CUDDLES
DOB: March 2018

ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS - APRIL 28, 2025

Adoption Fee: $200

 

Medical issues: Hyperthyroidism - takes daily medication to manage. She also needs to lose a bit of weight.

• Special diet needs: No special food required, but does need to avoid soy and certain vegetables due to her hyperthyroidism

• Behaviour issues: Would do best in a quieter home. Very standoff-ish with everyone at first and takes time to trust and feel comfortable with people. Will bark at children. Will nip at fingers to assert her boundary of not wanting to be touched/pet by strangers.

• Good with kids? Needs to be in a home without children under 18.

• Good with dogs? Would do best as the only dog as she prefers to get all the attention, but she does well socializing with dogs outside of her home.

• Good with cats? No

• Housing Requirements? • Crated? Prefers to not be in a crate while home alone and does well uncrated. Can be crated if needed.

• Time dog is alone? She does really well when left home alone, even for longer periods of time. No accidents or separation anxiety.

• House training: Completely trained, never had an accident, loves to do her business on walks.

• Sleep with humans? Yes, she loves to sleep in the big bed

 

Cuddles is not your typical, overly friendly, “what is personal space” pug. She is quite standoff-ish with new people and will communicate with barks, and if pushed, will nip to set her boundaries. She will need an adopter who is patient and willing to take the time to build that trust. Cuddles’ ideal family is one with dog experience that is able to ready her body language and let her lead when it comes to gaining her trust and love. But once that trust is gained, the reward is the never-ending love of a wonderful and sweet companion and friend, who wants all the attention and belly rubs you can provide!

 

Cuddles’ ideal family is an adult only one with no other dogs or cats. Despite being standoff-ish at first, Cuddles prefers to have all the attention (and belly rubs) once she trusts you. She would prefer a quieter home, but has done well with guests coming for a visit. She does bark when they first arrive, but her foster just advises their guests not to reach out or try and pet her so as to not overstep Cuddles’ boundaries and risk a possible nip. As long as the guests aren’t paying attention to her, she is happy to return to her spot on the couch and get back to her naps.

 

Cuddles also enjoys going on adventures to explore and LOVES her walks. Most of the time, she is uninterested/unbothered by strangers and recently did well socializing with dogs off-leash. Pugalug’s recommendation would be for her adopter to spend time building trust with Cuddles and learning how she signals her discomfort/concern with a new situation. Doing so will allow Cuddles to feel comfortable and secure in new situations, knowing that you can and will remove/protect her when she is feeling overwhelmed.

 

Cuddles is very clever and well-trained. Currently, she knows tricks like high five, lay down and speak, but could easily learn many more. She is completely house-trained and does well when left alone with full access to her home. Her foster has a doggie cam and will often check on Cuddles if they are away for an extended period. Each time they check, Cuddles is sound asleep on the couch. Cuddles would prefer not to be crated, but can likely be trained to do so if needed.

 

When exploring the world, Cuddles has great manners when on leash. However, she is very sensitive to sounds, which her adopters will need to be aware of while out and about. She is easily startled and uncomfortable when there are lots of noises or sudden noises. Although she will bark at adults and dogs occasionally, she always barks at children and their presence makes her anxious. For this reason, she needs to go to an adult-only home.

 

Her fosters have also noticed that she struggles more in small spaces, like elevators. She currently lives in a condo and her fosters have used their regular elevator use as an opportunity to work staying calm and not barking - something her adopters will need to continue to work on. Cuddles is not an aggressive dog, by any means and once she is out in the world on her walks, Cuddles is much less stressed and will generally ignore dogs and people.

 

Cuddles has been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism, which will require lifelong medications and management. Currently, she takes ‘Thyro-tab’ (Levothyroxine) - 2mg every 12 hours. The medication isn’t terribly expensive - her fosters paid $78 for a 2 months supply when it was last refilled - but her condition requires regular monitoring by a vet, including blood tests at least twice a year to make sure her medication dose is still correct and her levels are good. Due to the hyperthyroidism, Cuddles is also a bit heavier than she should be. Fortunately, now that she is on the appropriate dose of Thyro-tab, she should slim down without too much trouble. Her adopters will need to keep on eye on that throughout Cuddles’ life as any significant changes in weight can be a sign that her medication needs to be adjusted.

 

Although Cuddles does not need to be on a diet, certain foods should be avoided due to her medication. Specifically, soy products can affect how her thyroid medication is absorbed and vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower etc can affect her iodine levels, which in turn affects her thyroid. Of course, Cuddles’ adopter will want to discuss all of this with their vet once she has joined their family. Although Cuddles makes her people work for her affection, once she trusts you, she is the sweetest dog. She has the smarts and stubbornness that pugs are known for and is a wonderful companion and friend. Her forever family will need to have patience with her and themselves so that she can learn to trust them and they can learn how to read her body language. The key is letting her know that you will help protect her boundaries and keep experiences safe and comfortable. And once you have her trust, the reward is great because Cuddles’ love knows no bounds.

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FOSTER UPDATE - APRIL 4, 2025

Cuddles is doing great! She recently had a follow-up vet appointment, and we’re happy to report that everything looks good. Her medication dosage is just right. Cuddles also celebrated her 9th birthday in style with all her favourite treats and a special trip to the High Park Zoo! She absolutely loves being outside, did great on the off-leash trail, and was social with other dogs. She’s a curious little explorer who enjoys a good hike—as long as there are plenty of treats and rest breaks along the way! Health-wise, she continues on her weight loss journey (slow and steady wins the race!), and her foster family is seeing great progress.

