Today, our import from Scotland -- Annie (Zobear's American Idol) -- was spayed and had a dental. Here she is as a young puppy, flying back to the US with us.

Annie produced 2 beautiful litters of puppies -- the Flying Kilt Litter . . .

and, most recently, the Baskin Robbins litter . . .

The sire of both litters was Grand Champion Hill Country's I'll Bee Your Shining Star (Robert) who we purchased and finished specifically for Annie. Here he is this past Christmas opening his stocking . . . .

As far as Annie's body understands, she also had a 3rd "almost" litter in between. Unfortunately, she lost all the pups around day 40. The necropsy showed that it was a bacteria which, as our vet explained, lives in their bodies all the time but only causes problems in unusual situations such as stress. We are so thankful Annie was healthy, though, and while we never breed a bitch more than 3 times, it was time to retire our beautiful Scottish princess.

But also on this day, Annie's beautiful daughter Iona was bred to Champion Wright's Triumphant Tiger Eye at Pickwick. Here is Iona this past Christmas opening her stocking . . . .

If the breeding was successful and all goes well, her line will be continued with our Parks Litter. Day 63 from ovulation will be March 10, 2025. We'll be posting updates on the litter page and are hoping for some gorgeous, healthy puppies!

Wow is all we can say about Cindy's incredible wins last weekend. These sorts of moments don't happen often but, at 7 months of age, she beat out 6 champions to win Best of Breed. (Her mother, Lilibeth, also had a big win like this in Atlanta and her aunt, Lilly, as well in a huge show in Atlanta). It was a 5 point major and there were 19 pugs entered. Cindy had to beat an incredible bitch in the bred by class (a long time breeder who, in fact, bred her great grandfather). The black ribbon "Bred by Exhibitor Best of Breed" is a very special ribbon and not often awarded. She then had to beat some more amazing bitches from different classes to win Winners Bitch and then beat out a gorgeous male imported from Europe for the Best of Winners. We were so surprised when she presented the final award of Best of Breed since the ring was filled with so many incredible pugs including many who were already champions. Thank you Judge Bonnie Linnell Clark for recognizing our beautiful girl and all of our hard work as breeders.

Here she is waiting for the Toy Group, followed by the Owner Handled Group. You can tell that her right eye is not 100% healed yet (from an injury .... who knows what it was, but perhaps a thorn from a weed that sprouted over night from Hades perhaps).

I also got her a special "prize" for her big wins -- she now has her own piano ($20 on Facebook Marketplace!) so she can be an official Pugiano star now.

Cindy had been wearing the "cone of shame" but I told her before the show that it was a "cone of pride" because she was such a good girl. Of course we took it off before entering the ring. Here she is wearing it at a Love's dog park en route to the South Carolina. Lola, Cindy's sister, has learned how to take the cone off so they have been separated for a couple of weeks. You can see the joy of them playing together at last!

We haven't had an eye injury in forever it seems but these girls love to run and play hard (Lola and Cindy) so who knows what caused it. A little puncture right in the center of the eye. Did you know that a simple blade of grass can cause an eye injury? Here is Cindy New Year's Eve . . . .

Lola had taken off the cone when we went to this dog park at KOA. I should have put it back on (for a 3rd time) because, indeed, I saw a thorny vine by the fence as we were leaving! Also, who knows what was hiding in those leaves. You can never let your guard down protecting those pug eyes!

Lola showed the 2nd day and, alas, the judge didn't seem to like her so she didn't win anything except a yellow ribbon ;( However, she had fun and I was so very thankful that she could recover from the horrible incident at the previous show in Perry, GA, when that handler dragged her around the ring and terrified her. (That's another post and another story, but we have heard of similar situations with other pugs when that sort of experience would scar pug -- puppy in this case -- for life.) Here are Lola and Cindy and Umberto waiting to show on Sunday.

Umberto didn't win anything either day but he gave a tremendous performance and I was so very proud of him. Cheerful, jaunty, and stared a hole through the judges' eyes after the down and back each day. The judges just preferred a different type (larger, longer legged) of pug. We are striving for correct size, though, and bone and substance, so we will stay on the path we feel is right for the breed even if it is not "flashy" and popular in the ring. Stay the course and in it for the long run ;)

These shows definitely tire these blessed pups out! Here is Cindy sacked out once we got back to the hotel room (actually, it was a tiny cabin at KOA).

