The Pug is a beloved breed of dog.
Pugs have a reputation for being very affectionate and friendly.
Those qualities, along with their small size, make them an ideal pet for families with young children.
However, browsing the prices at your local breeder’s will quickly make you aware of how expensive Pugs are.
Considering their size, you may wonder why pugs are so expensive.
Why Are Pugs So Expensive? (10 Reasons)
The average price of a pug is around $1,000.
However, certain factors like whether the pug is purebred, its health, and its coat color can make some pugs cost as much as more than $6,000.
Let’s look at these factors in more detail.
1. Pedigree
One of the reasons pugs are expensive is that they’re a pedigree breed.
This essentially means that pugs are their own distinct breed of dog.
They’re a pure breed.
They’re not mutts which are dogs made up of various breeds.
Pedigree breeds are more expensive than mutts for a few reasons.
The first is that it’s usually more expensive to breed purebreds.
There’s a lot more work that goes into determining whether each dog is actually purebred before breeding them with each other.
A reputable breeder will perform a genetic test on a dog before breeding to ensure that it’s purebred.
Those types of tests aren’t always cheap.
If the pug is purebred, then the breeding process can begin.
Purebreds are also more expensive because they’re recognized by the American Kennel Club.
They’re able to enter official dog championship shows and compete.
In those shows, judges will be looking for the perfect example of that dog’s specific breed.
Being able to register your dog with the American Kennel Club also comes with a few other benefits.
All these features mean purebred dogs tend to sell at higher prices than mutts.
2. Small Litters
A problem that pugs face is that they’re unable to have very large litters.
On average, a pug has between four and six puppies per litter.
A large part of that is because of their small bodies.
They’re only able to grow and nourish so many puppies at a time.
If they were to produce anymore, then their bodies might not be able to sustain them all.
As such, evolution has dictated that pugs can only carry four to six puppies on average.
This makes pugs expensive for a few reasons.
The first is that a smaller litter means that there are fewer puppies to sell.
If a breeder only has one dam, then they’re only ever able to sell between four and six puppies each breeding cycle.
Reputable breeders will also give their dams plenty of time to rest and recover before breeding them again.
As such, they might only be able to sell four or six puppies per dam per year.
That ends up creating a shortage of pug puppies.
After all, it means all breeders are facing the same problem of having a small litter.
This then runs into the next problem which is that pugs are in high demand.
People especially want pug puppies.
Since demand is high but supply is hard to maintain, it ends up creating a shortage of pug puppies.
Whenever there’s a shortage, the price of the item increases.
That’s especially true if the particular pug puppy has additional features that make it special.
If it has a rare coat color, for example, or has ideal health, that makes it even rarer.
As such, the price of the pug becomes even more expensive.
3. Expensive Births
Giving birth isn’t easy for pugs.
They have very small bodies and even narrower birth channels.
Because of this, most pugs end up needing Caesarian sections to deliver their puppies.
Getting a C-section presents its own problems and expenses.
For one, it means that most breeders can’t deliver the puppies themselves.
Some breeders help their dogs give birth at home to save on expenses.
It’s usually a straightforward process, after all.
In the case of pugs, that usually isn’t possible.
Most breeders don’t have the medical training necessary to perform a C-section.
As such, they’ll have to take their pugs to the vet.
This can become a very expensive visit, especially if they have to wait for the pug to give birth.
Since humans can’t communicate with dogs, it can be difficult to know if the pug is ready to give birth or just experiencing labor pains.
As such, the breeder might bring their pug to a vet for an extended stay.
Much like staying in a hospital, the longer the pug is at the vet, the more expensive the bill becomes.
This isn’t a one-time expense either.
The breeder will have to keep spending a good deal of money each time their pug is ready to give birth.
That affects their profit margin.
To ensure they’re able to make a living after expensive vet bills, they need to have an expensive price on the puppies.
Difficult births also mean that some breeders might need to get a new dam each time they want to breed their pugs for more puppies.
C-sections can sometimes make future births even more difficult.
Rather than risk it, some breeders will retire a dam after she gives birth.
They’ll instead need to buy a new dam or raise one from their current stock.
This adds some expense to the process, too.
4. High Demand For Pugs
Shortages wouldn’t be a problem if there wasn’t a lot of demand for pugs.
However, there is.
A lot of people love pugs for their cute, squashed faces and their small stature.
They make ideal family pets for a few reasons.
For one, pugs are usually quite friendly and playful.
They’re not aggressive and get along well with all family members.
That makes them ideal for families with children.
Their smaller bodies also make them ideal for families with young children.
There’s less of a risk that the dog might bowl the small child over in its enthusiasm.
A pug’s small stature also makes it ideal for apartment living.
Apartment owners who want a dog of their own are usually stuck with trying to figure out what they can own.
A lot of apartment complexes have strict rules about the types of dogs that they allow.
Certain breeds that appear aggressive, for example, tend not to get approved.
Pugs are great for apartments for a few reasons.
They’re smaller, so they fit well in smaller spaces like apartments.
They also don’t need as much exercise as larger dogs.
A simple walk around the apartment complex is usually enough to satisfy enough them.
They’re also friendly toward other dogs.
Pet owners who properly socialize their pugs usually don’t have to worry about their pugs starting fights with other dogs.