 

Emotionally, Cuddles still struggles with trust and remains quite reserved. She tends to keep her distance and gives off a bit of a “couldn’t be bothered” vibe, but her foster Mom is working patiently to help her feel more secure and comfortable. She does seem to bark at kids the most (when they are being louder or with sudden movements). This is something that her foster family will continue to work on. Cuddles is a special girl who’s made big strides—and with time, patience, and lots of love (plus snacks!), she’ll continue to blossom.

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FOSTER UPDATE - MARCH 5, 2025

Cuddles is doing great, still loving her walks and going on adventures, despite the snow and cold! She is still tolerating (at best) the resident cat! We have been introducing some foods to her to see if she likes them. So far she loves hard boiled eggs, chicken, tuna, salmon and squash! Doesn’t really care for bananas and would probably be totally fine if she never had carrots again lol so it’s been fun seeing what her tastes are. Cuddles has a follow up vet appointment later this month and is very much looking forward to Spring!

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FOSTER UPDATE - FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Cuddles is doing great. Her recent vet appointments went well, and she’s recovering nicely from a dental procedure where she had a few teeth removed 😅. She already seems to be feeling better with her healthy smile and the right dosage of her meds. We have a follow-up appointment soon, and after that, she should be all set!

 

Exciting news—Cuddles' birthday is next month! 🎉💕 She’s also become quite the influencer lately 😂. This adventure-loving pug has been busy exploring trails on her walks, and she’s always up for discovering something new. Stay tuned for more of Cuddles’ adventures, and send her some early birthday love! 🥰🎂

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FOSTER UPDATE - JANUARY 6, 2025

Cuddles is thriving in her foster home! We're working on helping her shed a few pounds, and her New Year's resolution is to be a little nicer to cats. Right now, she tolerates them, but we’re hoping she’ll grow to like them more than just “putting up with” them 😅. Next week, we’ll have a follow-up appointment to check her progress with weight loss and her updated medication dosage. Cuddles is an adventure pug! She loves exploring, especially trips to the lake, where her curiosity shines. Her foster mom has discovered she knows lots of tricks, including high-five, sit, lay down, and even speak—what a smart girl! She’s charming everyone she meets, even though she can be a bit standoffish at first. Once she warms up, she makes friends easily. We’re also building her confidence and she’s doing so well! Cuddles has a great appetite and, amazingly, seems to know exactly when it’s mealtime or medication time—she has an uncanny internal clock! 😅 She’s adjusting beautifully to regular teeth brushing and ear cleaning and is such a good sport when treats are involved. Nail trimming is still a work in progress, but we’re getting there. She’s been accident-free in the house, loves belly rubs, and would gladly have them all day if she could. Cuddles is a smart, sassy, and affectionate pug who brings so much joy to her foster family. She’s truly a wonderful companion and a delight to have around. 🥰

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FOSTER UPDATE - DECEMBER 5, 2024

Cuddles did really well this week at the vet! She was very brave and showed only a little bit of resistance. The doctor is happy with how things are looking but would love to see her slim down a bit so we are continuing on the weight loss journey. We make sure to go out on walks often to get our daily steps in! She’s adjusting well so far, tolerating the cat but also letting him nap beside her. She enjoys her walks and is well behaved on a leash. Cuddles never has an accident! She knows her spots already to do her business and has her walk routes down! She loves the attention she gets from everyone around her and is obsessed with cuddles and belly rubs, which I cannot resist giving to her because she is such a good girl! Cuddles went to Bark The Halls at Doggiefest recently and had a great time! She’s been a dream to have around.

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INTRODUCTION - NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Meet lovely Cuddles, an adorable 8-year-old spayed pug who came into rescue on November 19th with a significant health challenge. She was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 2021 and has been taking medication ever since. She has had several urinary infections, possibly related to medication levels, so we’ll be trying to get a handle on what she needs as soon as possible. She’s a hefty girl probably due to the medication and we will be increasing her exercise in an effort for her to enjoy a beautiful buff body.

 

Cuddles had a pretty good first night in the foster home. She’s getting more and more comfortable as we go. She decided to sleep with the cat on Big Bed even though her crate was right beside and available. She woke up once throughout the night and seemed to be a bit restless, which is to be expected. Managed to get her back to bed and asleep with some tummy rubs.

She is obsessed with tummy rubs!! She also likes bum scratches in pure pug fashion. She’s getting along great with the cat. It was a bit uneasy for both at first but they are on their way to becoming fast friends. 

Cuddles ate dinner well last night and we went on a few walks throughout the afternoon and evening. She walks pretty well on a leash, pug pace, but her pug stubbornness does come into play if she doesn’t want to walk in a certain direction. She pooped once on a walk and her stool looked normal. I was a bit concerned as she hadn’t gone pee all evening even with multiple walks, but I was relieved when she had a big pee on our morning walk today.

She took her medication with her breakfast. At first, she was eating around her meds but I was able to get her to take it. She’s been eating well and no accidents. She seems physically comfortable even with the extra weight. She’s showing no signs of pain or discomfort. 

So far all has been great. We’ve been giving her lots of love and she’s been giving love back. Here are a couple more photos of her and one with her new lamp chop that she loves.

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