Black Pug Full-Grown: Its Life Stages and Characteristics

What is one of the oldest breeds in Dogdom? If you guessed “Pug,” you would be right! Egyptian pharaohs and Chinese royalty couldn’t imagine their lives without these little, wrinkle-faced fellas. They would serve as loyal companions, guards, and court jesters, cracking up everybody around them. A Pug pup would become a part of the family and, therefore treated as one. Tibetan monks worshiped them, considering these pancake-faced almost sacred. It was believed that Pugs bring good fortune and luck. Hence they got lots of love and affection from their two-legged owners. Black Pugs were always amongst the rarest in the “Pug kingdom,” very scarce.

Now we are about to discuss the black Pug full-grown life cycle together with a puppy and senior stages. Also, we will touch upon its main characteristics. But for now, let’s take a look at popular Pug color options in case you are looking to get one. 

Most Popular Pug Colors

Pugs come in a variety of colors, with the most popular being fawn, apricot, and black. The fawn shade is probably one of the most common ones. About two-thirds of the Pug Dogdom are fawn, which looks like a light cream color. 

Apricot-peachy is another color that is pretty common and close to fawn in the color palette. However, the AKC (American Kennel Club) does not recognize this color as an accepted standard. The club only considers fawn and black as officially registered Pug colors. 

Black Pugs are pretty popular among dog owners and a few European royals had them as their favorite pets a few centuries ago. Among some of the famous Pug owners were Queen Victoria, and Napoleon’s wife Josephine Bonaparte. Black Pugs are not only one of the rarest colors of the Pug species but also one of the oldest! 

An interesting fact: if a Pug mother is fawn and a Pug father is black, a puppy will be black. The darker color is always predominant. The same is true about eye color: if one of Pug’s parents has blue eyes (which is the case with Albino Pugs) and the other, a pup will have the latter’s eye color. Let’s take a look at a black Pug’s full-grown life cycles, one by one.

Black Pug Full-Grown: From Puppy To Senior

• Puppy Pug: an average litter for any Pug mom is about 3-6 pups, although it is common for the litter to be larger sometimes, up to 9 pups. Black Pug pups are born to weigh about 10-12 oz. By the time they are 1 month old, they weigh about 1-2 pounds. A mother will nurse her Pug babies until they are at least 2 months of age. At about 2.5-3 months they can be weaned and given to an adoptive two-legged family. A black Pug is considered a pup from the time they are born until they turn one.
• Black Pug Adults: when a black Pug is fully grown, males are usually about 12-14 inches tall and black female Pugs are a little smaller, about 10-12 inches in height. A male black Pug can weigh up to 30 lbs, while femmes can weigh up to 20 lbs. Momma Pug will always be smaller than a poppa. The life span of a black Pug full-grown is about 13-15 years. Pretty standard for a Pug breed. Black pug adults’ life cycle is usually from 1 to 8 years of age. 
• Senior Black Pug: by the time a full-grown black Pug turns nine, it is considered a senior citizen. Its care needs to change as it grows older, becoming very vigorous in the “golden age” era. A Pug pet parent has to pay close attention to his/her hound’s health needs, and any changes in behavior. It is better to feed an “oldie” pooch only high-quality dog food, as well as approved-by-the-vet additional supplements to support eye, bone, and skin health. A wrinkle-faced lifespan is about 12-15 years max. Therefore an owner has to be on top of all the routine vet visits and yearly shots to ensure a Pug fella gets to live as long as possible. 

Now, if you are seriously thinking about adopting a Black furry friend, but want to know about their character, potential health issues, and training capabilities, continue reading, we are about to cover it.  

Related Reading: How Much Are Black Pugs?

Black Pug Full-Grown: Main Characteristics 

1. Temperament: black Pugs are very happy, and inquisitive pups, willing to explore the world with much eagerness. Pugs are extremely social creatures and love it when their pet parents can participate in some good quality playtime. They would do very well in a household with kids, as they regard their two-legged siblings as excellent play partners. You will never hear a Pug growl in anger or show teeth. It doesn’t have a mean bone in its body. 
2. Health: as a full-grown black Pug ages, the health issues that may not be as noticeable in the puppy stage, start to slowly come out in adolescence. One of the biggest concerns for any wrinkle-faced is brachycephaly, a condition where a dog’s muzzle is too squished, obstructing normal breathing patterns. Some other flat-faced breeds are prone to brachycephaly besides Pugs. However, Pugs seem to suffer the most. Besides having major breathing troubles, Pugs may suffer from hyperthyroidism, cardiovascular issues, obesity, and eye disorders (like cataracts, infections, dry eye syndrome, etc.)
3. Trainability: pancake-faced pals are not necessarily the easiest to train, therefore it is imperative to start training your black Pug pup from early on. One trait that all Pugs inherit is extreme stubbornness. However, it is fun to see how their personality unravels as they engage in mischief. It is worth explaining to them why you want them to do something, especially if the reward will follow the training session. They need to respect you to follow your lead, therefore you will feel like you need to be a role model pet parent. 
4. Exercise needs: black Pugs are not very demanding when it comes to their physical activity level. A few 15-minute walks a day will be plenty to get it moving and do its business outside. It can fit into any household type, be it an apartment or a house, as they are related to a toy breed category. 

Curl-Up

Consider yourself a black Pug fan. In this case, be prepared to look for your pal for a while, as black is one of the rarest colors in the Pug family. Besides, it is one of the most expensive ones as well! It will be flattering for you to know that your black Pug puppy has some rich royal lineage down the line, with Chinese Emperors and European monarchs as devoted Pug owners. As far as temperament, trainability, and health issues black Pugs are no different from their fawn or apricot-colored counterparts. Therefore when choosing a Pug, it comes down to a simple color preference and maybe gender as well.

Related Reading: What Colors Are Pugs You Ask