Want to adopt a Pugor Pugmix ? These dogs are in your area!

Pug Adoption

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What do you need to know before you adopt a Pug? We asked the experts!


Southeast Pug Rescue & Adoption, Inc. says:

Pugs are 100% companion animals--they want to be with their humans. They get along well with other dogs, kids, cats, don't usually have aggressive tendencies They may have short hair--but they shed 365 days per year. Short-nosed dogs like Pugs can overheat in the summer and have a tendency to snore.

Pug Rescue NWA says:

Before you adopt a pug, there is a lot of information you should know:

  • A pug is a lot of personality in a small package.
  • A pug makes you laugh.
  • A pug is your shadow - lost your pug?  Start your search by looking behind you.
  • A pug sheds. I mean sheds a LOT.
  • A pug wants to touch you!
  • A pug has no sense of direction - they may follow a butterfly and find themselves unable to get home.
  • Pugs are one of the most commonly stolen dogs
  • They are smart - they are trainable - they train YOU.
  • They usually can’t swim, due to their broad heavy chests. When their heads go down into the water, their rear ends come up!  Always protect your Pug around swimming pools and all bodies of water.

More about Pugs:

Pugs and Pug mixes are often even-tempered, gentle and loving animals that make great pets for all types of families. They have playful and sometime impish dispositions with very outgoing personalities. Nothing pleases the Pug more than time with people. While their playfulness and gentleness makes them ideal for families with young children they are also perfect for older folks who may not be able to provide them with too much exercise. They are wonderful lap dogs and do well in multi-dog homes. They are intelligent enough to sometimes display a stubborn streak. It is not uncommon to have some difficulty training a young Pug. It is not an inability for them to learn, they simply are not interested at that moment. Be firm, consistent, and loving.

While Pugs are indeed very playful, exercise is not necessarily their favorite pastime. You must disguise it as playtime with human interaction. They are, in fact, prone to be overweight and would be well served by a daily walk or two and some active playtime with their people.

bubbles

Find a Pug available near you!

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More about the Pug

Thinking about adopting a Pug puppy? Here are three reasons to adopt an adult instead:

1. You have kids.

Like most people, you’ve probably heard time and again that if you have kids, you should adopt a Pug puppy (or, gasp! find a Pug puppy for sale). The rationale is that an adult shelter dog is an unknown quantity, so buying or adopting a Pug puppy is safer. Actually, the opposite is closer to the truth. Puppies are not usually a great choice with kids; they have very limited control over their biting/mouthing impulses, and when you mix that with lots of energy and unbelievably sharp little teeth, it’s a recipe for your small fry to be in tears.  Puppies are tiny chewing machines and can destroy a favorite stuffed animal or security blanket in short order.  Adult dogs, on the other hand, are generally calmer, and their personalities are already fully developed and on display.  When you meet an adult dog, you can see how they are with kids and with other animals.  This takes the guesswork out of wondering how a puppy will turn out as a full-grown dog.

2.  You value your possessions.

Puppies teethe.  They have a biological need to chew, they want to play constantly, and they can’t discriminate between appropriate chew toys and, say, your favorite pair of Manolos.  Puppies eventually can be trained out of this behavior, of course, and there are exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking, an adult Pug (or any adult dog) is much less likely to shred your drapes like coleslaw or function as a “helpful” canine document shredder.

3.  You work, or otherwise leave the house.

Pop quiz: how often does a two-month-old puppy need to be taken out to do his business during the day?  A) every six hours; B) every eight hours; or C) every two hours?

If you answered B, or even A, you’re an eternal optimist! The correct answer, though, is C: every two hours. When you’re housetraining a puppy, the general rule of thumb is that they can hold their bladder one hour for each month they’ve been alive (up to a max of about eight to ten hours).  So a three-month-old Pug puppy needs to go outside every three hours, a four-month-old needs to go every four hours, and so on.  If you’re retired, or you work from home, or you’re taking the puppy to work with you or to a doggy daycare (make sure your puppy is up-to-date on all vaccines before considering that last option), great! But if you’re planning on leaving your dog alone during your workday, you’ll definitely want to adopt a full-grown dog, ideally from a Pug rescue that can help you find the right dog for your lifestyle.

Let’s bust these myths about adopting a Pug

Time to get real: when we ask people what reservations they have about Pug adoption, we hear the same things over and over again.  If you’re operating under any of these mistaken beliefs, you just might be missing out on meeting the best friend you’ll ever have.  So it’s time for us to set the record straight:

  • You CAN find purebred Pugs for adoption in an animal shelter or rescue group.
  • Pugs and Pug puppies for adoption are NOT in any way inferior to or different from those for sale.
  • The dogs in the shelter are NOT there because they’re bad dogs.
  • If you want a puppy, you DON’T have to buy a Pug puppy.  Pug puppies ARE available for adoption.
  • If you have children, adopting a dog is likely the SAFEST option.

