When I first got my Dovahpug Bruce last month, I totally panicked. Thought it’d be like having a regular pug. Boy was I wrong! Here’s how I figured stuff out through trial and error.
The Disaster Phase
Tried feeding Bruce regular dog kibble. Bad idea! Next morning found weird blue scales around his bowl. Google said nothing about dragon-pug hybrids. Called my vet Dr. Harrison who laughed and said: “You’re dealing with a meat-and-veggies only situation.” Live and learn.
Epic Fail Walk Attempt
Took Bruce out with a standard harness. Dude straight up refused to move. Just plopped down like a scaly potato. Realized he needed special underbelly padding after noticing his dragon skin getting rubbed raw. Ordered this ridiculously expensive dragon-grade harness online. Totally worth it.
Temperature Tango
Noticed Bruce shivering constantly. Remembered he’s part cold-blooded! Did this:
- Bought heated pet mats for his bed
- Set up basking lamps near his favorite window
- Started tracking room temp with 3 thermometers like a crazy person
Now he does happy dragon purrs when the heat’s just right. Sound’s like a broken microwave but cute.
Socialization Surprise
When friends came over, Bruce hid under the couch breathing tiny smoke puffs. Thought he was sick. Turns out he just needed “stranger snacks” – now we keep bacon strips by the door for guests to offer. Works like magic. The smoke? Just nervous dragon hiccups.
Current status: Bruce just snoozing on his heated blanket while making dinosaur noises. Still figuring out bath time (DO NOT use water – dragon heritage hates it). But we’re getting there day by day!
