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// Workers AI · dad joke modeDoes a Pekingese make a good dog walker? It's a paws-king good guide.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pekingese
A long-haired Pekingese brushed out and ready for show
Common nicknamesPeke
OriginChina
Kennel club standards
China Kennel Union standard
Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)
Pekingese
Chinese北京狗
Literal meaningBeijing dog
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinBěijīng gǒu
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese獅子狗
Simplified Chinese狮子狗
Literal meaninglion dog
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinshīzi gǒu

The Pekingese (also spelled Pekinese) is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Beijing (Peking) where the Forbidden City is located.[1] The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance.

Appearance

[edit]
Red Pekingese
Cream Pekingese

Modern breeders and dog show judges seem to prefer the long-haired type over the more traditional spaniel-type coat.[2]

The Pekingese's flat face and large eyes are some of the breed's most obvious characteristics. The body is compact and low to the ground. Pekingese also have a muscular and durable body.[1] The breed has an unusual rolling gait, caused by its bowed front legs, firm hind legs, and pear-shaped body.[3]

Coat

[edit]

Breed standards allow a wide range of color combinations.[2] The majority of Pekingese are gold, red or sable. Cream, black, white, tan, black-and-tan and occasionally 'blue' or slate grey have appeared in the breed. The latter often has poor pigment and light eyes. Albino Pekingese (white with pink eyes) should not be bred due to health problems associated with albinism.[4]

A black mask or a self-colored face is equally acceptable in show dogs. Regardless of coat color, the exposed skin of the muzzle, nose, lips and eye rims is black.[2] Due to heavy shedding and to prevent mats, this double-coated breed requires frequent extensive grooming.[5]

Pekingese typically weigh from 7 to 14 lb (3.2 to 6.4 kg) and stand about 6–9 inches (15–23 cm) at the withers. A Pekingese over 14 lb is disqualified in the show ring,[2] the only disqualification in the American Kennel Club breed standard.[6] The Pekingese is slightly longer than tall when measured from the forechest to the rear. The overall outline is an approximate ratio of 3 high to 5 long.

Sleeve Pekingese

[edit]

The sleeve Pekingese, also called the Miniature Pekingese, is a miniature form of the standard-sized dog, weighing 6 to 8 pounds (2.7 to 3.6 kg).[6] A sleeve Pekingese is judged by the same breed standards as the standard-size.[6]

These small dogs were developed sometime during the reign of Dao Guang.[7] The "sleeve" name came from the custom of carrying these small dogs in the capacious sleeves of the robes worn by members of the Chinese Imperial Household. This tradition appears to be early Italian rather than Chinese,[8] but its adoption by the Chinese Imperial Household led to dogs being bred as small as possible and to practices aimed at stunting their growth: giving puppies rice wine, holding newborns tightly for hours at a time, or putting the puppies into tight-fitting wire mesh waistcoats. These practices were apparently forbidden by Dowager Empress Cixi.[9][8]

Health

[edit]

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.3 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreds and 12 for crossbreeds.[10] The leading cause of death for Pekingese, as for many other Toy breeds, is trauma.[11] Primary health concerns include neurological and cardiovascular defects.[11]

Sable Pekingese

As a result of breeding for an increasingly flattened face, the breed is brachycephalic. Therefore other potential concerns in the breed are eye issues and breathing problems, resulting from its tiny skull and flattened face. A Pekingese's nasal folds make it susceptible to trichiasis,[12] as the folds in the modern breed contain heavier hair than older incarnations.[13] Said nasal folds may be more excessive in Pekingese than even other brachycephalic breeds.[14] The large eyes are also prone to injury and infection by foreign objects getting lodged in them.[15] Other eye diseases the breed is prone to include keratitis,[16] lagophthalmos,[16] lens subluxion,[14] progressive retinal atrophy,[12][17] keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye),[17] and staphyloma.[13] Pekingese are also prone to eye ulcers, which can result in individuals with the ailment being disqualified from shows.[13] The Pekingese, however, is less likely than other brachycephalic breeds to develop entropion, possibly due to having thinner noses than other breeds like the Pug.[14]

In an effort to address potential breathing difficulties caused by the breed's flat face, The Kennel Club (UK) significantly changed the breed standard in October 2008, removing the clause that the "profile [should be] flat with nose well up between eyes" and adding instead that the "muzzle must be evident". This was in response to public opinion following the BBC programme Pedigree Dogs Exposed.[18]

Care

[edit]

