Focus on Pug Health in Vrij Nederland

In the media

In August 2025, (a Dutch weekly) published an article by journalist Caspar van de Poel examining the serious health issues affecting modern pugs and the efforts to breed healthier dogs. The article features expert insights from Hille Fieten, coordinator of the Veterinary Genetics Expertise Center, and Paul Mandigers, veterinary neurologist.

Modern pugs often suffer from severe physical problems due to breeding for specific features. These problems include breathing difficulties caused by narrowed nostrils, elongated soft palates, and airways prone to collapse. Eye deformities, dental issues, and neurological disorders such as spinal defects are also common. 

Dr. Fieten explains:

They often have severely narrowed nostrils [鈥 and a long, soft palate that hangs in the throat, obstructing airflow. [鈥 Very often they have an underdeveloped larynx that can collapse.

Dr. Mandigers adds:

You could say that almost every pug suffers from one or more of these conditions.

A Healthier Alternative: The Retro Pug

The article also highlights the 鈥渞etro pug,鈥 a crossbred version aimed at improving the breed鈥檚 health. Breeder Meranda Sterk emphasizes that crossbreeding is necessary because there are no sufficiently healthy parent animals within the traditional pug population. 

For more on inherited health issues and our research into responsible breeding:

See our dossier on Healthy Breading of Dogs and Cats

At the request of the Dutch government, the Veterinary Genetics Expertise Center has developed six criteria to assess whether breeding with short-nosed dogs is acceptable.

Read more about the six criteria