the black pug

In 1877 black was considered a "new" colour in the breed. There has always been debate as to the actual origin of Lady Brassey's black Pugs, but she certainly exhibited some black ones at the Maidstone Show in 1886. One of these was Jack Spratt, who may possibly have been acquired by Lady Brassey on her short trip to China.
However, although black was then claimed as a new colour, we know from the paintings of William Hogarth that blacks existed before then. Hogarth's House of Cards, pained in 1730, depicts a black Pug. A hundred years later, Queen Victoria owned a black one that was marked with white. The latter, though, may have been brought into England , perhaps as a gift to the
Queen from China.
It has been said that black Pugs has been bred for many years earlier in England, but because they had been bred from fawns and apricots they were considered mutations and thus destroyed at birth. It is also possible, however, that such 'blacks' were not true blacks (ebonies), but instead were smuts, so were not considered attractive.
Black pugs today are considered acceptable and desirable.

[ from the book PUG by Juliette Cunliffe
black pug photo taken from the Best photographs of 2005 as voted by Worldwide Organization Zelep] whatever that means