There's no other dog like it! Pugs are funny, adorable, extremely affectionate and loyal. And you can't help but smile when you see those bulgy eyes, that wrinkly face and grinning mouth. This dog defines uniqueness.

This handsome fella is the largest of the toy group category and a show-stopper of a dog with a truly impressive lineage.

The Pug is one of the oldest breeds alive today and can be traced to China as far back as 400 B.C. They were the firm favourites of Emperors and were kept as lap dogs for their families. They lived a luxurious, pampered life (often sleeping inside their master's sleeve) and were highly valued in society. Some even had their own soldiers to guard them, even their own palaces to sleep in. 

They were so royal that the original Pugs were purposefully bred to have wrinkles on their forehead which created a pattern that closely resembles the Chinese character for "Prince".

By the 16th century Pugs had been being brought over to Europe by the Dutch East India Company and waddled their way into Netherlands and their royalty. In fact the pug became the official dog of the House of Orange in 1572, when the Prince of Orange's beloved pug, "Pompey" saved his life. He alerted him to the invading Spaniards by barking, scratching and finally jumping on the Prince's face until he woke up thus saving him from the assassins.

Napoleon's wife, Josephine Bonaparte, had another super-loyal pug called Fortune. During the Reign of Terror in 1793, she was imprisoned and her only form of contact with the outside world was via her dog who carried messages back and forth to her first husband. Incidentally, Fortune bit Napoleon on the couples wedding night after Josephine refused to kick the dog off out of the bed.

By the 19th century their popularity was firmly sealed when Queen Victoria became a pug-fancier and kept Olga, Minka, Pedro, Venus and Fatima. She bred Pugs and helped establish the Kennel Club which was founded in 1873.

So valued for their loyalty, they became a symbol of a secret society. In 1738 the Pope prevented a group of Catholics from becoming his personal Freemasons for reasons unknown. They were so bitter that they decided to create their own covert Freemason society known as "The Order of the Pug", or "Mopsorden". They chose the pug as their mascot and symbol because of their trustworthiness and loyalty. In order to be initiated into the order, wearing a dog collar was a must and so was scratching the door of the lodge like a dog in order to get in. Each lodge elected two "Big Pugs" to govern, one man and one woman and they would oversee the initiation of new candidates which involved them barking loudly and having to kiss a porcelain pug figurine's backside. Those crazy Freemasons, eh?

• Back in the day they were super popular as a carriage dog. If they weren't in one on some lady's lap, they were seen riding up front next to the coachman dressed in an identical jacket.
• This "Clown of the Canine World" is known for its quirky personality and loves to show off. Pugs adore being the centre of attention and are incredibly eager to please. Once you've gained their trust you have their love, loyalty and laughter for life. 
• Ideal for apartments, pugs are relatively quiet dogs and can happily sleep for up to 14 hours a day if not stimulated.
• Don't let their small stature fool you, they make great guard dogs when they aren't sleeping!
• They make fantastic family pets too, easy going with children and happy to mix with other dogs and cats.
• Super easy to groom but boy do they shed! A daily brush regime will help but be prepared for plenty of dog hair as they shed all year round.You'll also need to clean between the folds of their skin on a regular basis to keep these areas free of infection.
• Standard pugs come in three different colours - silver, apricot and fawn/black. These days pugs have also been bred in caramel, black/tan and brindle.
• A group of pugs is called a "grumble".
• From "Men in Black" to "The Crown", pugs enjoy the spotlight in popular culture, especially on screen.