Pug People, there is literally nothing better in the world than a senior pug with attitude and today we have the King of Pug Attitude, Keiko (and his long-suffering bro, Norman)! Furchildren to the glamorous Shelby, Keiko is famous for his “Things That My 15-year old Pug Was Mad About This Week” videos and deliciously squishy Norman graciously accepts his brother’s virality. Come meet this lovely gang from Victoria Island, British Columbia!
PP: Shelby, we’re so sorry, when we initially asked for an interview, we left Norman out. Sweet Norman! We hope he doesn’t hold it against us. Because, seriously, ‘Norman’ is the greatest name for a pug.
Shelby: I always wanted to name a pug Norman, so when he appeared on Facebook as a rescue with that very name, I knew it was meant to be.
PP: And is he a total Norman?
Shelby: Oh my God. He is utterly Norman.
PP: We also have something embarrassing to admit. Both of us only realized today that your account name was “Glam by Shelby”—
Shelby: Because you thought it was “Glamby Shelby”.
PP: Yes! We’re not the only ones?
Shelby: Everyone thinks that, including my family.
PP: Oh, we don’t feel so dumb, then.
Shelby: A lot of people have that beginning, “Glam by…”, like “Glam by Maria”, but it’s because of the Shelby; it throws people off.
PP: And you still do fashion and makeup.
Shelby: Yes, I still do, but it’s crazy, I posted a TikTok of Keiko this past November that got twenty million views. Ever since then, everybody wants Keiko.
PP: Well, just the dinosaur scream itself is enough to draw people in. It’s intense.
Shelby: Yeah, we did a TikTok Live the other night and he just sat there and screamed. And people were dying for it, but also a little freaked out. I kept saying, he’s not in pain, he’s just mad that we’re not in bed yet.
PP: OMP. Keiko’s made you super famous.
Shelby: Now when I post pictures of myself, I get “But what about the pug??” I started incorporating him into my fashion stuff. People want the pug.
PP: Give the people what they want. So, Shelby, how did this all start? Give us your pug history.
Shelby: My family got Keiko when I was twelve, so he was the family pug first. But he’s so difficult now, I’ve taken him on myself.
PP: Senior pugs are not easy. Especially the screamers. Does your family have a pug history or was Keiko the first?
Shelby: I started it. When I was two years old, I saw “Pocahontas”.
PP: Oh, of course!
Shelby: I was immediately in love. But my family was cat people, so I was forced to name a cat Percy after the Pocahontas character. It was the closest I could get. And then when I was four, I saw “Milo and Otis”. That secured it.
PP: That movie would convert anyone.
Shelby: I begged and begged for a pug, and when I was ten, we finally got Gizmo.
PP: Joy! Rapture! Pug!
Shelby: Yes! And after we had him for a year, we realized he needed a brother. That was Keiko! And he’s outlived everyone.
PP: He’s a beast.
Shelby: I took him to the vet recently and all he has is some arthritis. His heart is strong, his lungs are strong—
PP: Well, we know his lungs are strong. We’ve heard the sounds.
Shelby: Ha, yes.
PP: What was it about the breed that got you?
Shelby: I’ve always loved chubby animals. And they’re so completely cute from afar and then when you get one, they just…
PP: Live up to the hype.
Shelby: Yessss.
PP: Was Keiko always a curmudgeon or just as he got older?
Shelby: He kinda always was. He was quite smart and active when he was young, he did agility and all that. But he was always very demanding.
PP: So he came by his crankiness honestly. Do Keiko and Norman get along?
Shelby: Definitely. They don’t play together because they’re too old, but they ask for snacks together. Keiko has great affection for Norman, even though he’s a curmudgeon about it.
PP: What do you like about Pug People?
Shelby: We absolutely understand each other and relate. You can’t be too serious about life if you have a pug.
PP: True. And speaking about not taking life seriously, let’s talk about the basics of health and hygiene. Do both pugs sleep with you?
Shelby: Oh, of course. I’m offended if they’re not in the bed. Keiko’s snore is actually rather relaxing. Norman’s sounds like a truck driving through the bedroom.
PP: We know you must have many, Shelby, but can you think of a favorite story or memory you have about the pugs?
Shelby: I have a recent one! We did an ad for a local pet-friendly hotel here called the Coast Bastion and they treated Keiko and Norman like kings. Two-night stay, incredible view, it was so much fun to see Keiko lounging on the hotel bed and be so spoiled.
PP: Treated like the celebrity he is. If Keiko and Norman were actual celebrities, who do you think would they be?
Shelby: Norman? Seth Rogen. Sweet, funny, a little bit questionable, maybe a little too much weed. Keiko… hmmm…
PP: Ed Asner? Or maybe Walter Matthau. Oh, you don’t know who that is, do you? You’re too young. Grumpy Old Men?
Shelby: Oh, yeah. I think I do.
PP: Thank you for humoring us old people. Last question: what’s your True Pug Confession?
Shelby: Maybe other Pug People will understand this—or not—but I could literally sit here and smell them. I love their scent. I could smell them all day.
