We thank Ms. Schröder for permission to use this really good and comprehensive text.

The pug's biggest problem, in addition to a host of other health problems, is its stubbornness, which can lead to upper respiratory problems. This problem is collectively referred to as brachycephalic syndrome. Classic symptoms include stress and heat intolerance, heavy snorkeling or wheezing, acute inspiratory respiratory complaints or even shortness of breath, blue staining of the mucous membranes and collapse. In addition, the elongated and often extremely thickened soft palate causes constant gagging in many dogs, which can lead to vomiting. Pathological changes can also occur in the area of the larynx; the larynx skeleton is often unstable, so there is a risk of larynx collapse. The cartilage clips of the trachea are soft in the pug, so that they tend to tracheal collapse. The aforementioned features can occur individually or in combination with one another. The protruding, sometimes enlarged, eyes that are at risk of injury are also problematic.

It is often argued that the health improvement of the "pug" breed is possible by selecting the animals that show the desired features such as longer snout area, smaller eyes, more flexible body, firmer connective tissue, etc. In our opinion, however, this is a pious wish. It has been bred to the extreme that can be seen in today's standard pugs for far too long.

Where should they suddenly come from, the prominent muzzle areas, the sportier body, the tighter connective tissue, the well and protected embedded eyes? And that with a dog breed that has long been one of the poorest genetically in the dog world?

If, contrary to my opinion, such a selective breeding work is nevertheless feasible, the ethical and moral aspect that prohibits the breeding of dogs that are likely to be more or less severely limited in their quality of life still remains. Can and should you continue to accept the possible suffering of these puppies?

The breeding introduction of healthy animals of a suitable foreign breed and the subsequent displacement breeding back to the breed pug leads me in my opinion away from the breeding extremes of the past years and back to the genetically richer and phenotypically more moderate pug, which can and may be a dog again.

On the question of selection, please also read the article "Pug and genetics"- based on the facts listed there, you will understand that a corresponding selection is purely wishful thinking and ignores genetic reality ...

Of course, part of the offspring in the first generations deviates from the type of the original breed. Within a few generations, as part of the rearing process, you will again get absolutely mop-typical dogs, as our puppies prove - but without the over-typing that has led to extremes in recent years.

In terms of character, the retro pug is a friendly, clever and open-minded companion dog that is easy to manage and has in no way lost its “mop-typical” characteristics through the breeding of the Parson Russell Terrier or the other breeds permitted by our breeding regulations. Our offspring is peaceful, intelligent and playful in what you put on our reference pageswhere you can find the comments of their owners. The argument of "loss of character", which is sometimes brought in by opponents of our breeding direction, cannot be upheld! - It is also worth taking a closer look. Opponents of our breeding form like to give the nightmare of a compulsively hunting dog in a pug costume, but then you can read the following on the official website of the VDH affiliated association of small dog breeders about the history of the standard pug (as of May 2017):

"... The regular crossing of pugs into other breeds, however, caused a large number of externally pug-like dogs, so that after the creation of breed standards and desired breeding, a great potential of" pugs "was available; we still benefit from this today .... "

Aha, the pug has benefited in the past from inbred blood (!). And done it all in the 21st century, suddenly "destroys" the essence of the pug? - Are you all right?

The Parson Russell Terrier was deliberately chosen for breeding because of its extraordinary genetic diversity. He is one of the few dog breeds that have not yet become a fashion dog and therefore never exclusively based on “show beauty” but rather on fitness for work, i.e. performance and thus inevitably bred for health. Their genetic diversity is also the reason why these dogs often vary so significantly in their appearance.

Anyone who knows these animals knows that - coming from a good breeding and properly managed - they are lively and agile, but are in no way over the top or uncontrollable. On the contrary, such a dog ultimately had to “work” - which, in addition to a certain and indisputable independence typical of the terrier, also required a great willingness to cooperate.

In the next step, the Parson Russell is then pushed back proportionately in favor of the pug. This is done, among other things, by careful selection of the animals suitable for breeding that have the desired properties. On the other hand, animals with undesirable properties, for example with a pronounced hunting instinct, are not used in breeding. Such selective breeding work is only feasible in a community with the broadest possible base and cannot be carried out by a single breeder with only two or three breeding animals.

