The pug can be traced back to 400B.C., where it appears to have been
bred to serve as a companion dog to Buddhist monks in a monastery
Most authorities agree that the pug is an oriental breed.
The Chinese were known to send pugs as gifts to important individuals and the pug started arriving in other countries.
The pug became very popular in England, and was kept by the upper-class.
The first pugs imported to the United States arrived shortly after the Civil War.
The American Kennel Club accepted the pug breed in 1885 with the registration of one dog.
After a promising start in this country, pugs were overshadowed by longer coated toy breeds such as the Pekingese and the Pomeranian, and the registration of pugs decreased.
Since 1944, the interest in the pug has grown by leaps and bounds.
In the early 1950's the Pug Dog Club of America was founded.
Today the pug ranks in the mid-twenties among the 136 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club.