First, it's important to discuss some of the health problems that Puggles are not as prone to as might be expected. Although one parent is a pug, these dogs do not have as many breathing problems as pugs, because their noses are longer. They also have deeper eye sockets, removing many of the difficulties with the eyes that pugs can exhibit, and they have fewer skin problems.

Given all this, Puggles can be a healthy hybrid, assuming that they are well-bred and treated well from birth. In fact, many hybrid puppies have better health than many pure-bred pups, though that may vary with individual litters.

In order to find a healthy puppy, you need to be very careful in your selection of a puppy.

Many breeders of Puggles are very reputable and responsible breeders, and take care to make sure that the parents of their pups are healthy and have good temperaments and histories. In fact, most breeders care very much about breeding healthy pups. To make sure that your pup will be healthy, you should interview breeders, find out where their breeding stock comes from and check health histories of the parents of your puppy. If possible, visit the breeder before buying a puppy, and know where your puppy is coming from.

Whenever possible, avoid buying puppies from a pet store or anyone else other than a reputable breeder. If you do buy a puppy from a pet store, be very careful about her health. Have a complete health checkup conducted by a vet as soon as you take her home, and watch careful for any infections or signs of harsh treatment as a puppy.

Once you have your puppy safely at home and you've gotten her puppy shots and has a clean bill of health, you will need to keep her healthy and work with her vet to keep her healthy.

Puppy shots are crucial, of course. This is the most important thing you can do to protect your pup's health from the beginning. Once your pup has had shots, you need to continue with the shots on an annual basis, of course. Heart worm medication should be administered on a monthly basis, and can be prescribed by your vet. You'll also want to make sure you have flea protection for your Puggle, particularly if you allow her outside.

Keeping your Puggle healthy is primarily a matter of preventing injury and poisoning. Once your dog starts out healthy, she is likely to stay healthy if she can. Baby-proofing, or Puggle-proofing, your home, is essential to keeping your pet healthy. Like the proverbial toddler, your new baby is very inquisitive and can get into trouble quite easily.

Fortunately, keeping your home safe for your pet is mostly a matter of making sure there is nothing on the floor that can be choked on or that can poison your puppy if swallowed, making sure that your Puggle can't climb on anything and fall off, and keeping spills of hazardous materials, including detergent, cleaned up.

When it comes to keeping your Puggle healthy and communicating with your vet, there are no stupid questions. If you suspect your dog may need medical attention, call your vet. This, along with regular checkups, will help insure your pet's safety.