What Separation Anxiety?

Pugs are serious lap dogs. My two are happiest when they're with me and somehow making bodily contact. Sunny is generally more laid back, but Rosy has separation anxiety, which was really bad when I first got her. She used to scratch at my door whenever I left (which I did not love) and follow me room to room (which I love). Anytime I leave my apartment now I give them "goodbye treats" in separate corners and then dart out the door as quickly as possible, hoping I haven't forgotten something that'll require a return (accompanied by a major guilt trip from the pugs). That's helped a lot but I know that Sunny and Rosy would still prefer to be with me 24/7 forever and ever.

Pug Clique

Happy Friday!!!

Just a simple drawing today of some snooty clique-y pugs. I noticed that while Sunny loves everyone, she gets more excited meeting other pugs or smushed face dogs. Rosy gets riled up by most dogs but she usually gets along ok with some smaller dogs (though I can never tell what makes some good and some bad). Her absolute favorite is a pomeranian that lives on my floor who I'm sure she'd like to make pugeranians with if she could. Once a dog is on her bad list though, that dog is on that list for good!

Rosy can be such a mean girl! Stop trying to make fetch happen Rosy!...I'm tired of repeatedly throwing your toy.

Pugling Rivalry - Rosy's Diary Entry #11 (Begging)

5-1-14

Dear Diary,

There's only one thing I love more than my toys and Sunny, and that's FOOD! I will do anything for a bite of deliciousness, especially human food deliciousness! It just seems totally unfair that humans get to eat so many different things with fun flavors and textures and then they feed us boring ol dog food.

What is this chocolate that they keep talking about and yet refuse to share with us?! What about sharing some of that yummy smelling garlic and onions getting stir-fried on the stove top?! Feed me grapes like I'm a queen!

Sunny is terrible at begging and just sits in the kitchen doing nothing. WRONG. You have to be loud and aggressive - remind the human that you're there and you want that food! The squeaky wheel gets the oil and I'm always the squeakiest wheel in the kitchen! I also like to make my presence known by digging my little paws into the human's legs, triggering certain pressure points to help persuade the human to feed me. That always gets the human's attention and she'll dance around while making excited noises.

Every day is a new opportunity to eat more delicious things. Challenge accepted!

XOXO,
Rosy

(Human editor's note: Sunny and Rosy do not get fed chocolate, garlic, onions, grapes, or other human foods that are bad for dogs.)

Pugling Rivalry - Sunny's Log Entry #11 (Begging)

5-1-14

Rosy's young and foolish, as many pups are. She simply bulldozes her way around without any grace. There is an art to begging that requires patience and subtlety.

Rosy can whine, jump around, and paw at the human's legs all she wants. I know the true secrets to getting the good stuff - sit in the human's line of vision and give your best, most pathetic-looking slump and sad face. If needed, add a cute tongue sticking out and/or uncurl the tail.

Works every time.

Awkward & Annoying Situations Made Better with Pugs - Bumps in a Crowd

I've never been a big fan of large crowds and that's only gotten worse the older and crankier I get. There's nothing fun about being squashed among strangers as the air gets hotter and stuffier. And how disturbing is it when a stranger's sweaty body part makes contact with your back or arm?! Having lived in New York for several years I often had to put up with crazy crowds. Sometimes subway rides were so packed people couldn't hold onto any poles and so they just stood like sardines in a can and swayed with the crowd, hoping that collectively everyone could support each others weight at each jerk and turn. The only thing I could do in those situations was to put in my ear buds and go to my happy place.

But turn that into a pug crowd and you've just turned a nightmare into a dream come true! Even the word for a pug crowd is so much better and cuter - a grumble of pugs! I'd much rather be amidst a grumble of furry, squishy, snorting lil pugs.

Vanity

Sunny and Rosy are getting ready for a night out on the town! Gotta make sure their hair is perfect and their tails are perfectly curled!

My sister and I used to love rolling the ears of our first pug, Cookie. If she was sleeping, they'd actually stay perfectly curled and we'd call her Martha Washington (I don't know why since I don't think she wore her hair curled like that). We used to do that all the time when we were little with our Pound Puppy stuffed animals and Cookie was our real live Pound Puppy! Man we were such weirdos.

Rosy's too finicky with her ears to do that now and Sunny's just don't hold a curl very well (I think they're too big and heavy). I should ask my sister if she does this with her current pug, Doughy.

Happy weekend everyone!

Pugling Rivalry - Rosy's Diary Entry #10 (Intruder)

4-23-14

Dear Diary,

DANGER! DANGER! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!

There is a strange dog in our home! The human and Sunny seem unaware of the stranger or they are so frightened they're frozen in their seats. It is up to me to protect my home and family!

Rosy to the rescue!

XOXO,
Rosy

Pugling Rivalry - Sunny's Log Entry #10 (Intruder)

4-23-14

Sigh, there she goes again. We can't watch a single tv show, or even a commercial, without my not-so-bright sister going ballistic and trying to attack the tv. How does she not grasp the concept of tv?! Can't she tell the dog on the tv screen isn't actually in our home? At first the human and I found it amusing, but now it's just tiresome.

I think we should lock up Rosy in another room while we watch tv, but the human doesn't seem to be on board with the idea. So I guess we'll just keep watching my idiot sister in her annoying dance of leaping and snapping at the tv. Sigh.

Leash Struggles

I love having two pugs. But I don't really love walking two pugs at the same time.

