Euro Puppy BLOG

Artist, Sarah Theophilus’ distinctive style as well as her passion for dogs take the contemporary approach to the tradition of pet portraits much further. Her dog paintings capture the candid, the intense, and the more quirky nature of our beloved companions. Her art can be seen at Pet Portraits in Pastel.



A Pug is a toy dog breed with a wrinkly face and a small body. They were bred to adorn the laps of the Chinese Emperors during the Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 BC), in Eastern China, where they were known as "Lo-Chiang-Se" or "Foo". The Pug's popularity spread to Tibet, where they were mainly kept by monks, and then their popularity went onto Japan, and finally to Europe. The breed was first imported in the late 16th and 17th centuries by merchants from the Dutch East Indies Trading Company and became the dog of the Dutch Royal family. Their fine, glossy coats can be apricot, fawn, silver or black. The word "pug" may have come from the old English word: Pugg, which was an affectionate term for a playful little devil or monkey, or Puck, which is a mischievous spirit of Nature. The stern expression of the Pug belies its true sense of fun. Pugs are very sociable dogs and usually stubborn as well. However, they are playful, charming, clever and are known to succeed in dog obedience skills as well. In general, they are very attentive dogs, always at their owner's feet, on their lap, or following them from room to room.