Puggle puppies are as energetic as it gets for hybrid dog breeds. These incredibly noisy and hyper pets are great. Still, they can be hard to train, so it can be difficult to tell if their occasional potty accidents are on purpose or if they're suffering from separation anxiety. This article can help dog owners understand any problem behavior their puppy might have and how to help their Puggle alleviate any stressful symptoms.
Puggle Breed Overview
The hybrid breed Puggle combines the two popular breeds, Pug and Beagle dogs. This mix makes for a smaller and hyper pet that has become very popular since the 1990s. Puggle puppies have lovely personalities, and they often feel more like a rambunctious child than well-behaved puppies. However, this adorable hybrid breed is a favorite among its owners. These dogs are friendly, outgoing, and loud. But Puggle puppies can be trained by practiced dog owners to be some of the best-behaved puppies
Puggle Size
The average full-grown Puggle will not grow to be larger than 15 inches tall at their shoulders, and some of the smaller hybrids in this breed will stand at 13 inches tall. This small dog breed can be a pretty thick dog because, on average, they weigh between 18 and 30 pounds.
Even though these dogs have breed averages, this is a newer mixed breed, so many of these dogs can be a little bigger or smaller than these ranges.
This dog comes from one very active breed that often suffers from breathing issues, so even though they're incredibly energetic, their owners will likely have to break up playtimes into segmented moments throughout the day. It will help give them the time to catch their breath and cool their body temperature down safely. Puggle puppies should have owners who have experience caring for dogs, not first-time pet owners.
Puggle Breed Temperament
This adorable puppy is an incredibly active breed, and they want nothing more than to run around their house sometimes. These pets can get along great with families, including families with children and other dogs. It's essential to socialize Puggle puppies to ensure they don't become fearful of other animals or people, and so you can bring out their best and more sociable traits.
As adorable as Pggle puppies can e, they have bad barking tendencies. Owners can try to train their dogs out of this habit, but these pets are notoriously not the easiest hybrid breed to train.
Experienced dog owners will be able to offer the training conditions Puggle dog needs to thrive in their homes. Training must be consistent, concise, and positive. It's important not to let training sessions exceed 15 minutes maximum, although more troublesome breeds will benefit from 5-minute training sessions. Only use a positive tone and plenty of verbal praise during a training session to encourage your dog to listen to you. The stronger your bond is and the more fun you can have during training, the more your pet will listen.
Potty training and crate training will be challenging with these dogs. Potty training problems arise more during the puppy training period, and a dog owner wants to buy a dog crate and pee pads to prepare for any potential potty accident. A pet owner also needs to understand that dog behavior is not the easiest thing to train in a young puppy, and they might want to hire a professional dog trainer if they find their pet has a behavioral problem. Unwanted behavior can cause destructive behavior like chewing or house training issues. Private training might be the best way to help your young dog develop good behavior, but pet parents dedicated to providing proper training can do so with plenty of positive reinforcement.
Puggle puppies will respond best to owners who can make training entertaining for them, and if your Puggle misbehaves or doesn't finish a command, try to get them to do a simpler one. If this still doesn't work, immediately end your training session with a treat and some pets and try again tomorrow. The best way to train these dogs is consistently and very patiently. Some breeds require more time to handle being on their best behavior, and Puggle puppies work like that sometimes.
Puggle Health Overview
The hybrid Puggle breed is overall very healthy and will live an average lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Even though these dogs are very healthy, many pets have health risks predisposed to getting. Thanks to the two-parent breeds of the Puggle, these dogs might develop hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia, or patellar luxation. Thankfully most conditions they're at risk of developing are very mild, and many of the symptoms associated with these physical health problems will not show up until later in life.
These dogs need regular grooming care to keep up with their health. Owners must clip their nails monthly and bathe them every six to eight weeks. Owners should brush their Puggle puppy about once a week to keep their fur clean and shiny, but increase this frequency during heavier shedding periods.
It is imperative to a Puggle puppy's overall health that dog owners brush their teeth at least once a week and clean their ears once a month. These dogs can develop dental disease and other more manageable oral health issues than other breeds because their mouth is more compact. This breed can also develop ear infections easier, so cleaning your dog's ears just the right amount is the perfect way to keep this issue at bay. Overcleaning your dog's ears is just as bad as not cleaning them since this can leave a sensitive area even more vulnerable to dangerous bacteria than usual.