Here’s the truth: you absolutely can find a Pug, even a Pug puppy, for adoption in an animal shelter or rescue group.  And they don’t end up there because they’re bad dogs.  In fact, often the only difference between the dog in the shelter and the one on your couch is a bit of bad luck.  Think about it: let’s say you buy a Pug puppy for sale by a breeder. Your new dog is great; you immediately enroll the two of you in obedience classes, and soon your best pal is housebroken and well trained. But what would happen to your wonderful Pug if, tragically, something happened to you? What if he escaped from your home and ran away? Your best pal would very likely end up in an animal shelter.  The lucky person who adopts your Pug would be getting a great dog!  Animal shelters are filled with wonderful, healthy, well-behaved dogs who have been in homes before, but whose owners have fallen on hard times.  Many of them are housebroken and trained.  Pug rescue organizations often care for their adoptable dogs in foster homes, which means their foster families will be able to tell you if the Pug you want to adopt is good with other animals or kids, and if he or she is housebroken and knows any basic commands. As you can see, adopting from a rescue organization is likely the very safest way for people with children to add a new Pug to their family!

Pug Rescue Organizations

Below you'll find many Pug focused rescue organizations. This is not a complete list! If you are a Pug focused rescue and would like to be included, please sign up for an Adopt-a-Pet.com account here, then submit your request using the Contact Us link after you login to your Adopt-a-Pet.com rescue or shelter account. Thank you!

 

Breed Photo

Rescues and shelters near you

Dogingham Palace Rescue/Ashburn
Ashburn, VA

FOHA - Dogs
Aldie, VA

Virginia German Shepherd Rescue
Sterling, VA

Admiral's Advocacy
Herndon, VA

Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue
Herndon, VA

SCMR - VA
Herndon, VA

Humane Society of Loudoun County
Leesburg, VA

Forget-Me-Not NoVA
Leesburg, VA

Open Hearts Rescue
Leesburg, VA

New Love Animal Rescue
Herndon, VA

New Rattitude - Maryland
Poolesville, MD

Friends Of Homeless Animals - Cats
Aldie, VA

Love Shack Dog Rescue
Aldie, VA

NBRAN Virginia
Reston, VA

Akita Rescue Mid-Atlantic Coast, Inc.
Silver Spring, MD

Dogingham Palace Rescue/Great Falls
Great Falls, VA

A Forever Home Rescue Foundation
Chantilly, VA

Collie Rescue, Inc.
Chantilly, VA

Blue Ridge Great Pyrenees Rescue & Education
Fairfax, VA

Kim's Urban Hounds Rescue - Fairfax
Fairfax, VA

Kim's Urban Hounds Rescue -Fredericksburg
Fairfax, VA

NOVA Pets Alive!
Fairfax, VA

Tails of the Unwanted - Fairfax
Fairfax, VA

Healing Hearts Animal Rescue Group
Centreville, VA

Home At Last Sanctuary, Inc
Potomac, MD

Little Buddies Adoption and Humane Society
Centreville, VA

Fur-Ever Paws Dog Rescue - Boyds MD
Boyds, MD

Loudoun County Animal Services
Waterford, VA

Bichon Frise Club of America Charitable Trust
Centreville, VA

Annies Orphans
Gaithersburg, MD

No More Sad Eyes Rescue
Oakton, VA

Bourbon County Rescue
Germantown, MD

Chasing Colt Animal Rescue
Catharpin, VA

Independent Animal Rescue
Germantown, MD

Rescue Without Borders- Germantown MD
Germantown, MD

Sweetheart Sanctuary
Vienna, VA

United Maltese Rescue
Germantown, MD

Worthy Dog Rescue
Vienna, VA

Loudoun SPCA
Middleburg, VA

Middleburg Humane Foundation
Middleburg, VA

Wolf Trap Animal Rescue
MCLEAN, VA

Nova Rottweiler Rescue
Germantown, MD

PetConnect Rescue
Potomac, MD

Dewey Animals, Inc.
Centreville, VA

Lab Rescue LRCP - Purcellville VA
Purcellville, VA

DC Dogos, Inc. - VA
Vienna, VA

Mutt Love Rescue
Fairfax, VA

American Lhasa Apso Club Rescue - Northwest Region
Gaithersburg, MD

City of Fairfax Animal Shelter
Fairfax, VA

Fairfax County Animal Shelter
Fairfax, VA

MIRRAGL
Fairfax, VA

The Commonwealth Humane Society
Fairfax, VA

The Humane Society of Fairfax County
Fairfax, VA

The Humane Society of Fairfax County 2
Fairfax, VA

Whitney Foundation
Fairfax, VA

Gentle Creatures
Rockville, MD

Hedgesville Hounds
Rockville, MD

K-9 Lifesavers
Rockville, MD

Montgomery County Humane Society
Rockville, MD

Chesapeake Area Alaskan Malamute Protection, formerly Potomac Valley AMR
Virginia, Maryland, DC, MD

