Breed · Short smooth coats
Pug grooming: shedding, weekly brushing, wrinkles and heat
AKC's Pug coat facts: a short, smooth coat that still sheds (4 of 5), weekly brushing with a mitt or bristle brush, nails, wrinkles and heat care.
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Short answer
The Pug's short, smooth, glossy coat needs little maintenance but does shed: AKC rates shedding 4 of 5 and lists the coat type as Smooth, with no undercoat described. Brush weekly with a medium-bristle brush, rubber grooming mitt or hound glove, and trim nails regularly (AKC). Core tools: rubber mitt or bristle brush, nail clippers or grinder. Watch the heat: AKC says Pugs, as a short-faced breed, aren't tolerant of hot weather.
Key facts
- Coat type (AKC)
- Smooth[1]Breed standard: fine, smooth, soft, short and glossy. AKC doesn't describe an undercoat.
- Coat length (AKC)
- Short[1]
- Brushing (AKC guidance)
- Weekly with a medium-bristle brush, rubber mitt or hound glove[1]
- Seasonal shedding
- None noted by AKC[1]
- Clipping and shaving
- Not part of AKC's routine for the breed[1]
- Nail trims
- Trim regularly; long nails cause discomfort (AKC)[1]Breed standard: black nails.
- Professional grooming
- Not called for in AKC's breed advice[1]
Watch out for
- Heat: AKC says Pugs aren't tolerant of hot weather and do poorly in sunny, hot or humid conditions, and Cornell says flat-faced breeds can't pant as efficiently. Our inference: no heated drying, and short sessions in a cool room.
- Wrinkles: the breed standard describes large, deep wrinkles. AKC's Bulldog and French Bulldog pages say to keep facial wrinkles clean and dry, and the same care makes sense here.
- Eyes: AKC lists corneal ulcers and dry eye among problems seen in Pugs. If an eye looks red, cloudy or weepy, see your vet rather than wiping at it.
- Black nails hide the quick. VCA's method for dark nails is to trim just the tip, then take small clips of 1-2 mm.
What fits
Product details below are the seller's own description unless a source is shown. Pick the variant named for each item.
Nail grinder
Two-speed rechargeable pet nail grinderChoose the white grinder.
Short foot hair is less likely to snag; VCA suggests 1-2 second touches so the nail doesn't heat up.
Sold by Pawsh Living Store
Nail clipper
Scissor-style pet nail clipper with LED lightChoose the gray clipper.
Scissor-style, with a light, for small clips on black nails.
Sold by Shop1105233629 Store
Weekly: a mitt or bristle brush over the whole body, a wipe of the facial wrinkles, and a nail check. Baths only when the coat gets messy or starts to smell, AKC says.
No catalog pick yet for a rubber grooming mitt, hound glove or medium-bristle brush. A grooming vacuum is optional for a Pug; if you try one, introduce the noise slowly and see home grooming vacuum kits.
Questions
Is a Pug double-coated?
AKC lists the Pug's coat type as Smooth and describes a short, smooth, glossy coat; it doesn't describe an undercoat. We don't call the Pug double-coated.[1]