This idea probably arose from the fact that the earliest Pugs to arrive in England were sometimes referred to as Dutch Mastiffs. Pug is in colour and coat. The structure of the skulls of the two breeds varies enormously and this is quite enough to show that it is most improbable that the Pug has any connection with the huge Molossus, known to the Phoenicians, from whom the Mastiff, the medieval Alaunt and the Bulldog descend. The second misunderstanding is that the short face of the Pug was originally brought about by crushing or damaging the nasal bones in puppyhood. Obviously an operation of this sort would only affect the subject and not its descendants.
Selective breeding is nothing new and has been practised for one reason or another for centuries.
From this period onwards a number of the Emperors appear to have taken an interest in small dogs -often at the expense of their imperial duties. The only way in which we can get any idea of the appearance of Chinese dogs is from drawings and scrolls. Pictures show the Lo-sze as not unlike the Pekingese except that its coat was short and close and the tail was without feathering. The colours varied and most dogs were parti-coloured. A compact body, good bones and a flat face as well as a square jaw were all valued, and although many of the dogs had their tails docked, the curled tail as well as the double curl were all known and permissible.