Puggle is the name for a crossbreed dog with a beagle

Beagle

The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the Hound Group, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game...

 parent and a pug

Pug

The pug is a "toy" breed of dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, and a compact square body with well-developed muscle. They have been described as multum in parvo , referring to the pug's personality and...

 parent. The name Puggle is a portmanteau, following a naming trend in "designer dog" crossbreeding.

History

Puggle crossbreeds were first bred in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, where dog breeder Wallace Haven experimented with various crossbreeds in the 1980s. Haven was the first person to register a dog called a Puggle with the American Canine Hybrid Club, a non-credited group that registers designer crossbreeds. Haven is also credited with creating the name Puggle. Haven began commercially breeding Puggles on a large scale in 2000. He later came under fire for operating a large scale puppy mill housing more than 1100 animals. Havens was suspended by the American Kennel Club for ten years for refusing kennel inspections and in 2008 his operation was shut down by the Wisconsin Humane Society. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has repeatedly cited him for inadequate care of animals.

Legitimate breed associations such as the AKC

American Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official...

, the UKC

United Kennel Club

The United Kennel Club is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. According to the website, the club records 250,000 registrations annually. The UKC is not part of the International Canine Organisation, Fédération...

, and the CKC

Canadian Kennel Club

The Canadian Kennel Club is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. Beyond maintaining the pedigree registry, the C.K.C...

, do not recognize Puggles, nor any other cross as a breed.

Description

Puggles tend to grow to a mature weight of 15 to 30 pounds. They can be a variety of colors and patterns depending on the characteristics inherited from the parent breeds.
They can be a variety of colors including black and fawn, though fawn is the most common.

Health

Puggles are not necessarily healthier than their parent breeds. Both Beagles and Pugs can suffer from cherry eye

Cherry eye

Cherry eye is the term used to refer to canine nictitans gland prolapse, a common congenital eye defect in various dog breeds where the gland of the third eyelid known as the nictitating membrane prolapses and becomes visible. Commonly affected breeds include the Bulldog, Chihuahua, Cocker...

 and epilepsy

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...

. Puggles can also inherit hip dysplasia from one or both of their parents.
Some Puggles can suffer from food and environmental allergies. If the allergies are serious enough, a special diet or steroid shots may be needed.

Puggles who have longer snouts like the Beagle parent are at a reduced risk of respiratory problems. However, Puggles can suffer from the respiratory ailments commonly found in Pugs, which can be problematic. One common, nonthreatening respiratory ailment that Puggles sometimes suffer from is reverse sneezing

Reverse sneezing

Reverse sneezing or inspiratory paroxysmal respiration is a phenomenon observed in dogs, particularly in those with brachycephalic skulls. Its exact cause is unknown but may be due to nasal, pharyngeal, or sinus irritation , the dog's attempt to remove mucus, or from over-excitement due to present...

(also called backwards sneezing or inspirational paroxysmal respiration).