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Has your pug ever barked or growled at someone who came to the door? Does he/she act happy around one person and then barks at someone else? Why is this?
Usually, when pugs bark or growl, there may be a number of different reasons. One reason is aggression- your pug reacts to that person aggressively, a second reason is because they are being defensive and a third may be that person prompts anxiety in your pug.
When your pug meets someone new, they immediately get a scent from that person. Pugs (or dogs in general) can smell 10,000 to 100,000 better than their humans. So, as humans, we really can’t begin to understand how many smells our pugs are getting when they meet someone new.
Sometimes, when a pug acts aggressively, barks or growls at someone they just met, it may be because they sense fear in that person or they smell a strange dog on that person’s clothing. When a pug acts like this, it is from some sort of past experience he/she has had. Sometimes, we don’t know what that is… sometimes we do. Molly (my pug) acts aggressively toward other dogs, especially big black labs. Why? Because she got bit by a large black lab and she hasn’t forgotten it. Her aggression comes from her fear and I know this so I do everything I can to keep her fear to a minimum.
Pugs are smart. They also recognize facial features. If your pug sees someone that reminds him/her of a bad past experience, they may act aggressively or bark. If you’ve had your pug since it was 8 weeks old, chances are you know what experiences your pug has had and why they react the way they do. If you rescued your pug, you may not know or understand what your pug experienced before you got him/her. An animal that has been traumatized or abused will not forget that experience- sometimes, it makes them distrust or have a preference toward a certain gender of people.
Pugs are generally pretty territorial and they have a tendency to protect their “people.” If a pug acts aggressively or barks at a person, chances are that maybe that person is invading the pugs space or acting in a way that seems to be threatening the pugs owner.
Pugs are generally good judges of character… so if your pug really doesn’t like a person, my advice would be to look at the situation a little closer. I always watch Molly when she meets someone new… to see her reaction to them. Her reaction tells me a lot.
If your pug tends to react aggressively around a certain person or certain other dogs, first be sure you know this person is trustworthy… and then start working with your dog on not acting aggressively. Giving your dog a treat when encountering a new person nicely is a good training technique.
If your pug has had a bad experience (like Molly when she got bit), it may take a while to undo the damage that was done. For a year after Molly got bit, she acted real aggressive toward any dog. I knew she was scared. After that, she just acted real aggressive toward big dogs. Now… she has finally started to realize that every dog is not going to attack her. Now, when we walk at the park and encounter a large dog, I will stop and bend down to her level and we will sit and wait until the big dog passes by us. I can still see Molly tense up when the dog gets close, but she’s getting better about trusting again. Sometimes, it takes a long time to re-build that trust, but it can be done. Be patient, talk to your dog because talking to them makes them feel secure.
Pugs are not aggressive dogs at all. So… if your pug acts aggressively, there is definitely a reason behind that aggression.
Trust your dog’s instincts. Pugs are funny, playful, entertaining, wonderful companions… but most of all, they are extremely smart.
Until next time,
Hugs and Pugs Kisses,
Candy