The Pekingese is considered "high maintenance" in regard to grooming.[19] The breed is double-coated, and thus both layers of its coat must be adequately brushed.[5] The breed should never be shaved, as this can lead to sunburn.[20] It is important to remove foreign materials from the eyes daily, and clean the creases on the face to prevent sores (hot spots).[5][19] It is also necessary to keep and maintain the long fur in the rear end (aka the "trousers" or "skirt") clean and well-groomed, as the area is prone to soiling. In cold climates, the trousers may accumulate clumps of snowballs.[21]

Dark coated Pekingese

Due to their abundance of fur and the brachycephalic skull, it is important to keep the Pekingese cool. The breed is prone to have heatstroke when exposed to high temperatures.[22][23]

Pekingese exercise needs are minimal. Due to their extremely short snouts, they are at a higher risk for breathing difficulties (most notably brachycephalic obstructed airway syndrome).[24] Because of this, they are rarely capable of more than 20 minutes of exercise per day, and a maximum of two such walks per day.[20] It is important to monitor their breathing while exercising, especially if in the heat. If the Pekingese begins wheezing, exercise should cease immediately. After running, they should rest in a cool place until their breathing returns to normal. They must have access to plenty of water before, during, and after exercise to prevent overheating and dehydration.[25]

History

[edit]
Pekingese, 1904
Chinese Spaniel, 1903
Chinese Happa dog from the 19th century, an ancestor of the modern Pekingese, Rothschild Zoological Museum, Tring, England

The breed emerged in China from several kinds of small dog owned by aristocratic families. Unlike the others, it could only be owned by members of the Chinese Imperial Palace.[26]

During the Second Opium War, in 1860, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing was sacked and set ablaze by a combined Anglo-French expeditionary force, after the Xianfeng Emperor had fled with all of his court members to Chengde.

A British soldier, Captain John Hart Dunne came across a lone Pekingese, which he brought back to England. It was the first of the breed to survive the voyage.[26] He presented her to Queen Victoria, who named it "Looty".[27][28][29]

It is often said that during the sack of the palace grounds, a contingent of British and French troops entered one of the palaces. An elderly aunt of the emperor had remained behind, but when the troops entered the palace she committed suicide. She was found dead with five Pekingese beside her body. They were taken by the troops before the Summer Palace was burnt to the ground.[30][31] Lord John Hay took a pair, later called Schloff and Hytien, and gave them to his sister, the Duchess of Wellington, wife of Henry Wellesley, 3rd Duke of Wellington. Sir George Fitzroy took another pair, and gave them to his cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Gordon. The fifth was the one found by captain Dunne. However, the tale has no support from contemporary documents, while both Hay and Fitzroy may well have acquired pekes from some source, they were serving Naval officers expected to stay with their ships guarding the entrance to Beijing.[32]

The Empress Dowager Cixi presented Pekingese to several Americans, including John Pierpont Morgan[33] and Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, who named her dog "Manchu".[34]

The first Pekingese in Ireland was introduced by Dr. Heuston. He established smallpox vaccination clinics in China. The effect was dramatic. In gratitude, the Chinese minister, Li Hongzhang, presented him with a pair of Pekingese. They were named Chang and Lady Li. Dr. Heuston founded the Greystones kennel.[28]

White-cream Pekingese with black mask

Around the turn of the century, Pekingese dogs became popular in Western countries. They were owned by such arbiters of fashion as Alexandra of Denmark, wife of Edward VII, and Elsie de Wolfe, popular American interior decorator. Later, they were owned by Rumer Godden, who wrote in her autobiography that "I do not like dogs except very large ones and one or two with such character that they cannot be denied; Pekingese are not dogs but something more"[35] and by Auberon Waugh, who on one occasion fancifully boasted that one of his dogs shared his love of The Daily Telegraph and hatred for The Sunday Times.[36]

The breed's popularity has declined in recent years,[37] reasons including being eclipsed in popularity by the Shih Tzu[38] and the effort required to maintain its coat.[39] Despite this, the Pekingese is one of the top-winning breeds in the history of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show,[40] with five Best in Show winners.[41][42]

Origin myth

[edit]
Pekingese puppy

There are two origin stories for the Pekingese.[26] The more common one is The Lion and the Marmoset:

A lion and a marmoset fell in love, but the lion was too large. The Gods intervened to even up their sizes; in one version of the story they shrank the lion down, in another they enlarged the marmoset. The Pekingese was the result.