The same applies to suitable and well-thought-out pairing combinations. And, of course, the same considerations apply to the Parson's monochrome optical "brother", namely the Patterdale Terrier.

The result is an easy-going dog with a high stimulus threshold and without a special hunting passion, which can be wonderfully controlled with a bit of upbringing.

For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned here that the breeding of the beagle has been permitted for similar reasons since 2019.

At this point I would like to introduce the well-known Austrian geneticist Irene Sommerfeld-Stur to the topic of breeding a foreign breed (source:http://sommerfeld-stur.at/kreuzungen) quote:

"From a factual point of view, there are no really justified arguments against crossbreeding. In the interest of the health of pedigree dogs, they should therefore always be taken into account when the genetic variance of a population is exhausted or when health problems of a breed population no longer exist through other measures Dogmatic rejection of any type of crossbreeding by breeders and those responsible for breeding seems counterproductive and unjustified in the sense of the intention expressed by breeding associations as one of the most important goals for breeding healthy pedigree dogs. "

The breeders' group for the retromops breeds outside of the association for the German dog being (VDH) in deliberate dissidence.

There are currently three special associations within the VDh that are dedicated to breeding the standard mops in accordance with the FCI guidelines. The breeding of a foreign breed is not permitted here.

A recognition of our breeding form by the VDH was and is not intended on our part, especially since the ZGR rejects the standard preferred there for the pug.

This question must be answered in the negative! Because there is a serious danger in breeding measures that geneticists also warn about: the danger that the crossed dogs can introduce genetic defects into the population that were previously not available. In this way, for example, the monogenic autosomal recessive pituitary dwarfism was introduced into the breed of the Karelian bear dogs by crossing a German shepherd as a carrier.

When selecting the animals of a foreign breed to be bred, special care must be taken not only to select the individual dog, but also to select the breed. Numerous dog breeds are now so highly genetically preloaded that breeding them with them would be almost irresponsible - think of them, for example Syringomyelia at the Cavalier King Charles. How fatal it would be to bring such diseases into the existing mop population!

However, there is actually no breed that is not burdened with genetic diseases in a more or less pronounced form. However, the breeders' group tests - as far as is possible according to the current state of science - certain breed-specific genetic diseases before a corresponding mating. Details are the Breeding regulations refer to.

Another argument against the indiscriminate crossbreeding of "any other breed" is the fact that many breeds would lead the retromops away from the appearance of the "pug" in its physiognomy, be it through an extreme change in size or a change in the coat. After all, the ZG Retromops should always remain pug ....

The breeding regulations therefore expressly prohibit the breeding of breeds with long, curly or laced coats. These “forbidden” breeds include, for example, poodles, cockers and similar dog breeds.

The Retromops is a happy and active little companion dog, who prefers to always be with the party. Nevertheless, he shows a healthy serenity and does not have to be constantly "exhausted". This makes the retromops a real "all-rounder", actually a "dog for all cases".

On the other hand, being an “all-rounder” means not being a specialist. The adult, healthy retromops will be happy to accompany you on your hikes - even for hours - through nature, but if you are looking for a dog that runs alongside you on your bike tours, you should opt for a tall hound.

All my retro pugs take part in agility with a lot of fun and joy. However, if you feel committed to the sporting competition, you are better advised with breeds like the Border Collie or the Sheltie.

My dogs also accompany me on my rides; but I am a trail rider and my main gait is the step. Of course, my dogs also enjoy a longer trot or a small gallop. However, if you are the sporty cross-country rider who trains his horse for speed and endurance, the retromops is not the right dog for you!

No, these are different breeding directions of the pug. The "Old German Pug" was created in Germany after the Second World War. In order to keep the breed “pug” alive, which was naturally very decimated by the war, pinscher were first crossed into the pug population. The result was pug dogs with tighter connective tissue, less extreme body shapes and a more pronounced catch. These Pinscher-influenced dogs were entered as normal pugs in the stud book and directed at exhibitions, but were referred to as "Old German Pugs" because of their noticeably sportier appearance. Over the years, however, these dogs were largely replaced in pure show breeding or they were brought to extremes again through breeding selection work because they did not correspond to the popular, overly childish, round forms of the show.

