12/16/2025
We’re here to Grinch all over the idea of gifting a pug for Christmas. Here is why you may want to reconsider a Jelly of the Month Club membership.
Sometimes well-intentioned folks hear that someone is thinking about getting a pug and they run with it, without considering individual or environmental factors. Common surrender reasons are: 1) Wrong timing. Recipient is about to go on a vacation, start a new job, etc. 2) Wrong s*x. Recipient wanted a male but was gifted a female. 3) Wrong color. Recipient wanted a black pug but was gifted a fawn pug. 4) Wrong environment. Recipient would have waited to get a pug until they moved to a house with a yard. 5). Wrong energy. The pug never stops, never rests - and the recipient is exhausted.
Parents who buy a pug for their children may surrender because they don’t have time to work with the pug and now the pug “doesn’t obey” and/or goes potty in the house, or the children aren’t helping to walk, feed, or clean up after the pug.
Anytime you’re “gifting” a living creature, you are actually gifting years of considerations, expenses, and responsibilities, such as: 1) Pug-proofing the home for safety and to prevent destruction of items. 2) Are there neighbors nearby that may complain about barking? 3) Is the recipient physically able to bend over and lift the pug? 4) Will the recipient have to carry the pug down several flights of stairs for bathroom/walkies? 5) Will there be children visiting that the pug might hurt by play biting, or will the children play too roughly with the pug? 6) Is anyone allergic? 7) Costs of vaccinations; spay/neuter; annual exams; heartworm/flea/tick preventative; emergencies; etc. 8) Grooming such as nail trims, baths, wrinkle cleaning, ear cleaning, tooth brushing, etc. 9) If the recipient works or travels, who will care for the pug? Do they have family to help or will they have to pay someone?
This might be unpopular opinion since your mother’s brother’s cousin got a pug for Christmas in 1993 and had it until its dying day, 😉 but that is rare. What we see is pugs surrendered because folks did not do research and consider all the variables. Please reconsider gifting a pug this Christmas.