Because they’re ideal for families and apartments, there’s a lot of demand for pugs.
This makes them expensive because the supply of pugs can’t always meet demand.
Whenever this happens, the price increases.
5. Vet Costs
The price of the pug isn’t the only expense that you can expect to pay.
Pugs are notorious for having health problems.
While there’s a good chance your pug will be healthy if you buy it from a reputable breeder, it’s just part of the pug’s genetics to have some problems.
In particular, a few features of the pug are also the cause of some of their problems.
Their squished faces, for example, can sometimes make it difficult for them to breathe.
They may be more susceptible to allergies or they might have general breathing problems.
Some pugs may just need a moment to catch their breath.
Others might need regular treatment or medication.
Their bulging eyes can also present other problems.
While some might have a concern that their eyes will roll right out of their heads, others look to eye ulcers as the main concern.
Because of the shape of their eyes, and how they sit in their heads, eye ulcers are more likely to occur in pugs.
The folds in their skin are another problem.
While many find the folded skin on their pugs’ bodies cute, it’s actually not great for their health.
Folded skin can lead to a higher chance of developing skin infections.
That’s because the folds of skin rub against each other as the pug moves.
Besides potentially causing blisters, it means the skin might introduce dirt or infected skin oil to a wound or scratch.
That can then become infected.
Another problem pugs face is obesity.
Because of their shape, some pet owners find obese pugs to be cute.
Some even think that’s how the dog just looks.
Pugs aren’t meant to be obese.
Obesity in dogs can lead to diabetes and other health problems from which humans also suffer.
All these health problems mean pet owners are going to be taking their pugs to the vet more often.
That means paying vet bills.
Pugs are expensive because they’re more prone to illnesses that require expensive vet visits.
6. Coat Color
The color of a pug’s coat can also impact its price.
The most expensive coat color is the sort of beige-silver that pugs are best known for.
The closer a pug is to that ideal color, the more expensive it will be.
Other coat colors are rarer, which also makes pugs expensive.
Black, for example, is a rare color that tends to become quite expensive.
Golden brown pugs tend to be on the cheaper side.
Coat color plays a role in the high cost of a pug for a few reasons.
For one, most pug owners want the ideal pug color.
Since genetics can change the color of a pug’s coat, getting that ideal color isn’t always a guaranteed thing.
Even if both the sire and dam are of the same color, there’s a chance that one might carry the recessive gene for a different coat color.
If that’s the case, then there’s always a chance that it might get expressed in one of the puppies.
Since the ideal coat color is rarer, and pugs already produce small litters, it means there’s even a smaller supply of puppies available with that specific coat color.
Ideal coat colors also make certain pugs more likely to win at a dog show.
If an owner is competitive, then they might be looking for an ideal coat.
A breeder who sells that coat knows that there are people out there willing to spend a lot of money on it.
They put an expensive price tag on their puppy as a result.
7. Pet Insurance
Pet insurance also plays a role in how expensive it ends up being to buy and own your pug.
Breeders will often have pet insurance to ensure they don’t go broke taking care of their breeding dogs.
Since it costs them a monthly amount, they likely consider that part of the expenses of running their business.
That then gets figured into the amount that they charge for their pug puppies.
New owners of pugs will also likely pay for pet insurance.
Since they’re probably going to be taking their pugs to the vet often, having pet insurance can help bring down those costs.
That said, they can expect to pay a monthly payment to keep their pet insurance active.
That adds to the cost of owning a pug.
8. Pet Services
Certain pet services can also make owning a pug expensive.
If the owner travels for work, then there’s a good chance that they’re going to need someone to watch their dog while they’re gone.
They might also want to hire a dog walker to ensure their pug gets plenty of exercise.
These sorts of expenses add up.
There are also more mundane and typical expenses like grooming and vet visits.
Each one makes owning a pug a bit more expensive.
Pugs, in particular, tend to be a bit more expensive to groom since their body type is a bit more difficult.
Groomers have to carefully cut around their skin folds and faces.
Since they’re a bit more complex, they sometimes charge a bit more.
Pugs are expensive because certain pet services to keep them safe and healthy can be expensive.
9. Age Matters
The age of the pug also impacts its price.
Puppies, for example, tend to be more expensive than adults.
That’s because puppies are in higher demand.
It makes sense since a lot of families want as much time as possible with their new dog.
Puppies are going to have more years with a family than an adult.
An adult might also have learned behavior problems that the family doesn’t want to deal with.
Pugs are expensive when you’re buying them as puppies.
10. Adoption Or Buying
A final reason pugs are expensive is that you’re buying them and not adopting them.
Buying a pug is usually more expensive than adopting one.
That’s because buying a pug usually means you’re getting a puppy.
Adopting a pug can be a lot cheaper.
You might even be able to get a pug for free if the adoption agency is eager to make room.
Adoption agencies are aware that the dogs that they have usually require a bit more care than most people want to give.
As such, they try to incentivize families by putting lower prices on their dogs.
Breeders, on the other hand, make their living from selling dogs.
They’re going to have more expensive prices because they need to earn a profit.
Conclusion
Pugs are a loveable breed of dogs that have their own unique appearance.
However, their particular physical characteristics can make owning a pug pretty expensive.
