The Pekingese, named for the capital of China, was once called the Lion
Dog for his golden mane and sturdy frame. He was also called the Sleeve
Dog for the ability of his master to carry him inside his sleeves. Considered
a sacred dog during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906), the breed is probably
older than that. Thousands roamed the royal palaces and no one outside of
nobility was allowed to have one. During the second Opium War in 1860, the
imperial family ordered that all of the dogs be destroyed so the foreign
invaders could not obtain them. Many escaped this massacre, however, and
an English officer brought five of them home thus introducing the breed
to the West. in the late 1800s, gifts of the breed by Chinese royalty to
westerners added to the basic stock from which the modern breed in the West
descends. The breed was recognized by the Kennel Club of Great Britain in
1893 and the American Kennel Club in 1909.
Despite his sweet looks, the Pekingese can be independent, assertive and
stubborn. He is not aggressive but is very bold. He has a strong sense of
territory and will protect it against all threats. He makes an excellent
companion.
The Pekingese head is wider than it is deep. The skull is flat and deep
between the eyes. The ears are heart-shaped but cannot be seen as they are
covered by long coat. The eyes are large, round and dark. The drop off between
skull and muzzle (stop) is very pronounced and deep. The muzzle is short
and wrinkled. The nose is black, broad, short and flat. The body is heavy
in front with a broad chest. The back is level but not too long for the
body. He has slightly bowed forelegs with toes that turn outward. The tail
is set high, lying well over the back to either side. The coat is long and
straight with an undercoat. Featherings exist on neck, legs, tail and toes.
A flowing mane covers the neck. Coat colors include red, fawn, black, black-and-tan,
sable, brindle, white and parti-color. A black mask that extends to the
ears and eyes is desirable. Average height is between six and nine inches.
Weight should not exceed fourteen pounds.
jtapia0466@cs.com of California writes:
Delightful addition to our family.
We bought our first Pekingese one and a half years ago. He turned on
his charm and managed to turn my husband (who did not care for dogs) into
a complete dog lover. We have been so delighted with him and his charming
personality, that we decided to buy a second Pekingese. She is only five
months old and is going through (what we call) her terrible twos. Although
she is very mischievious, her personality is very much like the male. She
is independent and stubborn. However she has the ability to melt our hearts
when we try to correct her when she has done something she is not supposed
to do. She has also turned on her charm with my husband. He calls her his
"little girl".
Both dogs have turned us into Pekingese lovers. Although we own a male and
a female, we have decided to leave the breeding to the experts.
tiarawolf@yahoo.com of Mississippi writes:
Entertaining dogs!
I rated the Pekingese as three stars p; maybe I should have said
four p; I'm not sure p; maybe a three-and-one-half! We have a beautiful
three-year-old male Peke that we have owned since he was five weeks old.
I know, I know, he was too young but if we hadn't bought him, somebody else
would have! He was neutered early (around eight weeks) and he lives with
two cats and a Japanese Chin. Our baby is very smart p; interestingly
enough, since we've read that they are not all that intelligent. Maybe it's
because we all took so much time with him. He knows the names of all his
toys and will fetch the right one, he can roll over, speak, potty on command,
etc. The good things about a Peke is that they are not yappy, running around
all the time, wanting you to DO something. He just hangs with the family.
He sleeps in the bed with us, he sleeps until we get up, then he slowly
gets up. He's really easy to be with. He loves his family. His best friend
is actually our cat, the Maine Coon. The two of them will play and run around
the house, wrestle a little. The Japanese Chin is too delicate for him.
They don't play together although they do sleep together at times. Another
good thing is he's manly p; he loves the men in the family, especially
my husband who calls him "our son." There is nothing "sissy"
about him at all. He's bold and sassy. He also absolutely adores children;
another thing I've heard Pekes don't do. I don't know if that was socialization
because he was always surrounded by them or not but he LOVES them, loves
being the center of attention, and is very patient with them.
Now for the bad stuff. He has that male dominance thing p; he does NOT
like other dogs p; I can't even take him to PetsMart anymore he acts
up so bad. He barks, growls, and acts like a fool. (HIS dog at home is okay,
other dogs are NOT okay.) Also he is a little bit too independent. I would
rather he would cuddle more. If I want to cuddle him, I have to go to him,
pick him up, settle him down. Now after that, he will stay forever, let
me pet him, kiss him, etc. But he very rarely approaches me for loving.
He hangs with me but just close by, not a lap dog like my Chin. The other
thing is we CANNOT cut his nails; I really think he would bite us if we
did. We have to have them done professionally (he does not bite but he makes
it clear he does not like it!). Also we NEVER take a food item away from
him. If he has something in his mouth we want out, we offer him an alternative
and he drops the offensive item and we pick it up. I'm not saying he will
bite on purpose, and I think he'd be sorry afterwards, but I do think he
would bite. He has bitten only once when he was less than a year old and
I took a food item out of his mouth. He was sorry afterward and felt guilty,
but we're not idiots. After that, we made sure we didn't put ourselves or
him in that position again. I know all this sounds negative but it's really
not. We are crazy about him; we just know that there are places you don't
go with a Peke. And we're pretty brave people. I bathe both cats and I am
never wary of them or of the Chin. I just think a Peke is more independent
and their nature is more self-serving. But we love the breed and will probably
always have one. You just have to know the limitations.
paul.jacobs@eskom.co.za of South Africa writes:
Best pet dog for the house.
I have had Pekingese dogs for a few years now and as a pet dog in the
house, I have still to find better. They give more love than any other breed.
They are also receiving all the love that can be given.
krimpgimp@hotmail.com of Grand Junction, CO writes:
Very loyal, smart and loving.
We were owned by a beautiful Pekingese male for many years. He was always
very in-tune to my feelings and was very stouthearted, even chasing off
a Doberman at one point. He was a very active, happy dog, who was content
to be rough-and-tumble, or to cuddle. He was not at all prissy, but a king
of beasts, who accepted everyone, no matter if they were canine, feline,
or human. Unless, of course, they threatened his family. The only fault
he could be said to have was that he loved adventure too much, as he was
hit by a car one day when he took himself for a walk without our knowing.
ppatti@mtco.com of Illinois writes on 3/21/01:
Great lap dog.
My husband and I own a four -year old Peckingese. She is the second that
we have owned. I also grew up with this breed my mother owned several. While
a pekingese isn't exactly great with children, they will bond with children
who are taught to treat them with respect.They are for the most part a one
person dog. They tend to pick out one person as theirs and merely tolarate
the other people in the household. They are fearless and would gladly give
their life for their master. I could'nt ask for a better house dog. She
never does anything wrong in the house. If she does, a firm word is all
it takes and she will follow me for hours begging forgivness.A perfect companion
for an older person.
sgtd99@aol.com of the Orland Park, IL writes on 2/18/00:
Very pretty dog, and he knows it!
Growing up, my mother always had Pekingnese. At one point we had five! They
are an independant breed, really pretty self sufficient. My dog likes to
be fed, watered, walked, and paid attention to from time to time. Other
than that he likes to lie around and look good. They are nice and small
and do not take over the house, however they do like to have their own space.
We have a bed for ours, it is actually meant for a cat. It looks like an
alligator, and he sleeps in the mouth. This is HIS, and he does not let
others move in on his space. I like these dogs because they are nice lap
dogs, and I like the nice silky long coats. They do shed, but not as bad
as one may think. I have three kids, and training the kids not to be too
rough on him was harder than training him.