by Yasmin | 31 Dec, 2025 | Blog, News, Pug Health
Here’s a reminder, since November, of our regular advice & tips for making it as safe & comfortable as possible for our pugs when Fireworks are expected.
In advance, you may have considered:
- Desensitising your pets to noise: Playing fireworks noises quietly using sound CDs, while rewarding calm behaviour, can help them become accustomed to the noise. Play them in the run up to firework season, to help them see they need not be afraid.
- Anxiety relief products: Anxiety relieving products containing pheromones are an effective way to help your pet stay calm, also comforting jackets are like a big hug! There are so many products around so do research them.
For their comfort and security on New Year’s Eve:
- Walk your dogs before it’s dark.
- Feed your dogs before fireworks are expected to begin, as they may be too stressed to eat later on.
- Make sure your house or garden is escape-proof, as they can bolt or go missing. (Check their microchip registration is up-to-date!)
- Keep windows and curtains closed, the lights on and turn the TV on to play music to help drown out the noise.
- Create a safe, cosy place for your dog to settle before it gets dark. Dogs enjoy cosy dens.
- Keep them entertained to take their mind off the noise. Comforting and reassuring them.
- Do not leave them alone at home or elsewhere.
- For Halloween, take precautions to make trick/treaters aware that you are not participating, so that the doorbell isn’t rung throughout the evening. We all know how our dogs react to that!
- Fireworks. They contain hazardous chemicals which can be poisonous to your dog. Initially these poisons can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, tummy pain and/or bloody stools.
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- More severe effects may include seizures and the chemicals may also affect your dog’s breathing, kidneys and liver.
- Don’t let your dog into your garden unsupervised around Bonfire Night and the other seasonal celebrations, without checking first that none have fallen into your garden.
If the weather is cold or freezing:
- Antifreeze, (ethylene glycol) is the worst of all the chemical spills, which can also leak from a car’s radiator.
- Ingestion is very dangerous. It is sweet tasting and very palatable to dogs, though even a relatively small quantity can cause serious kidney damage or be fatal.
- The first signs of intoxication can be that your dog appears ‘drunk’. If you know your dog has ingested ethylene glycol or you have any concerns, contact your vet without delay.
- The prognosis is poorer the longer it takes to initiate treatment.
So please be extra vigilant, and if you suspect your dog has been affected in any way. Contact your vet as soon as possible to discuss symptoms.
Further Advice & tips can be found at:
Above all, Have a Very Happy New Year, 2026!!
******
For other useful & informative pug health articles, please see our web section: https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/pug-health/
by Yasmin | 27 Dec, 2025 | Pug Home Appeal, Blog, News
🤞 A GOOD NEW YEAR UPDATE: We had an excellent response with strong applications for the terrific trio & they have found their perfect, Forever-Home! 🤞
We thank everybody for their interest in seriously adopting 3 pugs together.
*****
This was an unusual APPEAL, for a ready-made grumble of 3 bonded-pugs looking for their Forever-home.
Details:
Eddie, Tom and Tilly are a gorgeous grumble of pugs who have always lived together and love each other very much. They are looking for their forever home due to changes at home and as they are truly bonded they need to remain together.
Eddie is a 7 year-old shiny, black male, Tom and Tilly are 6 year-old litter-mates. Tom is a big-boned fawn boy and Tilly a beautiful apricot fawn girl.
The 3 of them are very affectionate to each other, and always sleep together, either all lined up or piled up on top of each other!
They clean each other too, especially Eddie who likes to make sure his younger siblings have a clean face and ears at all times!
*****
Considerations for their adopter:
Their Humans:
As well as being loving with each other, they are equally loving to their people. All 3 of them love to lay on a lap, or snuggle into their people, as close as they can, and rest their little chins. Tilly will climb up onto your chest to get her face as close as possible to yours.
Other Dogs:
All 3 of them have been very friendly and gentle with other elderly dogs in the extended family of their home, although Tilly likes to let other female dogs know that she is the boss-girl in her own territory.
Cats:
They have all also learned to be respectful of their fosterer’s dog-savvy cat after careful introductions. They are calm around him and all coexist happily now. Initially, they did bark at the cat and will do sometimes when they see others out on walks, though can equally ignore or even sniff them gently on other occasions.
