Dachshund-Pug Mix |also known as Pugsund or Daug | Mutt or Designer Dog?

Dachshund-Pug Hybrid, is it a Mutt or a Designer Dog?

Strictly speaking Chopper is not a “Designer Dog” as his birth was unplanned. He is a hybrid. It was a “breeder error,” champion bloodlines on both sides, but mom was a pug and dad was a miniature dachshund. A combination that is known as Pugsund, or Daug.

A few years ago a coworker of mine was trying to give away this mistake puppy her sister had. Already having 3 dogs at home I was not in the market for another. But after I held him I melted and agreed to be 3rd on the list of potential puppy parents.

Well, prospective adoptive parents 1 and 2 opted out, and it seemed to be fate that I would bring Chopper home with me. I have 2 dachshunds and, in my eyes, the fact that he was half dachshund was a point in his favor.

My Pugsund's Personality

Many breeders will tell you that you can predict the temperament of a dog by the breeding. I would question this assertion as I have noticed marked differences in dogs from the same litter. One is adventurous, another is timid; one is boisterous, another is calm. While certain generalizations can be made about different breeds of dog, they are, in the end, individuals.

It soon became apparent that Chopper had an independent steak that none of my dachshunds had. While they wanted nothing more than to sit in my lap, Chopper was outside on the porch enjoying his solitude. Is this the pug in him, or is it just a variant in personality? While housebreaking him was exceptionally easy, the rest of Chopper’s training was much more difficult. While my other dogs only wanted to please me, Chopper could not care less. He was stubborn with me and aggressive with strangers. While he could be very affectionate, it was at his discretion. It was pretty challenging to convince him that I was the “pack leader.” Now at the ripe old age of 5 years, he is pretty well behaved, though he still obeys with reluctance.

Physically he weighs about 14 pounds, and is thicker and more muscular than a dachshund, but his face is not so flat as a pug. His longer nose seems to make breathing easier for him than for most pugs. His eyes are somewhat sensitive and easily irritated. He certainly has a hound's sense of smell, he's always digging something up. You won't always get the same characteristics in the mix, he has a full brother who is longer and slimmer and his sister is shorter and thicker.

At this point I would like to say that if you are in the market for a dog, look at the pound first. There are so many good dogs there of every imaginable breed. My 2 dachshunds came from dachshund rescue, and my sweet, gentle rottweiler came from the pound, she was hours away from death. And please spay and neuter. Don’t be part of the problem.

Designer Dogs, They Used to be Mutts.

The intentional breeding of hybrid or designer dogs has become popular in the past decade.

Here are some popular combinations:

Puggle:
a combination of Pug and Beagle

Cockapoo:
a combination of Cocker Spaniel and Poodle

Labradoodle:
a combination of Labrador Retriever and Poodle

Chiweenie:
a combination of Chihuahua and Dachshund