Even though the Puggle is a very healthy dog breed, many dogs will experience mental health conditions like stress and anxiety. If your puppy is well trained and destroys the house when you're away from home, they likely have separation anxiety. If your dog is house trained but will randomly have uncontrollable potty accidents, your dog likely has anxiety. There are plenty of ways Puggle dog owners can help their pets overcome these psychological issues. But first, they have to understand what causes anxiety in their pets.
Anxiety Causes
Even though your Puggle might be the best-behaved little dog in the world, you might still run into some behavioral issues and be frustrated because you don't understand the disconnect. The disconnect is that many pet owners don't realize that stress and anxiety cause dogs to misbehave. While this can be upsetting for dog owners, they should rest assured knowing there are plenty of ways to help their Puggle overcome their symptoms of stress and anxiety. All you have to do is understand what causes their situation to better treat and prevent these symptoms from occurring.
The most common cause of anxiety in dogs is separation anxiety. Separation anxiety occurs because dogs bond very closely with their owners and can become very dependent on them for feelings of security and safety. Most owners don't know that they're supposed to help their dogs adjust to their absences over time, using treats and carefully planned trips away from home. But when dogs don't understand that their owners will always return home, they experience separation anxiety.
Another common issue with Puggles is that they are not receiving enough exercise or mental stimulation. Don't let their size fool you. These dogs are active and energetic little creatures. It can be easy to write off your dog's bad behavior as their fault, but if you aren't providing their necessary needs like daily exercise, you are part of the blame for your dog's disobedience. Regular exercise and mental stimulation aren't part of your dog's necessary needs for fun, and they are genuinely essential to their physical and mental health. So if your Puggle doesn't get enough exercise or mental stimulation, they likely will develop anxiety and release their energy in unhealthy ways.
Poor socialization skills are another common cause of anxiety in dogs. Socialization is a critical factor in ensuring your dog feels safe in various environments. If you haven't brought them around new people, places, or animals, they're likely to get all riled up by the time they meet new people and places.
Many dogs struggle with noise-induced anxiety because dogs have such a strong sense of hearing that it can be very alarming when loud noises occur unexpectedly. If your Puggle puppy seems the most anxious when you can hear sirens, thunderstorms, or fireworks, they're likely suffering from noise anxiety.
Sadly, many dogs in shelters are more likely to develop anxiety symptoms because they have experienced traumatic events that have scared them. These dogs haven't had the opportunity to heal completely from their past and feel like they're in a safe space. It occurs because shelter dogs are the most likely to have gone through situations of abandonment, homelessness, neglect, or abuse. While these traumas will cause significant stress and anxiety symptoms for dogs, animals who have suffered from physical abuse often have a more challenging time adjusting than other dogs. Suppose you have tried to play with your Puggle, and they unexpectedly cowered in fear, or maybe your dog cowers any time you lift a stick to attempt a game of fetch. In that case, your dog has likely experienced physical abuse and is struggling with anxiety from it. Some dogs experience traumatic anxiety and have strange reactions to otherwise everyday events. Some dogs hate people who wear hats, or some dogs are terrified of white vans, which dog pounds use to pick up strays.
Anxiety can have many different causes and knowing the root of your dog's anxiety is the best way to help them overcome it. While some breeds might suffer from anxiety more chronically than others, Puggle puppies can be carefree little maniacs when in their best mental health. Puggle dog owners first must recognize their dog's symptoms to help them and then use this to further understand the cause of their condition and take the right steps to find an appropriate treatment method.
Anxiety Symptoms
Dogs communicate with body language before they do any other way, and while it might seem strange, potty accidents can be one of many ways this breed expresses their anxiety. By spending time with your Puggle puppy, you will naturally understand their emotions based on their body language. It will be easy to see if they are happy, anxious, alert, excited, nervous, and sleepy with a simple glance. But, when you first rescue your dog, it might take you a moment to fully understand the way your Puggle will communicate with you. Even though many dog behaviors exhibit the same emotional tendencies, dogs are individuals like people. Sometimes, they can have weird ways of expressing themselves, so recognizing anxiety symptoms can be so nuanced in Puggle puppies.
