Exploring the Charismatic Blend: Pug Pitbull Mix Traits and Care

The Pug Pitbull Mix, also called the Pugbull is an exciting blend of characters of two adorable breeds – the Pug and the Pitbull. The union of the two creates a dog that retains the charm of the Pug and the intelligence of the Pitbull. 

Not just the personality, but the appearance is also a blend of its parents’ traits. You’ll find some with the stubby muscular body of the Pitbull, while others with the signature wrinkles on their muzzles. 

It’s a spectrum between the two parents where the mixed breed lies. Yours could be anywhere on it, so watch out for it and make arrangements as such.

Not sure how to do that? Read the following in-depth guide about the different aspects and traits of the Pugbull to not only better understand it but also prepare for adopting it. 

Pug Pitbull Mix (Pugbull) – Appearance and Physical Characteristics

The Pug and Pitbull mix is a medium-sized dog that is larger than its Pug parent but smaller than its Pitbull parents.

The size may have been reduced by the Pug’s genes, but it’s the Pitbull’s genes that give it a strong muscular body. From afar, you’ll sense the combination of a Pug’s compact body and the Pibull’s athletic disposition. 

Coat and Colour

You may find the mixed breed with a fawn-colored coat or the hues of black or brindle dominating most of the body features.

The Pug’s short coat has a hand in making its coat shed less, and thus, easily manageable, but it’s the Pitbull’s coat inheritance that makes it smooth with slight variations. 

Facial Features

The breed inherits the round bulgy eyes of a Pug but the look in them is always focused and keen. If puppy dog eyes were to manifest in their full glory, they will do in a Pugbull. The range of emotions expressed in them takes everyone by surprise. 

Besides the eyes, the muzzle shows the trinkets of inheritance from its parents. It has the Pug’s wrinkles with the Pitbull’s jaw strength, resulting in an appearance that’s imposing at first look but endearing later.

Temperament And Behavior

To understand the temperament and behavior of a Pug-Pitbull mix, we have to look into the parents’ individual traits.

Pugs are known for their affection and social nature. They’re always on the look for cuddles from their human companion and that’s how they form strong bonds with their families.

They also have an abundance of playfulness that makes them cheerful around children, and thus an optimal choice for a family with kids. However, there’s always a danger of stubbornness when it’s receiving training. That’s the only time when they try to act on their whims.

Pitbulls on the other hand get a lot of unfair treatment because of how they look.

However, when they’re raised well with proper training, they show an abundance of loyalty, intelligence, and gentleness towards their families. It is these traits that give the breed the signature tendency to protect its families.

When these two breeds come together to create a mixed breed, you get the best of both worlds.

As a result, the hybrid has an affectionate and sociable temperament like the Pug combined with the loyalty and protective instincts of the Pitbull. The mix, therefore, will most likely be a loving and devoted family member with close bonds with them. 

Related: Pub Border Collie Mix

Behavior With Children

Because of their friendly disposition, Pugs are regarded as an excellent choice for children. They enjoy playing with them and when need be, tolerate their antics. Pitbulls as well are known to be remarkably gentle around the youngest members of the family.

During play, their high energy and enthusiasm to keep the little ones entertained make up for a dynamic bond between them.

In the same way, the Pugbull also exhibits positive behavior around children that are characterized by patience, affection, and willingness to play with them.

However, this is all true for dogs that are well-trained and socialized around children. In case your dog shows unusual behavior, it may be because of a lack of training or an internal condition causing the dog to be frustrated.

Behavior With Strangers

Pugs normally do not show any aggressiveness to strangers, but their eagerness may translate into incessant barking and sometimes jumping. This is sometimes mistaken as aggression when it’s only a matter of a few training sessions after which the Pug sheds its unwanted behaviors.

On the other hand, a Pitbull may show a range of behaviors around strangers starting with its protective nature and then later warming up to them after the security clearance. T

hat means the breed has a predisposition to be a fearsome guard dog and therefore, it would need proper training to tone down the aggression around strangers.

The mixed breed’s behavior with strangers often falls in the spectrum of the Pug and the Pitbull. It would highly depend on the dog’s individual inherited temperament and upbringing.

