Border Terrier vs Pug

Compare the Border Terrier to the Pug. Use the tool below to compare temperament, size, personality, maintenance requirements, and everything else between Border Terriers and Pugs.

Quick Summary

Below are a few quick comparisons between the two breeds.

Owner Experience - Both the Border Terrier and the Pug are good for new owners, but the Border Terrier is a slightly better choice.
Children - Both the Border Terrier and Pug are great with children.
Grooming - The Border Terrier is very easy to groom. The Pug has high grooming requirements.
Barking - The Pug has an above-average tendency to bark, while the Border Terrier has a low tendency to bark.

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Border Terrier vs Pug

Breed Name	Border Terrier	Pug
General Details
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
Is Hypoallergenic	No	No
Lifespan	12-15 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Height	10-16 in.	10-14 in.
Weight	11-16 lb	13-20 lb
Intelligence	High	Below Average
History
Origin Country	Not Specified	China
Origin Year	1700 AD	206 BC
Temperament
Overall Friendliness	Very Good	Very Good
Family Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Kid Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Pet Friendly	Below Average	Very Good
Stranger Friendly	Very Good	Very Good
Personality
	Affectionate Jealous Loving Likes To Snuggle Stubborn Willing To Please	Affectionate Enjoys Attention Jealous Loving Does Not Like Being Alone Likes To Snuggle Stubborn
Living Environment
Apartment	Yes	Yes
Indoor	Yes	Yes
Small Yard	Yes	No
Medium Yard	Yes	No
Large Yard	Yes	No
Temperature Tolerance ¹	50°F to 80°F	55°F to 80°F
Barks/Howls	Rarely	Often
Exercise Needs
Energy Level	High	Low
Exercise Required	Medium	Low
Top Running Speed	18 mph	12 mph
Strength	Medium	Low
Grooming Needs
Coat Maintenance	Low	High
Shedding	Low	High
Dander	Low	High
Drool Amount	None	None

¹This is estimated min/max temperature range for a healthy adult dog. Dogs that live indoors, puppies, seniors, unwell dogs, and/or dogs with improperly groomed coats may overheat sooner and get cold more quickly.

Instincts & Behavior Comparison
Breed Name	Border Terrier	Pug
Breed Mentality
Dominant/Alpha	No	No
Family/Pack	Yes	Yes
Independent	No	No
Breed Focus
Distracted Easily	No	No
Average	Yes	Yes
Focused & Patient	No	No
Breed Instincts
Aggression	Below Average	Below Average
Burrow/Digging	High	Below Average
Chasing	Average	Below Average
Follow Commands	Below Average	Below Average
Fighting	Below Average	Below Average
Guarding	Below Average	Below Average
Herding	Below Average	Below Average
Hunting	Average	Below Average
Protection	Below Average	Below Average
Remove Vermin	Below Average	Below Average
Sledding	Below Average	Very Low
Watch	Below Average	Below Average

Health Comparison
Breed Name	Border Terrier	Pug
Lifespan
Lifespan	12-15 yrs.	12-15 yrs.
Common Health Issues
Allergies	No	Yes
Cheyletiella Dermatitis	No	Yes
Corneal Ulcers	No	Yes
Cryptorchidism	Yes	No
Demodectic Mange	No	Yes
Distichiasis	No	Yes
Dry Eye	No	Yes
Entropion	No	Yes
Epilepsy	No	Yes
Heart Murmurs	Yes	No
Hemi-vertebrae	No	Yes
Hip Dysplasia	Yes	Yes
Hypothyroidism	Yes	No
Legg-perthes Disease	No	Yes
Malocclusions	Yes	No
Nerve Degeneration	No	Yes
Patellar Luxation	Yes	Yes
Progressive Retinal Atrophy	No	Yes
Proptosis	No	Yes
Pug Dog Encephalitis	No	Yes
Pulmonic Stenosis	Yes	No
Seizures	Yes	No
Staph Infection	No	Yes
Vaccination Sensitivity	No	Yes
Yeast Infection	No	Yes

Appearance Comparison
Breed Name	Border Terrier	Pug
Coat
Fur	Yes	Yes
Coat Type
Double Coat	Yes	Yes
Coat Texture
Rough	Yes	No
Scruffy	Yes	No
Straight	No	Yes
Coat Length(s)
Short	Yes	Yes
Coat Color(s)
Black & Red	Yes	No
Black & Tan	Yes	No
Black Grizzle	Yes	No
Blue & Tan	Yes	No
Blue Grizzle	Yes	No
Grizzle	Yes	No
Grizzle & Tan	Yes	No
Red	Yes	No
Red Grizzle	Yes	No
Red Grizzle & Tan	Yes	No
Red Wheaten	Yes	No
Wheaten	Yes	No
Black	No	Yes
Fawn	No	Yes