GROWL - MD
Gaithersburg, MD

Sheltie Haven Sheltie Rescue, Inc.
Adamstown, MD

Dachshund Rescue of North America Inc.
Manassas, VA

Westie Rescue MidAtlantic
Dunn Loring, VA

Montgomery County SPCA
Gaithersburg, MD

Pets Bring Joy
Fairfax, VA

United Yorkie Rescue - VA
Fairfax, VA

United Yorkie Rescue - VA- Fairfax
Fairfax, VA

Friends Of Montgomery County Animals
Germantown, MD

BB&G Pomeranian Rescue
Lovettsville, VA

Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue
Mclean, VA

Jasmine's House, Inc. - MD Chapter
Clarksburg, MD

Band for Animal
Fairfax, VA

Appalachian Great Pyrenees Rescue
Clifton, VA

Lab Rescue LRCP - Frederick MD
Buckeystown, MD

One Planet Rescue - MD chapter
Rockville, MD

Mid-Atlantic Chinese Shar-Pei Rescue Operation
Bethesda, MD

Blue Ridge Doberman Rescue
Bluemont, VA

Key to Lion's Heart Rescue
Derwood, MD

Promises Animal Rescue, Inc
Gainesville, VA

Empty Shelter Project
Manassas, VA

Bull Terrier Rescue of Virginia (BTRVA)
Manassas, VA

Friends for Animals
Manassas, VA

Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue, Virginia Chapter
Manassas, VA

Best DAWG Rescue Inc.
Bethesda, MD

Lab Rescue LRCP - Rockville MD
Rockville, MD

Maryland Bichon Frise Rescue
Rockville, MD

DC Area Weimaraner Rescue
Manassas Park, VA

Doberman Assistance Rescue & Education
Arlington, VA

HART (Homeless Animals Rescue Team)
Fairfax Station, VA

Homeward Trails Animal Rescue
Fairfax Station, VA

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation
Arlington, VA

Allbreed Rescue & Referral Inc
Gaithersburg, MD

Mutts Matter Rescue
Rockville, MD

Bring Home the Brindle Dog Rescue
Ijamsville, MD

Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue Inc. District of Columbia, Virginia
Washington, DC

MerryLea Rescue
Frederick, MD

Operation Paws for Homes - MD Chapter
Frederick, MD

Ambassador Pit Bull Rescue
Bristow, VA

American Maltese Assoc. Rescue--Maryland
Bristow, VA

Reggie's Friends - Arlington
Arlington, VA

Lab Rescue LRCP - Fairfax VA
Fairfax, VA

USNMC Rescue
Jefferson, MD

Grand Dogs Rescue 2
Silver Springs, MD

Chow Chow Rescue of Maryland
Silver Spring, MD

Roxie's Fund, Inc*
Silver Spring, MD

Mid-Atlantic GSP Rescue
Arlington, VA

Dog World Rescue, Inc.
Alexandria, VA

SPCA of Northern Virginia
Arlington, VA

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue
Washington, DC

Capitol Canines Animal Rescue
Washington, DC

City Dogs Rescue & City Kitties
Washington, DC

Tails of the Unwanted - Maryland
Silver Spring, MD

Tara's House Animal Rescue, Inc. - Silver Spring Chapter
Silver Spring, MD

Capital Animal Care
Arlington, VA

Rescue Angels, Inc. - Virginia Chapter
Arlington, VA

Rescuzilla - Northern VA, D.C.
Arlington, VA

Caring Hearts Rescue
Springfield, VA

Hope for Donghae Paws(VIRGINIA)
Springfield, VA

Ozark Mutts and Stuff, Inc VA
Springfield, VA

Pups 2 Luv Rescue
Springfield, VA

Purrs, Paws, and Claws - Springfield Chapter
Springfield, VA

To The Rescue Inc.
Springfield, VA

Blackdogs Rescue - Bluemont Foster Group
Bluemont, VA

New Beginnings German Shorthaired Pointer Rescue
Monrovia, MD

Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
Alexandria, VA

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