Will a Pug winning best in show at the National Dog Show lead to a boom in popularity for the breed? After that win, we had some thoughts.
Considering how popular French Bulldogs got after winning best in show (they even dethroned the Labrador Retriever from the top spot), we would actually not be surprised if the Pug gained that same level of popularity. In a lot of ways, these breeds are very similar.
In terms of how the AKC sees the Pug, they describe their personality as being mischievous, loving and charming. (Three things that we love about this toy group pup.) When it comes to the French Bulldog, their personality is described as being adaptable, smart and playful. Unlike the Pug, they are in the non-sporting group. Both dogs have similar heights and sometimes weight. For the Pug you are looking at 10 to 13 inches versus 11 to 13 inches for the French Bulldog. Both are good with children but need supervision around other dogs. They both are easy to train, making them an interesting choice for your next dog.
One thing to note is that both of these breeds (the Pug and the French Bulldog) have health issues that need to be considered before bringing one home. However, we believe that the Pug will actually become an even more popular dog breed now that they have won best in show at the National Dog Show. There is just something about winning that particular competition on Thanksgiving day that really gives a boost to a dog breed.
One reason why the national dog show can lead to an increase in a breeds popularity is because, of the increase of searches related to the breed. People want to know more about the dog that wins, and the dog breed itself. So it would come as no surprise if Vito the Pug’s win led to more people not only searching online for information about the breed, but more people actively looking to adopt these pups.