Some common and more relaxed anxiety symptoms are a dog cowering, tucking their tail between their legs, or holding their ears back. Many dogs will communicate feelings of anxiety by shaking, pacing, being restless, or hiding behind their owners. Often small dog breeds like the Puggle develop a bad habit of trying to stand under their owners when they're anxious, which can be dangerous to both the owner ad the dog if they were to trip on their pet.
Other common signs Puggle puppies suffering from anxiety may show include barking, crying, whining, or howling. Because Puggle puppies are part Beagle, they might be more vocal than other dog breeds and express their stress through the noise. These dogs don't always use noise to communicate, though, and might show their anxiety by shaking like they're wet or shivering like they're cold.
Somewhat more intense symptoms of anxiety your Puggle puppy can show are trying to prevent you from leaving the house, trying to escape the house themselves, or destroying the house in your absence. These symptoms are most often associated with separation anxiety, but they can be symptoms of any dog suffering from anxiety.
Most intense anxiety symptoms include refusing to eat in moments of stress, vomiting, defecating, urinating, and eating their defecation. Puggle puppies with severe anxiety are likely to suffer from uncontrollable urinating and defecation symptoms, and it's essential not to punch your pet for these accidents. Often dogs feel stressed, and that's why these things occur, but then they feel even worse about the accident, which is why some dogs will try to gobble up any evidence of proof even though it is their poop.
Owners should never chastise their Puggle puppy for anxiety, and if you know your pet is well trained but they begin going to the bathroom in your house, your dog is almost definitely struggling with anxiety and stress.
The only way you can help your dog overcome these issues is to treat your pet's anxiety. There are plenty of methods to treat your dog's anxiety, and they vary in strength because dogs with more severe anxiety will not need as much help to overcome their symptoms as a dog who only barks when they have anxiety.
Anxiety Treatment Methods
There are many treatment methods and options when it comes to taking care of your pet's anxiety. Many owners want to pick methods they can purchase at the store, not realizing there are many more natural ways to treat your Puggle puppy's anxiety before you try any special additives.
One of the most common and trendy ways to treat a dog's anxiety today is to provide them with a safe space. A safe space is an area that dog owners designate in their house specifically for their pets to retreat to in times of stress. These spaces are away from foot traffic and loud noises and often have plenty of comforting items to help your dog relax. Most safe spaces have a dog bed, cage, water bowl, blankets, pillows, and toys. Some owners go above and beyond and provide their dogs with a small radio that plays classical music and aromatherapy to help calm their nerves, but these things aren't necessary. There are plenty of ways to create a safe space for your pet, and dog owners have almost complete creative freedom.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to treat your dog's anxiety is by providing more exercise. Many dog owners don't give their pets enough exercise, and although Puggle puppies don't need hours of exercise on end, they do need plenty of mental and physical stimulation to stay healthy. There are plenty of training sessions, interactive toys, or enrichment activities you can provide your Puggle to relieve their symptoms of stress.
If you have tried these methods or your dog has more severe anxiety symptoms, then you might want to try to combine one of the previous methods in addition to calming supplements. There are many calming treats and dog CBD options that are excellent at relieving symptoms of stress and anxiety. Since most of these are treats only meant for an as-needed basis, they are more affordable and realistic than some other serious medical additives.
When dogs experience severe anxiety symptoms, many pet owners want to give them anti-anxiety medication to help their dogs overcome their situations. Anti-anxiety meds have to be prescribed by a veterinarian. Although they can be great tools in managing your Puggle's stress-induced potty accidents, they also have many side effects and should be used as a last resort effort.
One of the most effective but expensive ways to relieve your dog's anxiety symptoms is to provide a permanent solution like a counter conditioning treatment. Counter conditioning treatment is a long process. You can hire a professional dog behaviorist or trainer to help your pet permanently overcome their anxieties by slowly working with them to change their anxious reactions into positive ones. It is an expensive and time-consuming option, and while it can offer the most significant and most long-lasting benefits, it is not easily accessible for many pet owners.
Conclusion
Although Puggle puppies can seem like happy-go-lucky bundles of joy, every dog will suffer from stress and anxiety at some point in their lives. The best thing dog owners can do is prepare for these situations and know how to help their dogs overcome these anxieties. Never get angry with your dog for having stress symptoms, as this will only cause them more stress. Instead, try to focus on having empathy for them and then dedicate your time and energy to helping them overcome these situations so they can enjoy their companionship with you more often.