There are tons of mythical creatures in A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s a high fantasy series after all, even if most of the appeal lies in the very human politicking and scheming around the Iron Throne. If you’ve just seen the third episode of House of the Dragon, you’re probably asking the same question we are: do pugs exist in Westeros, and in the House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones canon?
Are There Pugs in Westeros?
We’re pretty certain that there has been no mention of pugs in A Song of Ice and Fire, but with the release of House of the Dragon episode 3, it looks like the showrunners have taken some creative liberties with the kinds of dog breeds that exist in Westeros.
In Westeros, the only known dog breeds and canine beasts are foxes, direwolves, regular wolves, along with mastiffs, bloodhounds, sheepdogs, sand dogs, elkhounds, wolfhounds, and hellhounds. There has never been any indication that the adorable pugs exist in this brutal universe.
However, that belief has been completely flipped on its head with House of the Dragon episode 3, as we see that one of the ladies of the court does indeed own a pug, and even brought it along with her to the hunt in the Kingswood. In a brief scene, Rhaenyra chats with Alicent and the other ladies, and when she’s questioned about her role in the kingdom, she snaps back and asks the lady what she’s done for the realm lately besides eating cake.
The camera then cuts to a quick shot of a little pug in her lap, licking the remaining bits of cake off her plate.
So… yes, according to the HBO adaptation of House of the Dragon, pugs do exist in Westeros, but they certainly didn’t in George R.R. Martin’s book series.
That’s all you need to know about whether pugs exist in Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more news and information on the series, including why Rhaenyra got to see the white hart, and where the Stepstones are geographically.
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