Handsome couple with their handsome kids.

Pug Alert? No. This time its Pug-Frenchie Alert!!

Today Henry and I met some folks in the neighborhood who have rescued two Pug/Frenchies. So that is correct…yes….a mix of Pug and French Bulldog!! Apparently they are “designer dogs.” The brindle is a female, named Farmer, and the little tan guy is Eli. They are extremely sweet and well behaved.

Oh I love these precious little ones!

Mr. Cranky Pants Hates Rain in June!

We took a trip up North to the Mendocino Coast with little Henry in tow. We found a nice hotel that would accommodate doggies and spent only one night away. But the truth is, Henry was miserable!! He hated being out of his routine. 

We assumed that Henry would be fine because he was with us. We who dote on him, adore him, anticipate his every need, abjectly worship his little highness. 

He moped around with his tail down the entire time, unless he met a “person” of course. (He lives for “people”.) Then he would come to life and his adorable personality would return for a brief moment while they pet him and talked to him.

Afterwards down would droop the tail and he would look so sad. We don’t count, I suppose, as “people”. No, we are the ever present, all enveloping pug mamas who don’t count and can be taken for granted on road trips.

He also refused to poop the entire time we were gone!!! He rarely peed, but of course now and then he would have to, much to our stressed out relief. We spent so much time begging him to do his business it was just ridiculous.

In spite of Henry’s difficulties we did have a wonderful time because the weather was glorious and Mendocino is just magical and mystical. Very romantic. Even with a grumpy Pug waiting back in the hotel room.

Business as usual - Springtime in Berkeley!

The Pug tail is supposed to curl tightly and sit right over the back end. If a Pug is champion quality and competing in the ring, they are scored for the quality of their tails. The Double Curl is ideal and gets more points. If a Pug tail is loose and not tightly wound in a nice curl, points are deducted. 

Henry’s tail is a double curl. It is very tight and sits high upon his back end. Louie’s tail was somewhat loose although not too bad. I would say it was a single curl. I have seen Pug tails that do not curl at all.

Pugs express many emotions with their tails. The wagging tail of happiness we all know, as well as the happy butt shake, but did you know that when a Pug is insecure or unhappy they communicate this very clearly by dropping their tails?

A dropped Pug tail is a sure sign of uncertainty. Henry’s tail often drops while he is waiting for me to sit down and provide a lap. If I am ignoring him because I am busy and do not have time to “assume the position” his tightly wound little tail just collapses.

Nothing makes a Pug look more unattractive than a dropped tail hanging down. Gone is it’s former beauty, the tight spiral of confidence and happiness. In its place hangs a shaggy looking, crooked thing that doesn’t even resemble a tail.

Because the Pug tail is built to curl, it looks might funky when unfurled. Every time I see Henry’s tail droop I ask him what is wrong. What can Mama do to make it all better? Usually, whispering some sweet nothings and giving him a few strokes down his back breaks his unhappy trance.

The minute a Pug is reassured and feels better, the tail pops right back up! Voila!

Perky curled tail, perky happy Pug!