Since there were hardly any dogs of this type in Germany, a number of breeders at the beginning of the 21st century - at about the same time as the start of the "Retromops" project - started to sell sporty, long-legged boobs from the USA with a distinct catch -port. There and also in neighboring Canada, the breeding of other breeds such as the French Bulldog, the Boston Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier and also the Parson Russell Terrier in the standard mops started in the 1990s - partly to include new colors such as brindle or white to get (note: the so-called "color pug breeding" has its roots in the USA), but also partly to get away from the extreme mop type of the FCI standard. (Note: of course there is also the more extreme type of mop in accordance with the FCI standard in the USA and Canada).

These sportier pugs are commonly called "terrier typed pug" in the USA - "pugs in the terrier type". Due to the "softer" registration guidelines of the American Kennel Club (AKC), these foreign blood-influenced dogs were registered there as purebred and could therefore be imported to Germany as "purebred" and their offspring also offered as "purebred". The VdH recognizes them just as little because of their foreign blood content as the ZG Retromops. "Old German pugs" are therefore bred in dissidence to the VdH.

To date, a number of dissidence associations - including the largest and oldest dog breeding association in Germany - allow the breeding of foreign breeds in the "Old German Pug". In most cases, however, the breeds to be crossed are not defined and defined - and from our point of view, unfortunately, in order to obtain new, interesting colors, breeds in the Old German Pug or in the "Pug based on the Old German model", such as the breeding direction today likes to be labeled, crossed, which we believe are not suitable for breed improvement.

The dogs receive experimental papers for the first four generations after the foreign breed has been bred, after which all offspring are again registered as pure-bred pugs. In other words, the term "purebredness" is not identical to the concept of purebredness that the Kennel Club UK founded and defined and that is required by the FCI and VdH. From the 5th generation, neither the stud book nor the dog's papers give any more information about the crossed foreign breed. Even breeders of other (dissidence) associations can no longer obtain information about the crossed breed (s) when purchasing such a dog via the issued papers.

Incidentally, the PUG DOG CLUB affiliated to the Kennel Club UK - the world's oldest purebred dog association and thus the founder of pure breed dogs - writes on the question of the purity of these animals: "Brindle, white and other novelty colored puppies being advertised for sale as pugs are not pure -bred ..... ".

Due to the foreign blood inbred of different breeds, the "Old German Pug" also differs significantly in size and weight from the standard pug. While the FCI standard stipulates a weight of 6.3 to 8.1 kg for pure-bred pug, Altdeutsche Pugs achieve a weight of 8 to 12 kg on average with a slim stature. They can also reach a shoulder height of 38 cm and more. Sometimes, although rarely, puppies fall out of old German litters, which are recorded in the stud book, and have a strikingly long coat. This indicates the inbreeding of long-haired small dogs in younger previous generations such as Shih Tzu, Tibet Spaniel or Pekingese.

Genetic tests that are only based on a probability calculation and are accordingly very imprecise and imprecise cannot, according to today's standards, really determine the crossed breed (s) even in the low F generations.

The ZG Retromops also originated in Germany, because a few followers of the breed pug wanted to prove that the standard pug again these days by precisely defined and documented third-party breeding and subsequent breeding back on the pug in a very short time from the meanwhile in many cases excruciating extreme of the standard without losing its typical mop properties.

The Parson Russell Terrier was first crossed here; however, according to the breeding regulations for the ZG Retromops, the Pinscher, the Patterdale Terrier and the Beagle can also be bred in. No other breeds are allowed on the retro mops.

On the other hand, pugs from the USA that were influenced by foreign blood were not used, since precise knowledge of the type and origin of the crossed dogs (breeds) was preferred in this respect, because the papers carried did not provide any information because these animals - as described at the beginning - are considered to be purebred and have accordingly been registered as purebred.

There is also no fictitious threshold for purebredness in our retro pugs, because the breeders of our breeding community documented the breed - regardless of how many generations ago - as well as the percentage of foreign blood - however small it may be - in favor of future-oriented, sustainable breeding work as indispensable.