As such, they may exhibit a friendly approach to them or show a tinge of aggression.

Behavior with other pets

As compared to a Pitbull, a Pug is typically sociable around other pets. Pitbulls, here too, show varying levels of compatibility.

Since they were bred as working and hunting dogs, their prey drive, especially around smaller pets such as cats or other small dogs, creates inconvenience. 

The mixed breed, therefore, has the potential to be bossy around pets or show the Pug’s inherited camaraderie only after proper socialization and training. After that, you’ll see them be more playful and respectful.

Living Environment

Pugs are well suited for apartment life not only because of their size but also non-aggressive temperament. However, they are not well equipped to deal with extreme temperatures, so the apartment has to have an optimal temperature. 

Pitbulls, on the other hand, can live in an apartment, given they are taken out for exercise and regular mental stimulation. Without receiving these, the dog may become aggressive or slip into depression.

As a general inclination toward open spaces, they appreciate bigger homes with a backyard or a patio more than an apartment. Because of this variance and accepting different living conditions, they are also more tolerant of varying temperatures.

Their offspring, the Pugbull, show a striking balance between the living conditions preferable for them. They’re not well suited for extreme weather or the environment, but they do need access to larger spaces to burn off excessive energy.

You may also like to read about Pug Bulldog Mix.

Nutritional Requirements

It goes without saying that providing balanced nutrition to the mixed breed will promote not only healthy growth but also general mental well-being.

The breed requires around 900 to 1400 calories per day compared to the 700 to 900 calories of its Pug parent and 1200 to 1700 calories of the Pitbull. That roughly equates to 1 to 2 cups of high-quality nutritionally balanced food, divided into two meals of the same size.

Just as it’s the case with the Pug and the Pitbull, the Pugbull can have a ravenous appetite, asking for more food than what you feed it every day.

This is where you have to take care of your weight in relation to the portion it eats per day and the physical activity to keep obesity at bay. 

Protein Requirements

Your mixed pup should consume about 20 to 24% protein daily which is a balance between the Pug’s 18 to 22% protein intake and the Pitbull’s 22 to 25%. Feeding meat such as poultry, fish, or beef would fill this requirement.

Fat Requirement

About 11 to 15% fair content suffices for a Pugbull to support its overall energy needs.

Vitamins And Minerals

The Pug Pitbull mix along with its parents requires vitamins A, D, and A as well as essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorus for optimal immune system and bone health. 

Commercial Dog Food – A Balanced Diet

Catering to the nutritional needs of a dog by manually preparing its food from different substances seems impractical. It not only consumes your time but during preparing it you may miss the balance in the diet by a small margin.

Nonetheless, it won’t be called a balanced diet and the dog may encounter health problems in its life as a result.

To discourage that from happening, it’s always best to opt for well-balanced commercial dog food such as Kibble. Reputable companies prepare kibble by sourcing everything the dog needs and then forming pellets from them for easy consumption.

Still, if you want to feed the dog a home-based diet, you should consult a vet to help you formulate a diet plan that’s not only balanced but also easy to make.

As for kibble, always read the nutritional information on the back of the pack you choose to get a better understanding of the energy content and nutritional value.

Credit: FB / The Dogumentor

Grooming Requirements

The Pug and the Pitbull have a short, smooth coat with relatively low shedding. Regular brushing can help remove loose hairs because there is still some shedding, especially, when the seasons change. 

Use a slicker brush or a rubber curry brush to groom these dogs as well as their mixed offspring because it also has a short to medium-length coat with moderate shedding. Matting could occur to some extent but brushing at least twice a week would get rid of that for you and prevent loose hair flying around your home.

As for the bathing requirement, bathe your dog depending on its activity level and general exposure to dirt. As a general rule of thumb a bath every 6 to 12 weeks should suffice. Using a mild dog shampoo gently on the dog is preferred.

You should also take care of your puppy’s ear and dental health because It may inherit a Pug’s floppy ears that are prone to infection.