We won't be getting out to show again for awhile due to some upcoming concerts and work. (Also, in 63 days approximately, there might be the possibility of puppies out of Iona and Parker! If Mother Nature decides to grace us with pups that is.) Here is precious Iona this past Christmas opening her stocking!

Pickwick Pugs hopes everyone is having a joyful, blessed Holiday season!! We had a wonderful Christmas with lots of stockings this year. Our pugs may disagree, but as their owners we think one can never own enough Elf and Santa costumes :) Here is Lilly's rendition of Twas the Night Before Christmas . . . .

Christmas Cookies were a hit. We have now tried all the flavors = and Lilibeth, our finicky pug, has approved them all! We highly recommend. Also, there are no ingredients in the mix which one of our pugs would be allergic to (no wheat, eggs etc.)
Snickerdoodles
Gourmet PB&J
Gingerlicious Snaps
The ingredients are amazing and so healthy - no wheat, corn, sugars etc. We added a little gluten free (oat, and coconut) flour for the surface and the rolling pin to "roll out" more easily. Could have reserved some of the mix I guess, but didn't think of that! We have different cookie cutters (the bone, doghouse, fire hyrdant etc.) but we love the Julbock one .... Amy's dad was Swedish and all her cousins etc. live there since her American mom was an only child.

One of the most difficult things to do as a responsible breeder is to place a pug who you have bonded with. Mr Drysdale received his AKC Championship and proved to be the most amazing pug with regard to health and temperament. He has the most incredible personality and giant big head and tons of bone (stockiness of legs etc.). We decided not to include him in our breeding program however because he could stand to be a little shorter backed. It was such a tough decision and, yet, we really can't afford to  keep too many pugs because then we don't have enough time to give them the quality life and TONS of attention and laptime they deserve. Today, we said goodbye to Mr. Drysdale after 2 amazing years of living with him. He is now living in Nashville with an incredible family and longtime pug owners. He will have one on one time watching TV, sitting in laps, going on walks, and just "being" with his people. They hope to have a Pickwick puppy one day in the near future so he will have a companion one day (one companion!) Here is our amazing Milburn, aka Mr. Drysdale, aka Champion Pickwick's Mr. High Falutin' before leaving today, after his bath and painting, and one last fun training/play session. God speed little one!

We meetup with his new owners so they could meet him -- and he could meet them -- in Huntsville last month. We knew it was love at first site and he just adores them. Here is his new family!

He was out of the Southern Belle Litter and his sister lives in California and his brother Jethro lives in Iowa. They are all so lucky and blessed! I will miss kissing that big lovable giant head and watching him hold things in his mouth, and his little chirp. He will leave a giant hole in our hearts.

A few of our adventures together over the past 2 years  . . . .

What a grand time was had for Umberto, Emma, Iona, Cindy, and Lola in Perry Georgia last week! From winning Winners Dog and Winners Bitch, completing all sorts of health screening tests, to enjoying a campfire Thanksgiving Dinner and meeting mules, goats, and ducks, the pugs had a fun adventure. Here are some fun photos and videos from our week long adventure.

Lola was especially proud of herself after winning Winners Bitch. This was an important achievement for her because just 3 days earlier she had been traumatized by a stranger (long story -- but there is a reason we are always telling you to advocate for your puppy and never be bullied into something you know would not be a good experience ...... no matter how famous or "important" a person in authority may seem to be.)

Cindy and Lola had fun visiting an outdoor Nativity scene. They went straight to the baby Jesus, like they knew that was the most important part!

It was cold in the little cabin we were staying in, but pug pile and a cozy heater to the rescue!

They enjoyed practicing loose leash walking and meeting donkeys and goats!

We even saw a wolf named Umberto! Very scary.

And everyone got to work on recalls and have fun running in the awesome dog park.

Aside from health, 2 of our most important goals as breeders is "a face so complex it needs therapy" and "incredible movement". Cindy and Lola meet these criteria in spades. We just love these 2 girls so much!

You can look for their sire at Westminster next month! Here is a recent win photo of him winning Best of Breed and a couple of cameo shots getting ready for the show.

When you are reading the ingredients listing in your dog's food -- make sure to avoid sugars.

Sugars can be listed in the ingredients as corn syrup, sucrose, glycerine, caramel, dextrose, fructose, glucose, beet pulp, maltodextrin and molasses. Dogs simply don't need any of these added sugars in their diet.

