Pugs provide families with show-quality dogs

Patricia Hallagan sits in her living room, surrounded by photographs of each of the pugs that has meant so much to her. Some are still with her, some she has sold and some have passed away. But she will not forget any of them -- she said she thinks of them as family members.\n"The grieving when you lose one is terrible," Hallagan said.\nBut a brand new litter of pug puppies sits not 10-feet away. This tiny group is the product of "Megan" and "Liam," who was a "Best in Show" dog at one-year of age. The litter is one of the two that Hallagan usually breeds in a year as part of her breeding organization, Hallagan Pugs. The animals are then trained and shown; when they are finished, Hallagan sells them to either friends or students, as long as they can provide a stable home.\nBloomington resident Rachel Schwartz, who lives with her husband David, a graduate student in the Kelley School of Business, bought their 1-year-old Pug named Buster from Hallagan. \n"She knows so much about the pugs and is good at sizing up people," Rachel Schwartz said. "I think she waited to find the right dog for us."\nThe first pug Hallagan owned was from a local breeder near her home. She said she never dreamed how this animal was going to change her life. After the purchase of "Gingersnap," Hallagan began breeding her own pugs, 56 of which have become "Best in Show" champions around the country. But when you ask Hallagan about her "job," she'll remind you that it is merely a family hobby.\nBut it's a family hobby that brings the family closer together. Hallagan and her daughter Erin, who now lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., have been breeding partners since Erin was 4 years old. The two travel the country together, showing the dogs that have been bred right out of Patricia's home in Bloomington and trained in obedience by Erin.\nIn June of 2003, Hallagan was featured in Pug Talk magazine as breeder of the month for her work with Hallagan Pugs. Known for their fine temperament and good physical condition, Hallagan's pugs prove that line breeding, which means that all breeding is done with related dogs, is the way to go.\nAfter the dogs achieve their championship status in the shows, they go to what Hallagan refers to as pet homes. \n"I try to screen their homes so they have a good life," Hallagan said. "I think they deserve that."\nSeveral of her pugs have found a home with Linda Jean. \nAn administrative coordinator in the IU West European Studies program, Jean has bought six of Hallagan's pugs over the years. \n"Mrs. Hallagan has one of the best breeding programs in the nation," Jean said.\nOf the six Jean has bought, only two are still alive, but they keep her busy. She said pugs are always very focused on one thing in particular -- eating.\n"If you feed them, they'll stick with you," Jean said, laughing. "(Hallagan's) dogs are people dogs. They are raised to be happy and social." \nDavid and Rachel Schwartz also speak highly of the pugs. \n"We just adore this dog," Rachel said. "He has such a good personality." The couple plans to buy another of Hallagan's pugs within the year.\nWhen asked what is special about her pugs, Hallagan smiled down upon her newest litter of puppies and said, "We've got beauty and brains both."\nFor more information, go to the Pug Dog Club of America Breeder Referral online at www.pugs.org/indexbreeder.htm.\n-- Contact staff writer Megan McKibbin at mmckibbi@indiana.edu