United Pet Club

Pug breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.

Size

Size
MeasureFCIAKCUKCKCCKC
Weight6.3–8.1 kg6.4–8.2 kg6.4–8.2 kg6.3–8.1 kg6.3–8.3 kg
Height to length11No rulingNo ruling1

Conformation

Conformation
FormFCIAKCUKCKCCKC
BiteUndershotStandard (“Jaws / Teeth: Slightly undershot.”)Standard (“A Pug's bite should be very slightly undershot.”)Standard (“meet in a slightly undershot bite”)Standard (“Mouth: Slightly undershot.”)Standard (“A Pug's bite should be very slightly undershot.”)
BiteWry mouthFault (“Wry mouth, teeth or tongue showing all highly undesirable.”)No rulingDisqualifying (“Eliminating Faults: Wry mouth.”)Fault (“Wry mouths, teeth or tongue showing all highly undesirable.”)Disqualifying (“DISQUALIFICATIONS Wry mouth”)
DentitionFull dentitionNo rulingNo rulingStandard (“A full complement of large, white teeth”)No rulingNo ruling
Eye shapeRoundStandard (“Dark, relatively large, round in shape”)No rulingNo rulingStandard (“Dark, relatively large, round in shape”)No ruling
Ear carriageButtonStandard (“Button ear ... Preference given to latter.”)Standard (“Preference is given to the latter.”)Standard (“preference is given to the button ear”)Alternate (“Two kinds: button ear”)Standard (“Preference is given to the latter.”)
Ear carriageRoseAlternate (“Two kinds - Rose ear - small drop-ear which folds over and back”)Alternate (“There are two kinds - the rose and the button.”)Alternate (“rose (drop ears that fold over and back)”)Alternate (“rose ear - small drop ear which folds over and back”)Alternate (“There are two kinds the rose and the button.”)
Muzzle shapeBluntStandard (“Relatively short, blunt, square, not upfaced.”)Standard (“The muzzle is short, blunt, square”)Standard (“The muzzle is short, blunt and square.”)Standard (“Muzzle relatively short, blunt, square”)Standard (“The muzzle is short, blunt square”)
Muzzle shapeSquareStandard (“Relatively short, blunt, square, not upfaced.”)Standard (“The muzzle is short, blunt, square”)Standard (“The muzzle is short, blunt and square.”)Standard (“Muzzle relatively short, blunt, square”)Standard (“The muzzle is short, blunt square”)
ToplineLevelStandard (“Topline: Level, neither roached nor dipping.”)Standard (“The short back is level from the withers”)Standard (“The topline is level.”)Standard (“Topline level neither roached nor dipping.”)Standard (“The short back is level from the withers”)
ChestBroadStandard (“Broad in chest.”)Standard (“wide in chest and well ribbed up”)Standard (“with a wide chest and well-sprung ribs”)Standard (“broad in chest.”)Standard (“wide in chest and well ribbed up”)
Tail setHighStandard (“TAIL: High-set”)Standard (“level from the withers to the high tail set”)Standard (“The high-set tail”)Standard (“High set”)Standard (“level from the withers to the high tail set”)
Tail carriageCurled over the backStandard (“tightly curled over hip”)Standard (“curled as tightly as possible over the hip”)Standard (“curled as tightly as possible over the hip”)Standard (“tightly curled over hip”)Standard (“curled as tightly as possible over the hip”)
Tail carriageDouble curlStandard (“Double curl highly desirable.”)Standard (“The double curl is perfection.”)Standard (“the double curl considered the ideal”)Standard (“Double curl highly desirable.”)Standard (“The double curl is perfection.”)

