It's difficult to walk away from a pug puppy (or any puppy for that matter!), but really you should not be purchasing a puppy from a puppy farm or puppy mill or a pet shop. Unfortunately our hearts get the better of us and we need to save and nuture the poor mite. But this does aid and abet these places, and enable them to make a profit and carry on this practice.

Why is Pugs UK against pet shops, or any commercial establishment solely in business to make a profit out of this part of their business? After all is it OK to sell, mice, birds and rabbits etc under these conditions? The problem with puppies, is that they are not meant to live in a cage/pen/shop window, they will not be spending their life in a rabbit hutch or a bird cage. (Pugs UK also realise there are very many issuses regarding the keeping of small mammals, fish, birds etc. in un-natural environments, but we are not going to comment on these issues here). Puppies need to run around with their litter mates and be with their mum. To make a profit, puppies are often taken away from their mums too early to cut expenses and increase profits. After all selling a puppy at 5 weeks as opposed to 10 weeks halves your costs. Puppies are so cute at 5 weeks old, how can anyone resist? They also look smaller and more vulnerable, who can walk away from one. Often the suppliers to pet shops or establishments selling many different breeds for profit only, "kennels", as they often describe themselves, have puppy farmers breeding litters for them to order; and the easier breeds they may be farming theirselves. One fortunate fact regarding Pugs is that they are not easy in the 'Breeding Pen' !! This does stop the faint hearted from churning out litters of pugs, because they are a difficult breed to 'propagate'!! They also have small litters, and often only come into season/heat once a year instead of twice. It does put the price of pugs up, but it also deters the number of puppy farmers trying to churn out pug litters. "We are not like that!" - I hear the cry from many such establishments - but if one is ONLY DOING SOMETHING FOR PROFIT - the criteria of 'manufacturing costs must be a at a minimum and profit at a maximum' means your puppy will be given the least space possible to grow up in and the least expense spent on them as possible - the least quality possible - buy in the cheapest!

Where Do Pet Store Puppies Come From? In some cases they are supplied by puppy farms or backyard breeders. If you want to object to these practices please read this horrifying account Shut Down Puppy Mills Around the World

• Buy from a breeder who is not doing it for profit, or to fund their costs of the show ring
• Buy from a breeder who has puppies surplus to requirements, they can't keep them all!
• Buy from a breeder who has a puppy with a cosmetic fault, that may preclude it from the show ring - such as white patches, or white nails, which does not detract from a pet puppy.
• Buy from a breeder who registers their puppies with their official Kennel Club.
• Buy from a breeder who is a member of a recognised Pug Breed Club (they have to abide by certain rules regarding the breeding of pugs).
• Buy from a breeder who owns and keeps the mother of the litter.
• Buy from a breeder whose pugs are healthy and happy and live as one of the family.