A high sugar diet can contribute to dog ear infections, as sugar feeds the yeast naturally present in a dog's body, leading to potential overgrowth and infection within the ear canal, particularly if the dog has a pre-existing sensitivity to certain foods or allergies.

Key points about sugar and dog ear infections:

• Yeast overgrowth:
  Sugar acts as a food source for yeast, which can thrive in the warm, moist environment of a dog's ear, causing a yeast infection if there is an overgrowth. 
  
• Food allergies:
  If a dog has a food allergy, even moderate amounts of sugar can trigger an immune response that contributes to ear infections. 
  
• Importance of diet management:
  To prevent ear infections, consider feeding your dog a diet low in added sugars and focus on high-quality ingredients. 
  
• Ear cleaning routine:
  Regularly clean your dog's ears with a veterinarian-recommended ear cleaner to remove debris and excess moisture. 
  
• Treatment options:
  Depending on the cause of the infection, your vet may prescribe topical ear drops containing antibiotics or antifungals.
  

Ear infections can also be caused by other things such as mildew, mold, household chemicals etc. allergies, excessive heat and humidity, an under-active or overreactive immune system.

Read more here.

FYI: One reason we feed PawTree is because there are no added sugars. No corn, soy, wheat, added preservatives. It was designed by vets and nutritionists specifically for dogs with allergies. With limited ingredients (choose duck, OR chicken, OR beeef, OR trout etc. etc.) the food is made in small batches and is always fresh. There have never been any recalls!

DEAR PUG LOVERS!! URGENT!! If you have a chance, please contact your local senators and representative to ask them to oppose some dangerous bills being proposed that would prevent breeders for breeding purebred dogs. If this is passed, of course unethical puppy mills and backyard breeders who do not operate above board will continue despite the legislation, and we all know what that means!

Here is the information from AKC. Please read and contact your Senators!
November 19, 2024

https://www.akc.org/legislative-alerts/u-s-congress-new-senate-farm-bill-includes-dangerous-anti-breeder-proposals-take-action-now/

Congress is back in Washington for the lame-duck session and working to quickly move major legislation, such as the Farm Bill, not completed before the election.

Yesterday, the Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Stabenow (D-MI) released the Senate version of the federal farm bill, The Rural Prosperity and Security Act of 2024, for immediate consideration. Unlike its House counterpart, this bill contains harmful proposals from the Better CARE for Animals Act (H.R.5041/ Senate Bill 2555). Lobbyists for animal rights groups are actively pushing to advance these anti-breeder proposals.

Please respectfully call, email, or even leave a voice message for your U.S. Senators TODAY. 
Ask them to OPPOSE problematic proposals in Senate Farm Bill section 12508.

Instead, ask them to  SUPPORT the Committee-passed version of the House Farm Bill (HR  8467) with NO additional amendments related to dogs.

Thank you for making your voice heard today.  Your action can help protect responsible breeders and purebred dogs.

Easy steps to contact your Senators:

1. Visit AKC’s Legislative Action Center legislator contact page at https://akcgr.org/officials and type in your address/ state to find the names and contact information for your U.S. Senators.    
2. Explain you are a constituent. Respectfully share your experience and concerns as a dog owner/breeder/expert.

Ask them to OPPOSE problematic proposals in Senate Farm Bill section 12508. Instead, ask them to support the House Agriculture Committee-passed version of the House Farm Bill (HR 8467) with NO additional amendments related to dogs.

OPTIONAL: If you wish to be more specific, add the following details:

Ask your Senators to OPPOSE problematic proposals in Senate Farm Bill section 12508 including: 

