One of the older breeds, it is believed that this dog originated before 400 BC in China.
It is said that the Pug descended from a shorthaired Pekingese, but some experts think it was the result of crossing a small Bulldog while others believed is a miniature form of the rare French Mastiff called Dogue de Bordeaux.
However, the Pug was popular in China, Japan and in Tibet for almost fifteen hundred years before Dutch traders brought this breed back from Asia in the fifteen hundreds. Pugs have been bred especially for human companionship and not for physical attributes like many other breeds.