Pug Boston Terrier Mix (Bugg) – An Ultimate Guide To Help You Decide
Last Updated/Info Checked on August 28, 2023 by Linda Michaels
The Pug Boston Terrier mix or the Bugg is a designer breed coming from two small dogs who are equally known to be worthy companions.
It derives traits from both parents whether it’s the flamboyant personality of the Pug or the agility of the Boston Terrier.
In doing so, it also inherits some of the limitations from the two, for example, it has a hard time staying alone for a long period, it’s highly sensitive to external noise, and it also inherits a few diseases.
All in all, the mixed breed is a delight to have around the house, especially for old people or novice owners.
Here’s our Pug Boston Terrier Mix (Bugg) pup. He was born in July 2023 and now just 2 weeks old at time of writing this article. I can’t believe how big he grew in two weeks. He looks like little bear and his eyes are just opening. Momma is our Pug “Birdie” and Dad is our Boston “Rocko”.
Let’s get to know more about it.
Pug Boston Terrier Mix – Bugg Traits
| Weight | 10 – 22 lbs |
| Height | 14 – 18 in |
| Coat Colors | White, black, brown, or fawn-colored |
| Behavior With Children | Friendly when trained |
| Behavior With Strangers | Welcoming after training |
| Behavior With Other Pets | Friendly when trained |
| Adaptability | They can live in an apartment. |
| Nutrition | 0.5 to 2 cups divided into two or three meals |
| Grooming | 4 to 5 times a month |
| Trainability | Easily Trained |
| Intelligence | Moderate to high |
| Exercise needs | Low to moderate |
| Shedding | Low |
| Barking tendency | Low, but high when threatened |
| Biting tendency | High |
| Personality | Loving, friendly, and accepting, but it can be territorial |
Appearance And Physical Characteristics
The appearance of a Bugg inherits the colors from its parents. You may see the pup with a white, black, brown, or fawn-colored coat. Just like the Pug parent, the offspring may have a one-color solid coat or it may possess speckles of one color over the other.
Some puppies go on as far as to inherit the signature tuxedo of their Boston Terrier parent. You may see the black color dominate the whole body or a few patches lining the torso.
Since this mixed breed is a cross between two smaller breeds, you should expect it to be smaller as well. However, there are no standards available.
Just to give you an estimate, a Bugg puppy reaches about 14 to 18 in height and weighs about 10 to 22 lb.
In terms of physical appearance, it may possess the same bulging eyes from its Pug parent or the small ears from its Terrier parent overturned at the end, courtesy of the Pug.
The legs of both parents are quite different with the Boston Terrier’s legs being slender and taller than Pug’s. The Bugg features medium-sized legs, but it’s not conclusive. Inheritance is tricky, and you may see some Bugg puppies with slender legs.
Related: You may also be interested in reading about Pug Bulldog Mix.
Here’s how a Bugg looks like:
Credit: FB Group / Bugg Lovers (Boston Terrier/Pug Mix)
Temperament And Behavior
Buggs also derive their lovey-dovey cuddly personality from their parents.
Their friendliness exceeds many toy breeds and you may find them chasing you even when you are going to the toilet.
That’s one of the reasons why early training and desensitization is essential not only with this mixed breed but also with its parents to curb unhealthy attachments that may lead to separation anxiety.
When trained to form healthy bonds, you’ll still see them choose their favorite person and stick to them throughout the day.
In all of this, however, they will make sure to please that person and do whatever is in their right to brighten up their day with silly antics.
They are generally good with other people or pets around the house. However, early socialization is most important if you don’t want to activate the dog’s territorial tendencies. Much like other small dogs, it will try to protect its territory and the “resources” in it.
Behavior With Children
The breed is not as friendly as its parents are. But that does not mean that it stays on par with a Chihuahua. With proper training, it will accept screaming running children, or forced hugs.
Besides training the dog, The children should understand that manhandling the animal may harm it. The small size puts limits on how much the dog can take.
