Little Dee Dee and Willy scurried across the floor in pursuit of the rogue, toy mouse. At the edge of where Phyllis Henderson's living room ends and her kitchen begins, the galloping pugs finally caught up to the toy and subdued it.

"You should see the three of them on a toy," Henderson said "It's a hoot. These dogs will make you young." To Henderson, 50, the diminutive pugs that followed her around her Chino home were more than just pets or creatures she breeds to sell to Inland Valley families. The dogs are family. "They are the most beautiful dogs." Henderson said. "Look at them. How can you resist that face?"

She can't. A handful of the dogs ambled about the house. Some of them where hers, some waited for families to come visit in the hopes of finding another home. Still others were just boarding there temporarily while the owners were either away on business or vacations. Henderson is among a handful of local Southern California pug breeders. A 10-year veteran of the job, she gave up working outside her home in order to stay home with four-legged family members full-time to raise them.

These days, she is an Avon sales representative working at home. She loves every minute she spends with her dogs, she said. Her dog breeding days started by accident. It was her husband, John, who originally bought a dog so he would have a constant companion. "He bought a pug," Henderson said. "When I first saw the dog I thought that is one ugly little guy." But then she held the dog, C.J., and he showed her affection. Her hesitance melted within seconds of the meeting, she said. "I was hooked," she said. Then she was shocked. No more than a couple of months after getting C.J., the dog started to have seizures. "It turns out it was a result of inbreeding," she said. "He was suppose to be a show dog. We didn't realize it."

When the seizures first started, C.J. was misdiagnosed by a veterinarian. He died eight or nine months later in a freak accident. "I was on my way to work," Henderson explained. "I was working with the emergency veterinarian because we ran up a bill $10,000 trying to save him." Henderson decided she did not want to see that happen to another family. She decided to get healthy pugs and breed them properly. That was 10 years ago. Recently, one of her black pugs had a litter of black furred pugs. A visitor at the house last week saw the two pups, barely a week old at the time, lying in a baby play pen with an electric blanket keeping them warm.

Though the pups will eventually be up for sale, they will not leave Henderson's house until they are at least eight-weeks old. That way she can ensure that animals get their shots. While in her care, she calls the pups baby. She will not name them. "If I name them, I keep them." she said. "I grow easily attached." Among the ones she has kept are a couple of champions, dogs bred from other Westminster Dog Show champions. She also has rescues. "People bring me Pugs all the time," she said. "They figure Phyllis will find them homes. And I do. I always try."

Anyone interested in information about Henderson's dogs may call her at (909 628-0348. You may also e-mail at PJsPugs@aol.com.