A lot happened between 400 B.C. and the 19th century when the breed finally made it to the United States. Here are some of the highlights: In ancient times, Pugs kept Tibetan monks company in their monasteries. Portuguese traders brought the breed to Holland in the 16th century. In the Netherlands in 1572, a Pug named Pompey famously saved his famous pet parent – William the Silent, Prince of Orange – from Spanish assassins by barking to wake his master. In 1688, William III and Mary introduced Pugs to England when they arrived to claim the throne. Josephine Bonaparte, Napoleon’s wife, used her Pug to deliver messages to her family while she was imprisoned. In the early 19th century, Queen Victoria popularized the breed. She dearly loved her many Pugs, including Olga, Pedro, Minka, Fatima, and Venus. Source: ASPCA
Thank you @glorialipson. Breed history is so interesting. In 18th Century Germany the Pug was used as an emblem of Freemasonry. This is why, during this period, there are so many more porcelain models of Pugs than of other breeds of dog. The typical Meissen Pug often has an orange collar with gold bells to signify his allegiance. The painter Hogarth was one of the first public figures to protest about the degree of cruelty to animals in C18 English society. He owned two Pugs, (one after the other and both named Trump), which accompanied him everywhere. One of his most famous paintings is his highly unconventional, 'Self Portrait with Trump', in which the dog has almost as important a place as his owner. The name Pug comes from the Latin word pugnus - a fist - which the Pug's face is said to resemble. Latin also crops up in the classic description of the breed as, Multum in Parvo, meaning most in little.