Children:
The grumble has been kind and gentle with children they have met, Eddie and Tilly particularly enjoy a gentle fuss and cuddle from them. Tom gets anxious around loud and active children and will try to hide from them. If given his own space and time though, he will accept gentle petting from quiet children without hiding away.
Housetraining:
The trio are all housetrained and toilet in the garden, but only Eddie seems to understand that they can toilet on walks too! So, after a walk, Tilly and Tom still need to be offered a trip to the garden.
Although housetrained, the boys both marked in the early weeks at their foster home. This behaviour has almost completely resolved as they have settled, though may resurface in a new home. Having some belly bands handy might be useful during their settling in period.
Walks & Outdoors:
The gorgeous trio were not too used to regular walks before coming into foster, and it showed in their fitness, waistlines and leash behaviour! However, they have mad amazing strides forward in all these aspects, while still a work in progress.
All 3 have lost a lot of their excess weight, though aren’t at their ideal targets yet so this will need to be supported in their forever home. Their fitness has improved immensely and they can all walk happily for over an hour now.
Eddie walks beautifully on a lead. He loves to stop and take his time having a good sniff around. Tom and Tilly need ongoing work on their leash manners. Tom pulls as a mixture of excitement and anxiousness and he lunges at passing noisy vehicles, but is improving. Tilly gets very excited about going for walks and pulls on the lead unless you are happy to jog with her!
All 3 are very good off lead in an enclosed area. Their recall is mixed where all 3 will come when called, unless distracted playing with other dogs, but especially if they hear you shaking a bag of treats!
Tilly is strongly drawn to water so needs to be kept on leash near lakes and rivers etc.
Indoors:
The grumble all sleep happily together downstairs, cuddled up in a dog bed or on the sofa. They are quite sensitive to sounds outside and calming music left on especially when left alone at home, comforts them and prevents them barking at noises.
All 3 are very respectful when their people are eating. They may stare a bit, but they don’t beg or try to snatch food and can even sleep through it! Tilly and Tom do need reminding to take their treats gently though!
Eddie, Tom and Tilly are a wonderful, loving, grumble of pugs who will bring love, fun and joy with endless snuggles to their new family.
*****
Additional information about them individually:
Eddie is a delightful, polite boy who is devoted to his siblings and people. He snuggles and cleans Tom and Tilly all the time, he sometimes gets a little overstimulated when cleaning Tilly and has to be told not to mount her (or Tilly will tell him herself!)
He waits patiently for food and takes treats gently. He is happy to be stroked while eating and isn’t possessive with food or toys at all.
He loves soft toys and will carry them around, greeting you at the door with one in his mouth. Eddie arrived in foster with dirty, painful ears and wrinkle, and was reluctant to be cleaned, sometimes being mouthy to hands but not aggressive. With the building of trust, his new family will need to be sensitive regarding cleaning these areas.
He is a pleasure to take for a walk and will trot along with his siblings, and enjoy all the sniff spots. He can be unsure of other dogs when he’s on leash, especially big dogs and may bark at them. Other dogs he may completely ignore, or want to politely say hello to them. He plays very well with dogs of all sizes off leash. Eddie is an around lovely boy!
*****
Tilly is a very affectionate and beautiful apricot girl. She is the boss of the grumble and keeps her brothers in line.
She was, and still is, the most overweight of the grumble with more weight to lose. While she loves to walk fast and run about, it’s necessary to enforce a little rest break for her so she doesn’t push herself to hard.
Tilly often greets people and other dogs by barking at them, but she’s completely friendly, just a noisy greeter! Thankfully, for all the effort she puts into barking, her bark is quite quiet. She has the waggiest tail of any pug!
Tilly gets excited at food time and may jump up, but she always sits politely when asked to, for her bowl to be placed on the floor. She’s happy to be stroked while eating and isn’t possessive of her food.
She’s getting more interested in playing with toys and when she’s feeling playful will pounce on and shake her soft toys. She sometimes likes a game of tug of war, and even a short game of fetch.
Tilly does steal toys from Tom when he’s trying to play! She is a delightful girl and a complete snuggle bug with her siblings and people.