• Expanding the jurisdiction of the Attorney General (AG) to enforce the Federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Section 20 of this measure gives the AG (DOJ) enforcement authority even beyond what is currently possessed by the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA). This memorializes animal rights/protection groups’ false narrative that conflates dog breeding with animal cruelty.
• The Animal Welfare Act establishes licensing and regulation of breeders and other animal entities: It belongs under the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with its extensive experience in animal matters. Violations of licensing laws where no crime is committed is a matter for the USDA, not the Department of Justice. Current law, and a recent Memorandum of Understanding between the USDA and DOJ clarify that the Department of Agriculture can and does already work cooperatively with the DOJ in cases where a crime has been committed.   
• Sense of Congress that Federal Courts have authority over violations of the AWA. If Congress had intended the Dept of Justice to have this authority, it would have given it to them when the AWA was first written.
• Allowing the Attorney General to seize any animal for any violation of the AWA or its existing or future regulations and standards–including paperwork violations—irrespective of any harm to the anima
• Allowing penalties of $10,000, each day, per violation, for any violation of the AWA or its existing or future regulations and standards –including paperwork violations.
• Rewards and incentive pay for any person (including unregulated entities)) caring for seized animals. This incentivizes seizure of animals from regulated entities with potential minor violations to be then placed in unregulated facilities. This not only compromises the welfare of the animals; in a case where a crime is suspected, lack of proper documentation, training and record keeping undermines the evidentiary chain of custody.    

Ask them to oppose any added language from Better CARE for Animals Act and the Puppy Protection Act. These measures do nothing to improve the wellbeing of dogs, will create confusion in enforcing the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), and undermine prioritizing proper care and conditions for dogs.

• Remind your lawmakers that the House Agriculture Committee-passed version of the Farm Bill already contains:   
  • Additional resources for USDA to better enforce the Animal Welfare Act (AWA)
  • Requires USDA to report to Congress on existing enforcement with recommendations on improving enforcement and enhancing educational programs and outreach.
  • Improves enforcement of the AWA by requiring any inspector finding unrelieved suffering by animals to report that immediately to local authorities who have jurisdiction over animal welfare in their communities.
  • Language from the Healthy Dog Importation Act, which addresses public health threats related to the import of unhealthy dogs into the U.S., without requiring that all dogs imported into the U.S. be a minimum of 6 months old.

Background

Learn more about the House - Committee passed version of the Farm Bill, HR 8467
Summary of ‘Better CARE for Animals Act’ (H.R.5041/ Senate Bill 2555)

• Circumvents enforcement of dog breeder licensing under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and shifts authority to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). This shift would move oversight authority from an agency staffed by animal experts that focuses on improving animal husbandry; and instead place it with one with little or no animal expertise that focuses on violations as potential federal crimes.   
• Empowers the DOJ to file charges, seize animals and impose penalties regardless of whether USDA has determined or even alleged that there has been a violation of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). (See Senate Farm Bill specifics in bullets above.)
• Could potentially undermine or remove current exemptions from licensing for small hobby breeders, thereby requiring them to be licensed and comply with USDA standards for high volume commercial breeders that are not appropriate for hobbyists.

To learn more, visit www.akcgr.org.

The Truth About Corn in Dog FoodBy Mike Sagman (Dog Food Advisor.com)

Myths About Corn
Promoted by the IndustryMakers and sellers of corn-based foods insist the negative stories about corn are simply unsubstantiated myths and rumors spread around the Internet by uninformed consumers.
The truth is, most of the exaggerated claims extolling the virtues of corn actually originate within the pet food industry itself and are unwittingly propagated by naive and well-meaning pet owners.
Here are some of the most enduring myths about corn promoted by makers and sellers of corn-based dog foods.

Myth #1
Corn Has a Low Glycemic Index

The glycemic index is a way of measuring the tendency of a specific food to raise the blood sugar level of an animal. The higher the index, the greater the risk of an unhealthy rise in blood sugar.
Here are the actual glycemic index figures1 for a few common dog food ingredients…2

• Corn meal (69)
• Brown rice (55)
• Corn (53)
• Oatmeal (49)
• Wheat (41)
• Barley (25)
• Chicken (0)
• Beef (0)

Compared to most other ingredients used in making dog food, corn does not have a lower glycemic index.
Myth #2
Corn Does Not Cause Allergies
Supporters of corn-based products like to point out that corn is one of the least allergenic ingredients in dog food.
And according to some studies, that is probably true.
One report3 found the incidence of corn allergy to be only 14% while another4 places corn at just 3% of all allergies.
Yet to be fair, other reports caution readers not to place excessive value on the accuracy of these studies due to the notable difficulty in confirming the precise incidence of food allergies in dogs.5
In any case, although it may not be a common food allergen, corn still cannot be completely excused as a potential cause.
While searching the Internet for these studies, it’s hard not to notice the thousands of legitimate reports by owners, breeders, forums and veterinary sites reporting corn and other cereal grains as a likely cause of their dogs’ allergies.
And then there’s the (very real) issue of cereal grain quality.
In many cases, problems aren’t so much a matter of allergies to the corn itself but rather to undetected contaminants within that grain.
It’s not unusual to find storage mites, their droppings and expired carcasses in bulk lots of feed grains6. And all of these are known to be notable canine allergens.
So, for these reasons, corn must still be considered a reasonable suspect when investigating the cause of any food-related canine allergy.

