Thought to have originated in China, the Pug was popular there and in Tibet and Japan for almost fifteen hundred years before Europeans "discovered it." The Pug arrived in Europe via Holland in the fifteen hundreds. It became the mascot of the Dutch ruling House of Orange when one of these dogs supposedly saved the life of a prince by warning him of Spanish invaders during a battle. When William of Orange became King of England, he brought Pugs with him and the breed reached the height of popularity there too. The pug has been recognized by the American Kennel Club since 1885 and has had ups and downs in popularity. At the present it is ranked twenty sixth in popularity.