Just this morning I had to deal with a tangled harness, a runaway pug, dirt getting kicked on me in a particularly enthusiastic post-poop kick, and a poop bag flying out of my hands when I tried to open it. My sister used to think I exaggerated in my drawings but when she visited me over the holidays she realized that everything I draw is truth! (For the most part.)  She especially gets a kick out of my "pulled apart" pose, which she refers to as my crucifixion pose.

Awkward & Annoying Situations Made Better with Pugs - Small Talk

I am the worst when it comes to small talk! I am bad with eye contact, I can never think of interesting things to talk about, I bring up topics I really shouldn't, and I can't help but use idioms that I realize halfway through I don't really know. I am capable of having normal conversations with people once I know them better, but even then there are still some people that I just don't click with and as a result our conversations continue to be awkward and stilted. I dread holiday parties and work events.

But I have never met a pug that I didn't love and there is never any awkward conversation or weird lulls. It's either filled with happy talk or comfortable, content silence (although pugs are rarely silent).

Pugling Rivalry - Rosy's Diary Entry #9 (Cars)

4-16-14

Dear Diary,

Everyone always complains about how I'm the bad one on walks because I don't get along with a lot of other dogs. It's not that I don't like other dogs, I just don't like big stranger dogs interrupting our peaceful walks! But the truth is that the real naughty one on our walks is Sunny. That's right. SUNNY.

Today I was taking care of business (you know what I mean ;)!) and suddenly the human and I were yanked to the side because Sunny was pulling at her leash trying to chase after a car. Ugh! Sunny's so selfish! When she has to take care of her business the human and I have to chase after her as she runs around trying to find the perfect spot (she's so picky too!). But when it's my turn, Sunny's always pulling the human in another direction or trying to chase after cars.

I finished my business in the end but I gotta tell you, something doesn't feel quite right.  It just starts the morning off wrong!

I don't understand what's the big deal about cars.  They're not really alive and they never go on the grassy areas where we are.  Not like big strange dogs!

Frowny face,
Rosy

Pugling Rivalry - Sunny's Log Entry #9 (Cars)

4-16-14

Once again I have protected the human and Rosy from the huge roaring beasts called "cars" that often edge along our land. Rosy's so clueless. She was actually pooping when this attack occurred! I had to rush to defend ourselves and chase away the beasts. I really can't rely on her for help when it comes to important matters like this.

Wherever there is danger, I'll be there.

Awkward & Annoying Situations Made Better with Pugs - The Long Hallway

Don't you just hate it when you see someone you know at the end of a long hallway or street? When do you acknowledge each other's presence? When do you say hi or wave? Should you pretend you have to stop and tie a shoelace or duck into another room? All these worries are wiped away if you replace the approaching casual acquaintance with cute lovey dovey pugs!

I am the queen of awkward social situations and am a big ol grump when it comes to having to deal with most people. So I think I'll embrace the humor of my flaws and do a series on my blog (in addition to Pugling Rivalry) called "Awkward and Annoying Situations Made Better with Pugs." This is the first installment, "The Long Hallway." This is something near and dear to me as I encounter this situation everyday because my workplace consists of a super duper long hallway and I work at one end of it.

Pugling Rivalry - Sunny's Log Entry #8 (Squish)

4-10-14

I've mentioned before the importance of getting quality sleep in my old age.  Well, not only does Rosy disrupt my sleep in the mornings when she wakes up first, she also has this annoying habit of squishing against me and draping her paws over me when we nap. Rude!

Rosy has no respect for her older sister. How would she like it if I constantly squished against her and draped myself over her? Maybe I will do just that and teach her a lesson. Then she'll realize how irritating it is and stop.

Pugling Rivalry - Rosy's Diary Entry #8 (Squish)

4-10-14

Dear Diary,

OMG it happened today! Sunny snuggled close to me and then while she was half asleep she plopped her muzzle on my back. Squeeeee!!! She loves me! Sibling bonding!

Sisters by chance, friends by choice! We're going to be best friends forever and ever and ever!

Pugs and Kisses!
Rosy

Sunshine

Aw yeah, sunshine and warmer weather! Sunny and Rosy are thoroughly enjoying the bright and sunny days we're finally getting now that spring has rolled in and pushed out our crazy cold winter.

I don't think there's anything that says contentment more than sleepy sunbathing pugs.

Pugling Rivalry - Rosy's Diary Entry #7 (Rain)

4-7-14

Dear Diary,

Not much new going on here.  Same ol, same ol.  It was a bit drizzly this morning but not too bad.  Still had fun on our morning walk!  I hope the sun comes out today though because I really wanted to sunbathe this afternoon.  Got to work on my tan before summer gets here! :)

XOXO,
Rosy

Pugling Rivalry - Sunny's Log Entry #7 (Rain)

4-7-14

It's pouring outside! I was dragged out of my comfy warm bed this morning and thrust outside in the cold rain. Honestly, I don't know how we're expected to do anything in this type of weather. My paws were wet.

WET. PAWS.

Unacceptable! And the wind blew huge raindrops into my eyes so I couldn't even see where I was going. This is uncurled tail down weather my friend.

Rosy of course was happily swimming around doing her business wherever she pleased. Savage.

I of course refused to do my business in such terrible inclement weather. Instead I plan on leaving a nice present for my human on the dry and warm kitchen floor.

Double Boop

Boop boop! Toot toot! Make way for the pugs!

Sunny has the more ridonkulous tongue that she's always sticking out, but Rosy has been sticking out her tongue a lot recently too! No one can resist booping their cute tongues! NO ONE.

Ninja Pug's Apprentice

Ninja Pug is back! And this time she is showing off her moves in front of her apprentice. This particular move is called the starfish attack. The apprentice has much to learn.

More adventures to follow...