Myth #3
Corn Is Highly Digestible

As a whole grain, corn is not easily digestible.
That’s because unless the kernel is first refined into a meal or a flour and then cooked, corn would be very difficult for a dog to digest.
As a matter of fact, corn (and other grains) are only digestible to the extent to which they’re processed.
That’s why even though the grain may be listed as “whole” on a pet food label, it’s nearly always first ground before being cooked into kibble.
And the finer it’s ground, the more digestible corn will be. But also, the higher its glycemic index.
In any case, the industry’s claim that corn is “99% digestible” can be misleading. It’s easy for consumers to interpret that statement to mean corn has a high nutritional value, too.
Unfortunately, that is simply not the case.

Myth #4
Corn Has a High Biological Value

There’s certainly nothing unique enough about corn’s content that makes it a nutritional standout — nothing that can’t be found in — or converted from — some other ingredient.

Not even protein.

When it comes to its protein usability, corn has a measurably lower biological value.

Myth #5
Corn Is Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Fans of corn also like to claim the grain is high in anti-oxidants and minerals.
High in anti-oxidants and minerals? Compared to what?
Aside from its energy content, corn’s nutritional completeness is certainly not exceptional.
The Nutrient Balance Completeness Score is a measure of how complete a food is with respect to vitamin, mineral and dietary fiber content. The higher the score of a food, the more complete its nutrients.
According to information gathered by NutritionData.com8 from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, the Completeness Score for corn and a number of other common ingredients are listed here in increasing nutritional value…

• Brown rice (33)
• Corn (34)
• Barley (36)
• Oats (43)
• Quinoa (45)
• Wheat (48)
• Potato (51)
• Peas (53)
• Sweet potato (55)
• Spinach (91)

So, when it comes to judging its vitamin and mineral content, corn is mostly unremarkable.
Myth #6
Corn Is a Superior Source of EnergySome pet food manufacturers like to point out that corn is a better source of energy – especially for working animals – than meat.
However, science proves this to be yet another myth.
Consumers shouldn’t favor a dog food because “protein” is the first ingredient. They should choose a dog food because meat is the first ingredient.
That’s because meat doesn’t just contain protein – it also contains fat.
Corn is mostly fat free. It’s a carbohydrate.
Ounce-for-ounce, science proves meat contains significantly more energy than corn.

The Truth About Corn

So, why is corn used so abundantly in the manufacture of today’s commercial dog foods?
Well, as you’ve just seen, surely not because it could be considered more nutritious.
Then, could corn be “more natural”?
When you study a dog’s natural ancestral history, you won’t find any mention of corn. That is, until the year 1956. For that was the year indelibly marked by the invention of kibble.
So, why did the introduction of kibble bring with it such a dramatic rise in the use of corn in making dog food?
What suddenly made carbohydrates — like corn, grains and potatoes — so popular with the pet food industry?
The truth is…

• Carbohydrates are cheap
• Carbohydrates are vital to the kibbling process

You won’t find corn in commercial dog food because it contributes some unique nutritional property. No, it’s there simply because it supplies cheap calories to the product.
And starchy carbohydrates play a critical role in a process known as gelatinization — a process which is absolutely crucial to the workings of kibble machinery.
Think about it.
How often do you find corn or other cereal grains in a raw or canned dog food?

The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, corn makes any pet food you find it in less expensive to produce. And it does this by diluting a recipe’s more costly meat ingredients.
And that’s OK.
Because corn doesn’t just save money for manufacturers — it also makes dog food more affordable for pet owners, too.
However, to advertise that corn is included in commercial dog food mainly because of its nutritional benefits is misleading — and a gross misrepresentation of the facts.

We feed and only recommend Pawtree. If you'd like to learn more, or order, click here. Click here to learn how to get a discount, free shipping and accumulate Paw Points to use toward free products.

A friend just posted this video of the Pug Dog Club of America's National Specialty in 2000. How fun to look at pugs from the past! Just magnificent pugs.