ZG Retromops and Altdeutscher Pug are similar in their physiognomy. Incidentally, the old German pug is also considered as a non-extreme pug variant in our retro pug breeding, at least when it can be clarified with sufficient certainty that breeds such as Chihuahua, French Bulldog or similar were not used for breeding. An indication of the latter are, for example, unusual colors such as Merle, which never appeared in the pug.

This statement disproves itself, since it implies that there are no or hardly healthy, suitable for breeding retro pugs without a large bite! The opposite is the case!

In most dog breeds, the statutes require - not without reason - the correct scissors or forceps bite; Tooth position and jaw abnormalities are considered to be breeding exclusion errors. A scissor bite is present when the upper incisors reach over the lower ones like scissors. When using forceps, the edges of the upper and lower incisors meet, so they bite perpendicularly like a pair of pliers.

A pre-bite, also called a frontal cross bite, describes the reverse toothing of the incisors. It is important for the breeder to know that an extreme bite due to a pine nanomaly, which can also be easily recognized by the layman through the lower incisors that are always visible when the catch is closed, is one of the highly heritable (heritable) characteristics and can therefore also be used by future generations cause serious health problems. It is not for nothing that anomalies of the jaw as a result of extreme round-headedness are explicitly mentioned in the so-called "agony breeding report" on § 11 b Animal Welfare Act as characteristics that are not to be encouraged to breed!

The consequence of an extreme bite is often the benefit of periodontal damage to the incisors due to mechanical stress. Many of the animals affected also show discoloration and inflammatory changes in the tooth-holding apparatus on the lower incisors early.

Possible consequences are sometimes an extremely painful biting of the maxillary incisors into the mucous membrane immediately behind the mandibular incisors. Specialist veterinary treatment is then unavoidable. The most radical therapy would be the extraction of the corresponding teeth. To speak of a blemish here (here) is forbidden by itself! According to our statutes, we therefore exclude strong bites from breeding.

Before the breeding books were closed at the end of the 18th century, none of our pedigree dogs today looked exactly as they look today after around 100 years of standard selection breeding. From an ethological and population-genetic point of view, this would be a completely unsustainable thesis, which is, however, gladly used to change the breeding route or to reproach accusations of agony. True to the motto "whatever has always been so MUST be good and right!"

Pedigree dog breeding as we know it today only began in England at the end of the 18th century by specifying individual breeds, defining breed standards as a target and registering pedigree data. The focus was on the exhibition system, and this automatically separated breeding from performance and functionality - the dogs should primarily correspond to a defined ideal of beauty.

The first dog show was held in England in 1860;

In 1873 the British Kennel Club was founded as the world's first pedigree breed club. From there, competition and show shaped the pedigree dog breed significantly.

In 1874 the Kennel Club's first stud book was published, in which all relevant data about the registered pedigree dogs and their ancestors were registered. In the following years, the Kennel Club joined various special associations to look after individual races as subordinate organizations. Their main task was to develop a standard for the breed they were looking after as a basis for assessing the exhibitions (cf. MATENAAR 1985). Even if a number of dogs "breed", including certainly the pug of the pre-Victorian England, no longer had a special task such as hunting, herding or driving, the actual optical breed picture was only determined from that point in time - and over the years and decades into it Extremely driven ...

You can read more about this development here:

Dogs have significantly less sweat glands than humans or even the horse, which is characterized by its pronounced Thermoregulationis very well adapted to warm weather. While humans are equipped with about 3 million sweat glands, which are distributed over the entire body, dogs only have a few sweat glands on the paws and on the nose mirror. The sweat glands on the paws serve primarily to mark the smell. So dogs are unable to regulate their body temperature through sweating. The same also applies to cats.

In addition, the dog's nose also plays a crucial role in thermoregulation. The tightly folded surface in the dog's nose is made of fine and well-circulated wrinkle tissue, which is ventilated when inhaled and simultaneously cooled by the outside temperature. If you look at the dog breeds that are native to very warm regions of the earth - e.g. the Spanish podencos, the African greyhounds etc. - these animals have a very long nose area in common. The longer the nose the better the cooling of the body when warm! You can get more details hereread up.