Markings

Markings
MarkingFCIAKCUKCKCCKC
MaskStandard (“Muzzle or mask ... trace as black as possible”)Standard (“The mask should be black”)Standard (“Markings are found on the muzzle, to include the mask”)Standard (“Muzzle or mask ... trace as black as possible”)Standard (“The mask should be black”)
Dorsal stripeStandard (“thumb mark or diamond on forehead and trace as black as possible”)Standard (“the back trace should be as black as possible”)Standard (“as a back-trace, which is a line extending from the occiput to the tail”)Standard (“thumb mark or diamond on forehead and trace as black as possible”)Standard (“the back trace should be as black as possible”)
SpotsStandard (“moles on cheeks, thumb mark or diamond on forehead and trace as black as possible”)Standard (“moles on cheeks ... should be as black as possible”)Standard (“as moles on the cheeks”)Standard (“moles on cheeks, thumb mark or diamond on forehead and trace as black as possible”)Standard (“moles on cheeks ... should be as black as possible”)
White markingsNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingFault (“Any solid white patch anywhere but on the chest”)
Chest patchNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingAlternate (“The white on the chest to be no larger than a dime”)
Thumb mark on the foreheadStandard (“thumb mark or diamond on forehead”)Standard (“thumb mark or diamond on forehead”)Standard (“as thumb marks or diamonds on the forehead”)Standard (“thumb mark or diamond on forehead”)Standard (“thumb mark or diamond on forehead”)

Cropping, docking and other procedures

Cropping, docking and other procedures
ProcedureFCIAKCUKCKCCKC
Dewclaw removalNo rulingAlternate (“Dewclaws are generally removed.”)Alternate (“Dewclaws may be removed.”)No rulingNo ruling

The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live.

Pug colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Pug color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Pug in Black, Silver, Fawn, and Apricot. Standard patterns: Solid.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or patternFCIAKCUKCKCKUSA
BlackStandard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“Black”)Standard (“silver or apricot, fawn and black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn, or black”)
SilverStandard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)DisqualifyingStandard (“silver or apricot, fawn and black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn, or black”)
FawnStandard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“Fawn”)Standard (“silver or apricot, fawn and black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn, or black”)
ApricotStandard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)DisqualifyingStandard (“silver or apricot, fawn and black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn, or black”)
WhiteNot recognizedDisqualifyingNot recognizedNot recognized (“White”)Not recognized
AlbinoNot recognizedDisqualifyingDisqualifying (“Albinism”)Not recognizedNot recognized
BlueNot recognizedDisqualifyingNot recognizedNot recognized (“Blue”)Not recognized
BrownNot recognizedDisqualifyingNot recognizedNot recognized (“Brown”)Not recognized
ChocolateNot recognizedDisqualifyingNot recognizedNot recognizedNot recognized
TanNot recognizedDisqualifyingNot recognizedNot recognized (“Black & Tan”)Not recognized
CreamNot recognizedDisqualifyingNot recognizedNot recognized (“Cream - no Black Mask”)Not recognized
Patterns
SolidStandard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“The colors are fawn or black”)Standard (“silver or apricot, fawn and black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn or black”)Standard (“Silver, apricot, fawn, or black”)
BrindleNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNot recognized
SableNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNot recognized (“Sable”)Not recognized
Tan pointNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNot recognized (“Black & Tan”)Not recognized
Reverse brindleNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNo rulingNot recognized
Eyes: rulings by club
Color or patternFCIAKCUKCKCKUSA
Dark brownStandard (“Dark, relatively large”)Standard (“dark in color”)Standard (“dark in color”)Standard (“Dark, relatively large”)Standard (“Dark, relatively large”)
Nose: rulings by club
Color or patternFCIKCKUSA
BlackStandard (“Nose: Black”)Standard (“Nose black”)Standard (“Nose black”)

What the rulings mean

Standard
Described by the club's breed standard.
Disqualifying
The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Not recognized
The club does not accept this color or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Pug's colors can change over its life.

  • Blackchanges toRust

    Coat · With body condition · can change back

  • Blackchanges toGray

    Coat · Progressive

  • Blackchanges toBrown

    Coat · In the sun · can change back

  • Blackchanges toSnow nose

    Nose · With the season · can change back

  • Blackchanges toPink

    Nose · With the season · can change back

Published standards