Behavior With Strangers
It’s also not as eager to meet strangers as its parents. However, they’re also not fierce towards them. There is a balance of traits when it comes to its temperament with new people and new dogs.
First, it will look at them with suspicion and later warm up to them slowly when it realizes safety.
As mentioned before, this mixed breed can get highly territorial. When that happens, you’ll see it bark incessantly at new arrivals, growl at them, or even in some cases try to attack them.
Behavior With Other Pets
The breed keeps a clear distinction between its human and its brothers and sisters from the same breed or from other breeds.
This distinction alone makes it vulnerable to fights, jealousy, and general distrust.
The small stature does not come in its way of asserting dominance over other breeds no matter how fearsome or big they are.
Living Environment
The Buggs are as suitable for high-rise living as their parents are. Their likelihood to feel at home in an apartment is attributed to its size. Most importantly, however, it’s the dog’s behavior that makes it apt for such a lifestyle.
Buggs are super affectionate with their family members but this is just one of the aspects of why they would want to live in an enclosed space with no access to a backyard or a patio.
Yes, the energy levels are high as Pugs or Boston Terriers but because of their small sizes, they don’t need a lot of exercise. Just a dash around the apartment devices most of the time.
Image Credit: FB Group / Bugg Lovers (Boston Terrier/Pug Mix)
Nutrition
If you thought that a small breed eats less, then you haven’t met a Pug, a Boston Terrier, and their offspring a Bugg.
All these breeds are ravenous. They don’t mind nibbling on kibble or other dog food throughout the day. That’s one of the reasons why trainers do not recommend that you leave the food out.
To give you an estimate, a Bugg eats about 0.5 to 1/2 cups of dog food per day. It’s better if this amount is divided into two or three parts.
However, this recommendation is by no means applicable to all Buggs because how much food a dog eats depends on various factors such as its weight, health, activity levels, and general disposition to eating.
Avoid overfeeding or underfeeding the dog because both conditions produce faster results according to its size. Add its propensity to say yes to everything you throw at it and you get a dog with a high chance of obesity, diabetes, and gastrointestinal problems.
Grooming Requirements
Buggs require less grooming as they are low-maintenance dogs with short coats suitable for people with allergies. However, this makes the dogs prone to external harm from the weather or the sun.
They do not shed their cotes crazy like the Pugs, but they do a bit of shedding. Just once or twice a week brushing and bathing as per requirement would keep it squeaky clean and free of any loose hair or mats.
You can use a regular slicker brush to get the job done. This is one of the many reasons why the breed is suitable for novice owners. They won’t have to buy fancy equipment such as a hair vacuum or a trimmer to groom the dog.
When you take the dog out for a walk, make sure you apply sunscreen where the coat runs even thinner such as years, face, and the tip of the tail.
Training And Socialization
When it comes to training in socialization, the Bugg takes after its Boston Terrier parent. Both are highly intelligent and easy to train. However, their prey drive and territorial instincts may pose hurdles in the training process.
Considering its temperament, you may have to train the dog to stop barking or howling as it has the tendency to do so when threatened.
You may also have to curb its mouthiness as it also has the potential to bite or nip at you or any of its family members. This biting or nipping does not indicate hatred. Instead, it’s an indication of love and playfulness.
The prey drive may also get out of hand as it inherits these tendencies from its Boston Terrier parent as it was bred to be a fighting dog.
You won’t have to worry about losing the dog or training for boundaries because it inherits low escape potential from its Pug parent.
Before even getting to training sessions for these, you should focus on early socialization of the puppy to make it more accepting and accommodating of other breeds under the same roof, of strangers and stranger dogs coming to your home, and being able to share its resources with other pets.
Exercise Needs
Here’s where the breed deviates from its parents’ behavior. Both Boston Terrier and Pug are highly energetic dogs. They do everything with an uncanny intensity that makes their owners dog-tired.
Image Credit: FB Group / Bugg Lovers (Boston Terrier/Pug Mix)
The Bugg as it stands has a high energy but low intensity or an eagerness to do something. This reduces the overall need for exercise. Of course, the small size is also a factor to consider.
