Pug Hill by Alison Pace-A Book Review

“Pug Hill” written by Alison Pace was published in 2006 by the Berkley Publishing Group. It is a humorous story about Hope McNeil, a paintings restorer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It is written in the first person, so the reader really gets to know Hope.

Hope lives in New York City in a small apartment, has a boyfriend, a slightly dysfunctional family, and a big crush on a co-worker. She is facing several difficult and unsettling issues in her life at the moment. For one thing, she is deathly afraid of public speaking, and her parents have asked her to make a speech at their 40th wedding anniversary party. Then there is the boyfriend, Evan, who is obviously a mismatch in almost every way. And the crush on Elliott, the co-worker who hardly knows she exists.

When Hope finds herself single again after an extended relationship with Rick, her friend Pamela tells her to "embrace being single!" Pamela encourages Hope to go on JDate, a jewish match making web site. Eventually Hope does just that, and meets Evan who at first seems so perfect for her. But, of course, he isn't, and Hope has to decide how to end the relationship.

As far as the speech is concerned, Hope is absolutely terrified, but has stumbled upon a bulletin for a class titled "Overcoming Presentation Anxiety." Of course, the first thing she has to overcome is the anxiety of signing up for a speech making class in the first place.

Throughout the book Hope works to solve her dilemmas sensibly, but things just don’t seem to be going the way she would like. When she gets upset or depressed, it is her habit to visit a place in Central Park called Pug Hill. This comforting place is where pug owners from all over New York collect with their pugs to socialize and exercise their pets. Hope adores pugs and although she doesn’t have one of her own, she enjoys visiting the pugs at Pug Hill. But, even this fails her when one day she visits and there is not one single pug.

Hope is devastated when she learns there are not always pugs at Pug Hill. “For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany’s. No matter what was going wrong in her life, she always had Tiffany’s. For me, there’s always Pug Hill. For as long as I’ve lived in New York, whenever I’ve wanted to think, or relax, or be happy, or even sad, my destination of choice has been, without fail, Pug Hill.”

The reader follows Hope through her days, struggling with her issues in a humorous narrative that will make you smile, and even laugh out loud. It is obvious Alison Pace knows her character well, and she shares her knowledge with her readers. She also must have a love of dogs in general, and pugs in particular, as she describes the dog characters as vividly as the humans.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs and loveable, dysfunctional heroines.
You will laugh through book and find yourself hoping to visit Pug Hill yourself someday!

How to Live With a Pug and Love It!

One of the best quotes I have ever read about Pugs is so true! "Pugs are like potato chips- you can't have just one."
I don't actually conform to that rule because I do only have just one, but ever since I got her I've been thinking about getting the second one some day.
The first thing you learn about living with a Pug after getting one is to Adore being spit in the face on a regular basis. Getting right up in the face and snorting, spraying moisture, seems to be one of their favorite, endearing pastimes.
Another thing you will learn is to enjoy the sound of snoring when the Pug sleeps. Sometimes it is a soft, gentle, soothing sound that can lull you into slumber yourself. Other times it might be as loud as say, a jackhammer!
The most important thing you have to be prepared for when living with a Pug is laughter. Lots and lots of laughter. They are such clowns, always doing something comical, you just can't help yourself.
House training can and will be a challenge. It takes a lot of patience, diligence, and consistency to get a Pug housebroken. But even housebreaking is fun with a Pug. For one thing, you'll love being with her and watching her every move. Soon you will learn her "signals" that indicate potty time. And, when you take her out, she'll surely do something funny and entertaining so you'll just enjoy being with her.
Pugs aren't for everyone, but I have never met a Pug owner who wouldn't have another one or two or three.... If you don't love them at first sight, and how can you not, then they grow on you. So, go on, get a Pug or two, and LOVE it!

Pug Facts You Might Like to Know

Pug facts that are pretty interesting:

Pugs are ranked #14 in the AKC Dog Breeds 2001 Top 50 (ranking based on the number of dogs that were registered by the AKC in 2000). An increasing number of people recognize and appreciate the pug's clownish and loving character.

The Pug fits in nicely with young families if the small kids are well informed about handling small dogs. The Pug makes a good companion to the elderly and is sufficiently active enough for the young adult as well.

Pugs were bred simply for the pleasure they brought as lap dogs. Pugs love a good meal and a soft lap. If you are looking for a couch-potato type dog, then a male would normally be better suited, although both genders are pretty laid back as older dogs. Females, on the other hand, make better alert dogs and are sometimes more aloof and independent. These are generalities, of course. There are some males who are independent and some females who are more people oriented - but for the most part the characterizations are true.

Fawn colored Pugs have black markings around their ears and covering their faces. Because the black is so prevalent on the face, it’s referred to as a mask. They use a mix of facial expression and their own personality to great advantage. Fawn Pugs, which have both an undercoat and an overcoat, are the most notorious for shedding. The tail is carried tightly curved over the body.

Black Pugs also definitely shed. Black Pugs must be pure black with no white markings. The tail curls tightly over the hip, ideally with a double curl.

Black Pugs are known to exist as early as the 1700s thanks to William Hogarth's painting of one in House of Cards (1730). The artist was a proud owner of pugs and depicted many in his paintings so that there is an excellent visual record of the Pug’s appearance dating back 250 years. Black Pugs are solid-colored dogs, but they carry SS, which is the white gene. The B gene produces the black coat color. Black Pugs were imported from China and exhibited for the first time in England in 1886.

Pugs have special needs during the warmer months of the year. During these periods with higher temperatures you need air conditioning. Dogs cool off by panting and their long tongues and noses give them more cooling area. Pugs have virtually no cooling area for their bodies, so they can (and will) literally over heat and die in less than 30 minutes outdoors in high heat and/or humidity.

Pugs have some special grooming needs particular to their breed. Because of their natural curiosity, they sniff and taste everything that is new to them. Because of this they tend to get dirt in the wrinkles on their faces. This must be cleaned regularly to avoid sores or infections. You should trim your Pug’s nails frequently. Pug health depends on the trimming since nails that are too long can become caught in blankets or other things. Since shedding is such a problem, regular brushing can be helpful. There are tools that can be purchased especially designed to remove the loose hair from the undercoat. Petco has a couple of varieties that I know of.

A name for a new Pug puppy should be fun for you choose, not a chore. There are many strategies you can use to think up clever dog names. Molly seems to be the common top female Pug name in the USA. Max is perhaps the most popular boy Pug name going, and the meaning is probably why most people choose it. It literally means "the greatest". Max has been top of the list of Pug names since the 1990s and seems to have a global appeal.

Usually, it's best to get to know your puppy for a few days before sticking it with a name that doesn’t fit. Often your puppy's personality will help you decide on just the right name to for it.

Here is a website I have found to help with naming your Pug:

http://www.funpuppynames.com/male-pug-puppy-names.html


Love, care, and proper healthcare and grooming are essential for a happy life-long companion. Pugs are not only wonderful companions, anxious to receive approval, attention, and love, but they give back more than they receive.

These are just a few of the interesting facts about Pugs. There are numerous books available on this subject, and dogs in general. Some web sites you can visit for more information:

http://www.dogweb.nl/shopping/pugs/books.html

http://www.pugcenter.com/

https://paydotcom.com/r/57415/puggal/18966980/

https://paydotcom.com/r/40997/puggal/18967102/

https://paydotcom.com/r/5558/puggal/18967406/