Wednesday, 17 July 2024

Pugs

 




A pug from the 1800s. What you may notice about this dog is that his head is very dark- almost entirely black. This was a trait distinctive of the Willoughby line, a strain of pug known for their heavy black markings and stone fawn colouration that emerged sometime during the mid 19th century (I estimate around 1840 as that's the oldest piece of evidence I can find of their existence).
Today it's very difficult to find pugs in this colour. I don't even believe its "in standard" according to several kennel clubs. The "smutty" coats of these dogs just weren't favourable and eventually, when this line was merged with the more palatable Morisson variety, it was the apricot fawn dogs that would gain popularity.
I've seen retromops in stone fawn, so the trait isn't entirely lost. Actually, several of them still retain a more typical Willoughby mask.


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