As a general estimation, taking it out for a walk for 20 minutes should suffice. However, you should know that it depends on the dog’s individual personality as well.
There’s no question of the dog’s playfulness if we compare it to its parents’. They are all goofy pooches.
But that goofiness or playfulness also means that they get bored with a single activity. You’ll have to update games or play new ones to keep them entertained. The bright side is that you won’t have to do it for long because they get tired easily.
Health
Buggs, much like other dogs, are prone to some medical conditions either because of poor breeding practices that lead to inherited illnesses or ones developed as the dog ages.
A few of the inherited diseases may include cataracts, brachycephalic syndrome, hip dysplasia, and a host of others.
The eye problems are mostly inherited from the Boston Terrier parent. For example, cataracts are common in this breed where a thin film covers the eyes and thus affects the vision. It could either be juvenile or it may develop later in the dog’s life.
Some eye problems may have origins in the Pug parentage. For example, corneal ulcers form because of repeated trauma to the dog’s eye. Although Buggs inherit the bulginess from a Pug to a lesser degree, the risk of developing a corneal ulcer still remains.
With these diseases, common joint issues have also been reported in these dogs. There’s Patellar Luxation characterized by the wayward moment of the kneecap when the leg is flexed. It may also be prone to hip dysplasia where the femur bone does not fit well into its ball and socket joint.
Although no dog is immune to all diseases, you should only adopt a pup from a reputable and certified breeder to stay clear of any genetic diseases.
You may not have any control over the diseases that develop in the later stages of life, but you do have at least some control over adopting a healthy puppy with a healthy parentage.
Image Credit: FB Group / Bugg Lovers (Boston Terrier/Pug Mix)
Related: Pug Blue Heeler Mix
What Is the Life Expectancy of a Bugg?
The lifespan of a dog depends on its diet, lifestyle, and health. When everything is taken care of, a Bugg or a Boston Terrier Pug mix lives up to 10 to 15 years.
Are Bugs Easy To Train?
The breed is known for its relentless energy much like its parents. However, it doesn’t inherit the same intensity with which the two breeds perform tasks. Also, because of its size and temperament, a Bugg doesn’t need a lot of exercise.
Their intelligence is on par with a Boston Terrier. They may sometimes pose hurdles in the training process. Overall, they are easy to train. When brought up well, they will always listen to you and seldom question your methods of training.
Credit: FB Group / Bugg Lovers (Boston Terrier/Pug Mix)
Should You Adopt A Bugg?
A Bugg is as adorable as a Pug or a Boston Terrier. These two breeds have pros and cons that you may find in the mixed breed as well.
At the same time, however, you’ll see that the offspring do not retain certain unpreferred characteristics from both parents.
For one, it doesn’t have a small snout like a Pug. In most cases, this is one of the prime reasons why a Pug is mixed with another breed.
Secondly, the Boston Terriers’ need for a lot of exercise sieves out in the Bugg.
These along with a low maintenance coat, low intensity to bark, and high affection with family make a Bugg one of the prime choices for novice owners living in apartments.
Having said that, you should know that a dog may not live to its perceived potential if it’s not trained well. The same is the case with a Bugg.
When it’s not trained well, it becomes territorial, a barking machine, and aggressive. It may also develop separation anxiety when you’re not around. Besides training it in adulthood, you’ll also have to focus on early socialization and desensitization to raise a well-rounded companion.
Pros
- Preferable for novice owners
- Low-maintenance coat
- Suitable for owners allergic to dog hair as it sheds less
- Well-rounded dog when trained well
- It does not require a lot of exercise
- Adapts to smaller places
- Low barking tendency
- Low escaping tendency
- Playful and goofy
- Low prey drive
Cons
- Becomes territorial when it’s not trained well
- High biting and nipping potential
- Prone to separation anxiety
- It may get hyper-attached to one person
I hope you enjoyed this article about Pug Boston Terrier Mix, have a nice day.
