Chug

There is no general feeding recommendation for a Chug. Build the plan with your vet around your dog's age, weight and health, and pay attention to the shape and size of the kibble, because this cross combines a Chihuahua's tiny mouth with the elongated soft palate a brachycephalic dog inherits.

Puppies need three or four meals a day to keep blood sugar from dropping. An adult Chug does fine on two sittings, or three if your vet prefers to spread the day out.

Weight is the condition to manage above all others. Small lap-lounging dogs put weight on quickly, and a dog carrying 20 percent or more over its ideal weight is obese and at greater risk of arthritis and pancreatitis. Ask your vet what your dog's ideal weight actually is, since a small error is a large share of an 18-pound dog.

Extra weight also loads the airway. In a dog with any degree of the Pug's conformation, keeping your dog lean is one of the few things you directly control about how easily it breathes.

The Chug's smooth coat is the low-maintenance part of this dog. A thorough brushing once or twice a week keeps it clean and healthy.

Shedding is another matter. If your dog takes after the Pug side, be ready for above-average shedding despite the short coat, which surprises people who chose the cross for its easy grooming.

The eyes need daily attention rather than weekly. Large, expressive, protruding eyes are part of the Chug's look and they are also what makes the breed prone to corneal ulcers, glaucoma, cataracts and chronic dry eye. Red or irritated eyes, discharge, cloudiness or a dog pawing at its face all mean a vet. Protruding eyeballs are also more vulnerable to scratches and punctures and can even come out of the socket, which is an emergency call rather than a wait.

Brush the teeth at least three times a week and ideally every day. Toy breeds are especially prone to gum disease, and by the time roots are exposed the answer is extractions.

Chugs are playful and energetic but need only moderate exercise: short walks or games of fetch indoors or out will meet both the physical and the mental requirement.

The important part is what to avoid. Both parent breeds need daily activity handled with care, because Chihuahuas overexert themselves easily and Pugs are brachycephalic, with flat faces and narrow nostrils and airways that make breathing hard work. Extremely hot weather and strenuous exercise are potentially dangerous for this cross and should be avoided outright.

Learn the warning signs before you need them. Noisy breathing, snoring, coughing, panting, exercise intolerance, overheating and collapse are the signs of brachycephalic airway syndrome, and a Chug struggling to breathe needs immediate care.

Indoor games are the reliable option on a warm day, and they suit a dog that mainly wants to be near you anyway.

A Chug wants your full attention, which is most of what you need to know about training one. The motivation is already there; the job is directing it.

Address barking early if your dog leans Chihuahua. Boredom and loneliness are the triggers, so the fix is company and occupation rather than correction.

Set the household rules for children and larger dogs. A Chug gets on with people of every age, but its small stature makes it easy to injure during play with a child who has not yet learned to handle a small dog gently, and a large housemate poses the same problem.

Train around the breathing rather than through it. Short sessions, cool conditions and calm rewards suit an apartment-faced dog far better than long excitable ones, and a Chug that gets over-stimulated is a Chug that struggles for air.