*****
Tom is a lovely, big soft boy who is very affectionate with his siblings, especially Tilly, and his people once he’s learnt to trust them. He can be anxious and is currently trialling some medication to help him with this. A tablet a day in his food.
He is a sensitive soul who hadn’t experienced very much of the world before coming in to foster and therefore finds the world a bit confusing. Tom looks for comfort and reassurance from his humans as well as his siblings.
Tom’s come far already in foster and blossomed into a loving, snuggly boy. He has the softest, velvety head and ears and he loves to be gently stroked and cuddled once he gets to know you. He takes a lot of confidence particularly from Tilly.
A typical pug, he gets very excited at food time and can be quite barky which annoys his siblings, so it’s best that he is separated from them by a baby-gate while their food is being prepared and while they eat.
Tom can be petted while eating and isn’t possessive of food but he eats quickly and will try and steal his siblings dinner if they’re not fed separately. Despite his excitement, Tom will sit for his dinner and being very food motivated, his recall training is going very well.
Tom can be anxious while walking on leash and needs ongoing work to not pull. He is wonderful off lead in enclosed areas though! He is full of joy running around freely, greets other dogs nicely and is starting to play with them rather than staying by his fosterer’s side for reassurance.
Tom is such a sweet, sensitive, loving boy, who gives the best cuddles.
*****
It’s important to also read our Guidelines & conditions for Adopting, at:
https://pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk/adopting-a-pug/
Please note, the Adoption Fee is discounted for bonded multiple pugs.
***
If you have any specific questions about this gorgeous grumble, or your application, please email Lisa at:
east@nullpugwelfare-rescue.org.uk
NEW APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY ON HOLD.
Thank You!
by Yasmin | 17 Dec, 2025 | Blog, News, Pug Health
*****
It’s that time of year again where there are plenty of temptations which are potentially hazardous to our furry friends, particularly celebratory foods and treats that are being brought into the home.
As well as the festive greenery that may make your dog very ill, tempting foods which we may think are a treat for them can actually cause a great deal of harm, including hidden ingredients such as seasoning & spices.
*****
Vets will treat 75% more cases of dogs eating foods that are poisonous to them in December, so it’s important to be aware of what to avoid and ensure others including visitors know about them too:
FOOD
– Christmas cake, mince pies and Christmas pudding.
– Foods containing grapes, raisins, sultanas & currants.
– Chocolate, boxes lying around, tempting foil coins on the tree.
– Traditional turkey, goose & chicken where cooked bones can easily splinter.
– Sage and onion stuffing, gravy, anything with onion, chives, garlic, celery.
– Do check for hidden seasoning ingredients in sausages, a particular Christmas treat from a roast dinner.
– Other foods, such as certain nuts, blue cheese, fatty and salty processed foods.
– Xylitol sometimes marketed as birch sugar, used in artificial sweeteners and sweeteners of products such as peanut butter, is toxic to dogs.
– All alcohol.
*****
OTHER
– Particular festive greenery and plants may make your dog very For a comprehensive list that are dangerous to dogs, see this: poisons in your garden article.
– Oils from pine needles may be irritating to the mouth and stomach, causing excessive dribbling, vomiting and diarrhoea if chewed. Needles are also sharp so could cause physical injury in your dog’s mouth and throat.
– Potpourri is made up of various dried plants and flowers to create fragrant decorations. Depending on their toxicity they may cause, at the very least, vomiting and diarrhoea.
– Take care when using antifreeze (ethylene glycol). It tastes sweet so is tempting for dogs but can be lethal if ingested.
– Watch for dogs drinking out of puddles too as they may be tainted with antifreeze chemicals.
– Some snow globes contain anti-freeze and if broken, are a serious danger to your dogs.
– Salted roads & paths can also burn their paw pads.
Frostbite:
Ice and snow can build up in the fur between their pads which is not only uncomfortable but increases the risk of frostbite. If your dog raises its paws, stops walking or whines it could be a sign that their paws are too cold.
When cold, a dog’s body limits blood flow to their extremities (paws, tail, ears etc.) diverting to keep their vital organs protected. This puts their extremities at risk of being damaged by the cold. If you’re concerned about them having frostbite contact your vet immediately.