Also, the teeth are susceptible to myriads of problems if they’re not cleaned daily. Therefore, pay regular attention to ear cleaning and dental hygiene to prevent any problems from occurring there.

The dog may inherit the wrinkles of a Pug. Try cleaning between them to remove any potential breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi.

Interested in reading about Pug Boston Terrier Mix.

Training And Socialization

A Pug is a charming fellow but underneath that lovey-dovey personality, there is a bit of stubbornness that may arise with a proper trigger.

Similarly, Pitbulls are eager to please their owners and are intelligent enough to carry out a variety of tasks, but at the same time, they can get single-minded.

The Pug-Pitbull mix may lie in the spectrum between a Pug’s occasional stubbornness or the Pitbull’s eagerness to learn. It goes without saying that proper training, socialization, and positive reinforcement can bring out the best in the dark.

With that, make sure you keep the training sessions creative and incorporate play into them to keep their interest intact.

When doing all of that, keep in mind the tendencies of the mixed breed that may dwindle between friendliness and suspicion. That’s especially recommended for socialization techniques where you expose the animal to a variety of stimuli from a young age.

Credit: Pinterest / American Bully Daily

Steps To A Successful Training Session For A Pug Pitbull Mix

Let’s begin with the steps.

1. Be consistent

The training sessions should be consistent, short, and engaging. In every step do not forget to use positive reinforcement techniques to establish desired behaviors.

2. Start as early as possible

Puppies are more receptive than adult dogs when it comes to learning. Therefore, starting the training at an early age ensures the establishment of positive behaviors to help you raise a dog with a balanced personality.

3. Patience is the key

Taking the training at the dog’s pace ensures that its mental health stays optimal during and after the training sessions. You also have to bear in mind that each dog learns differently.

In case your mixed pup has inherited stubbornness, patience, and understanding would always work in your favor.

Exercise Needs

The energy level of a Pugbull is a conundrum between the ones inherited from the parents. To give you an idea, Pugs have moderate to low energy and they enjoy playtime or just lounging to entertain themselves.

Normally, they do well with short bursts of exercise, and that too, mainly indoors. 

As compared to that, pit bulls have high energy, requiring daily physical activity to expend the pent-up energy and prevent the dog from slipping into any behavioral nuisance. Therefore, they need a variety of exercise daily ranging from brisk walks to engaging playtime.

Your mixed Pug could lie anywhere between these extremes.

As for the daily exercise hours, depending on the dog’s inclination towards activity, 45 minutes or 1.5 hours of exercise per day should suffice. However, make sure to divide this time into multiple short sessions that would keep the dog mentally and physically engaged throughout the day.

In terms of preferred activities, the breed may enjoy a combination of indoor games to outdoor walks. Incorporating puzzles or other mental stimulation games accompanied by positive reinforcement would not only keep the dog entertained but also kickstart a basic obedience training regime.

4 Tips To Better Manage Your Dog’s Exercise Needs

Here are the tips.

1. Keep an eye on the signals

After the recommended exercise time, pay attention to your dog’s behavior and see for any signs of boredom. Those could mean that it needs more exercise.

2. Make it creative

Because of the Pitbull parentage, the mixed breed can easily become bored of a single activity repeated every day. For that purpose, bring in a variety of physical and mental sessions that should keep the dog engaged.

3. Go according to the age

Just as a dog’s nutrition varies according to age, so does its exercise needs. Therefore, increase the intensity and the duration of the exercise according to its age. Typically, a young dog needs more exercise than an old dog.

Similarly, a dog at its prime age would still require a consistent mix of intense activities as compared to a young or an old dog.

4. Keep the weather in your consideration

Since it has a Pug’s genes, the dog can get heated up in extreme heat conditions, especially if it has inherited a short muscle. Similarly, it can face respiratory issues in cold weather.

As an owner, you’ll have to keep these into consideration before taking your dog outside or training it indoors.

Health

The Pug Pitbull mix inherits some genetic conditions from its parents. It’s important to be aware of those conditions in order to adopt a pet from a reputable breeder who practices healthy breeding.

1. Brachycephalic syndrome

The dog may inherit the Pug’s difficulty in breathing when it’s overheated in hot weather.

