when fully grown – and what their temperament may be like – but there are still a number of factors and broad norms that most Puggles tend to have in common.

How much do Puggles cost to buy?

The average advertised price for a Puggle puppy for sale is around £519, which is less than most pedigree dog breeds and quite a lot less than the average for a pedigree pug. Whilst this means that the cost of buying a Puggle is within reach of most people that might wish to own them, you may have to go some distance to find a Puggle litter offered for sale, as they are not hugely common.

Puggles are the UK’s 59th most popular dog type, so while they are certainly not rare, you may have to register interest in a planned litter and wait a while to find the perfect dog.

What do Puggles look like?

Puggles are small dogs, but not tiny – they range in height from between 20-38cm tall at the withers, and can weigh between 6.8-14kg. They don’t tend to be particularly lean or narrow dogs, usually having a proportionate but rounded appearance. The shape and conformation of the face is one of the traits that can be the most variable between individual dogs, because the pug and the beagle are so different in everything from the length of the muzzle to the shape of the ears.

A Puggle may have a squashed face with a short muzzle like the pug or a more moderate conformation like the beagle, but they tend to have a les pronounced degree of flatness to the face than the average pug. The dog’s ears may be relatively long and drooping or somewhat shorter, with a more triangular pug-like appearance.

Dogs of this type have straight fur that is relatively short, which is something that both parent breeds have in common. In terms of colour, Puggles come in a wide variety of different shades that may be the same all over the body, or consists of patches or points, which reflects the diversity in coat colours and patterns found in both parent breeds.

What is the Puggle temperament like?

Beagles and pugs have a range of similar temperament traits that make it easier to predict the Puggle temperament than is possible for other hybrid crossing produced from breeds that are vastly different.

Whilst each individual Puggle will of course have their own unique personality traits, they tend to be friendly, honest and easy going, and highly personable with both other dogs and people. They are engaging, gentle and very affectionate, and not usually overly wary of strangers.

They are often very entertaining and fun-loving dogs that can be quite comical and amusing to watch at play, and they are gentle and well-mannered with both children and adults alike.

Puggles can be quite lively and excitable, and need a reasonably high level of exercise, but they are also usually calm and well behaved in the house. They are quite amenable to training and work hard to please, being able to learn and follow all of the normal core commands.

Some beagles can take a while to successfully housetrain, however, and this mean that fully housetraining a puggle may take longer than some other breeds too.

The Puggle is a good choice of dog for virtually all types of owners, including those looking for their first dog who aren’t experienced trainers and handlers.