So, on very cold, icy or snowy days, try to keep the time they spend outside to a minimum, and consider using a coat or paw protectors to keep them warm.
If you do buy a coat make sure it fits well so that it doesn’t restrict their normal movement, either through being too tight or too loose. If you’re outside in the cold and your pet starts shivering, or appears very tired, then get them home as soon as possible. If they are very unwell, get worse or continue to be unwell, contact your vet immediately.
However, some smaller or short coated dogs feel cold in the winter nip, so it may be a good idea to buy a well-fitting coat that will help keep them warm and dry on walks.
The dark mornings and evenings mean that you’ll most likely be taking your dog out for a walk when it is dark or gloomy, and you should think about how visible your dog is to other people when out walking in low light. Reflective collars and jackets are a good idea, and there are even some bright LED collars and tags available to help make your dog easier to see by other walkers and road users.
*****
Christmas can be stressful for pets. The change in routine, visitors, children, loud music and decorations can all confuse or over-excite them. Planning ahead can help minimise stress for pets and ensure they have a happy Christmas, too.
A few things to consider include:
- Sticking to their routine as much as possible – their meals, exercise, bed and toilet break routines. Consistency helps them feel more secure plus they expect it!.
- Introduce new people carefully, at your dog’s own pace.
- Give them somewhere cosy and quiet to retreat to, away from all the excitement, leaving toys or familiar items to help keep them comforted.
- Don’t leave them alone too long – it’s easy to become distracted at such a busy time.
Likewise, if you’re spending Christmas away with your dog/s take something that smells familiar, like their bed, or favourite toys and chews to help keep them entertained and feel secure. Also, plan for them if they’re not going with you.
- Keep the number of an emergency vet on hand in case of accidents or if your pet eats something they shouldn’t.
- If your pet is on medication, stock up before the holidays so you don’t get caught out.
Most of all, have a very safe, comfortable and very Happy Christmas for All the family!
*****
For a lot more information about pug health, please see:
Seasonal Hazards for Pugs | The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association (pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk)
&
Pug Health & Wellbeing | The Pug Dog Welfare & Rescue Association (pugwelfare-rescue.org.uk)
by Yasmin | 16 Dec, 2025 | Blog, Rescue Stories
I stumbled across PDWRA on Facebook. Already the owner of a black male pug, Pablo, I was looking for a UK based pug group.
Just over 2 years ago, my son left home and there was a huge void in the household. Pablo missed him terribly as did I. Then my husband spotted that Margo was up for adoption and thought she would be a good fit. Unfortunately, we were not successful, quite rightly she went to someone who had been waiting longer than us.
Not too long after, I had a call to say that a male the same age as Pablo was being surrendered and would we be interested? We jumped at the chance! After meeting Jethro, we agreed to adopt him. We brought him home and Pablo accepted his new brother easily.
The first weeks were a huge learning curve, Jethro was very protective of food, and not just his! He wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone and was not keen on lots of fuss. I took the first week off work to help him settle in. He was brilliant walking off the lead and even went for a swim in the sea, much to Pablo’s disgust! So, I had one pug who would walk around puddles and one who would just barrel through them. Jethro slept downstairs for the first few nights, he then realised that Pablo slept on the bed with us and he came up as well. Many a time he’s actually snuggled up under the duvet, in the middle, nice and warm. After the first week, I was back in work, my husband messaged me, he’d had to call the fire brigade as Jethro had got his head stuck in the hole of his raised bowl!!!
My husband is a fluent Welsh speaker and we discovered that Jethro responded to Welsh! A bilingual dog! Slowly, Jethro has become so settled and gazes at us, he smiles and nudges us when he wants a fuss. So different than when we first had him. Sadly, between Christmas and new year, Pablo crossed the rainbow bridge, it was sudden and unexpected. However he went in my arms and Jethro was at my side, he knew. Jethro now has a little sister called Ziva, the smile on Jethro’s face when we brought her home said it all.
Jethro is 10 now and slowing down physically, he doesn’t miss a trick though and runs to greet me when I come home from work. To anyone who is considering adoption, go for it, it is so rewarding, PDWRA are so supportive and helpful. You do need truckloads of patience, but it’s worth it!