2. Hip dysplasia

Both parents of a Pug-Pitbull mix are prone to hip dysplasia. It’s a condition where the hip joint does not fit well to the femur bone, thus, leading to decreased mobility and debilitating pain.

3. Obesity

Both Pugs and pit bulls have a tendency to go obese because they love eating a variety of food even when you think they are full. 

4. Allergies

Skin allergies from using certain controlling devices such as a harness or a collar are common in Pugs and Pitbulls. They are characterized by redness, raised itchy patches, and sometimes hair fall.

Importance Of Adopting The Pet From A Reputable Breeder

After reading about the diseases, you may understand that choosing the right breeder is as important as choosing the right breed.

A breeder practicing healthy breeding has these 4 things in common.

1. Screening for health issues

Registered and reputable breeders conduct health screening of the adult dogs ready to be bred to reduce any potential hereditary risk to the offspring.

2. Prioritizing a puppy’s health

Responsible breeders choose to produce healthy puppies over profits because they are breeding enthusiasts more than businessmen.

3. Early socialization

Puppies born out of responsible breeding also tend to receive early socialization as they are born in multi-dog surroundings. This benefits novice owners because they don’t have to focus on it a lot when they take the puppy home. They get a valuable Kickstart. 

4. Genetic Health

Besides general health screening, these breeders also carry out genetic screening to avoid being any potential carrier of a genetic disease. 

How To Find The Right Breeder?

Follow my 5-step formula to reach the right breeder. 

1. Conduct Thorough Research

Before selecting a breeder, ask relevant questions about the health screening protocols that they follow.

2. Visit The Facility

Assess the breeder’s validity by visiting their facility to see the dogs’ living conditions and overall hygiene.

3. Health Records And Certifications

Request the health records of parent dogs that have information about vaccination and genetic tests. 

You should also verify certificates from Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) that may contain similar information.

4. Observe Their Process

A responsible breeder does not give away the puppy right when you are all for it. They will understand and have gone through the vigorous adoption process that relieves heavily on pairing the pup with its future owner. 

You should expect to be taken through the process. 

5. Ask The Previous Clients

Lastly, to finalize a breeder, ask their previous clients to gauge their experience with the process and also see any potential discrepancy in it. By doing so, you will also be informed of any potential diseases that their dog has inherited.

In case you find many clients with the same complaint, you should steer clear of that breeder.

Veterinary Care After Adoption

Adopting a puppy is just the first step. If you are keen on having the Pugbull as your companion, you should always prioritize regular veterinary checkups in the future. 

Think thoroughly before making such a commitment because only a vet is qualified to administer the different vaccinations and parasite control medication, and teach you dental care, and any specific need that your dog has. 

Remember your commitment to the dog’s health will not only ensure its healthy upbringing and also a healthy bond between you two for the days to come.

Should You Adopt a Pug Pitbull Mix [Pugbull]?

The mixed breed takes after its parents with some inheriting the sociable nature of the Pug, while others look like miniature Pitbulls.

Overall, it is a delight to have them in your household. They are generally good with strangers, children, and pets, given they receive proper training from puppyhood. 

They can be accommodated well in an apartment with proper access to open spaces. However, they mostly prefer bigger households where they can expend their energies in a better way. 

In terms of grooming, you’ll spend less time taking care of its coat because of its short length and low maintenance. Their nutritional requirements do not break the bank, but they do have an insatiable appetite that you may need to manage.

Whether they will pose hurdles during a training session highly depends on which parent it takes after the most. The Pug’s genes will make them receptive but at the same time, a tinge of stubbornness may resurface during the session.

Alternatively, a Pitbull’s dominant genes will make them eager to please you at all costs.

Like many mixed breeds, this one is also prone to some health conditions that may be inherited. Make sure you think twice before choosing a breeder and follow the steps I shared. 

Pros

• Sociable and amicable
• Great for households with children 
• Their playful energy lightens up a house
• Low maintenance 
• It can be accommodated in small and large spaces
• Easily trainable

Cons

• High exercise needs depending on the heritage
• Prone to genetic diseases