The other originating story is The Butterfly Lions:

A lioness fell in love with a butterfly. But they knew the difference in size was too much to overcome. Together they went to see the Buddha, who allowed their size to meet in the middle. From this, the Pekingese came, as brave as a lion yet as dainty as a butterfly.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. 1 2 "Keegan's Puppies - Pekingese Breed Traits and Characteristics". Archived from the original on 2011-10-09. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Official Standard of the Pekingese" (PDF). American Kennel Club. March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2025-02-20.
  3. ↑ Hamilton, Ferelith; Jones, Arthur Frederick (1971). The World Encyclopedia of Dogs. New York, NY: Galahad Books. p. 550. ISBN 0883653028.
  4. ↑ Drastura, Jenny (2014). Pekingese: A Practical Guide for the Pekingese Lover. Neptune City, NJ: TFH Publications, Inc. p. 22. ISBN 9780793841868. These white Pekes should not be confused with albinos. Albinos cannot be shown and have serious health problems.
  5. 1 2 3 Coile, Caroline D. (2006). Pekingese: Everything about Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Behavior and. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's. pp. 60–61. ISBN 0764134019.
  6. 1 2 3 Burve, Diane (July 2013). "Judging the Pekingese: An Insight Into This Wonderful Oriental Breed". Showsight Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Mitchell, Elsie P. (1991). The Lion-Dog of Buddhist Asia. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company. p. 32. ISBN 0962849502.
  8. 1 2 Hubbard, Clifford L. B. (1948). Dogs in Britain: A Description of All Native Breeds and Most Foreign Breeds in Britain. London, England: Macmillan Publishers. pp. 222–223.
  9. ↑ Godden, Rumer (1978). Butterfly Lions: The Story of the Pekingese in History, Legend, and Art. New York, NY: Viking Press. p. 138. ...Empress Tzū-hsi had a horror of the artificial dwarfing of the dogs; some methods were abominably cruel: the puppies were put into wire cages that closely fitted their bodies and which were only taken off when they were mature.
  10. ↑ McMillan, Kirsten M.; Bielby, Jon; Williams, Carys L.; Upjohn, Melissa M.; Casey, Rachel A.; Christley, Robert M. (2024-02-01). "Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death". Scientific Reports. 14 (1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 531. Bibcode:2024NatSR..14..531M. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10834484. PMID 38302530.
  11. 1 2 Fleming, J.M.; Creevy, K.E.; Promislow, D.E.L. (March 2011). "Mortality in North American Dogs from 1984 to 2004: An Investigation into Age-, Size-, and Breed-Related Causes of Death". Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 25 (2): 187–198. doi:10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.0695.x. PMID 21352376.Open access icon
  12. 1 2 Gelatt, Kirk N. (1981). Veterinary Ophthalmology (2nd ed.). Malvern, PA: Lea & Febiger (published 1991). ISBN 0812113659.
  13. 1 2 3 Quigley, Dorothy (1964). The Quigley Book of the Pekingese. New York, NY: Howell Book House. pp. 150–151.
  14. 1 2 3 Costa, Joana; Steinmetz, Andrea; Delgado, Esmeralda (2021). "Clinical signs of brachycephalic ocular syndrome in 93 dogs". Irish Veterinary Journal. 74 3. doi:10.1186/s13620-021-00183-5. PMC 7836154.
  15. ↑ Ricketts, Viva Leone (1965). All About Toy Dogs. New York, NY: Howell Book House. p. 168. Running in grass and stubble, he is apt to get splinters of dried grass and stubble in his eyes and start infections.
  16. 1 2 Roberts, Seymour R. (September 1960). "Congenital Posterior Ectasia of the Sclera in Collie Dogs". American Journal of Ophthalmology. 50 (3): 451–465. doi:10.1016/0002-9394(60)90684-X – via Archive.org. The "ideal" Pekingese eye today is lagopthalmic; large and proposed, it is subject to exposure keratitis.
  17. 1 2 Bell, Jerold S.; Cavanagh, Kathleen E.; Tilley, Larry P.; Smith, Francis W.K. (2012). Veterinary medical guide to dog and cat breeds. Jackson, WY: Teton NewMedia, Inc. p. 355. ISBN 9781482241419.
  18. ↑ Moss, Stephen (4 December 2008). "Dogs and Monsters". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 September 2026. [The Kennel Club] has already revised the standard for the pekingese to encourage a less flat face. The gradual elimination of the pekingese's muzzle - in line with a standard that specified "profile flat with nose well set between eyes" - meant that these dogs, too, were having difficulty breathing. Noses are now back in.
  19. 1 2 Cunliffe, Juliette (2003). Pekingese. Allenhurst, NJ: Kennel Club Books. p. 24. ISBN 1593782535.
  20. 1 2 "Keeping a Pekingese cool: Our summer survival guide for the lion dog". Bocce's Bakery. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Katz, Rose Marie (1962). This is the Pekingese. Jersey City, NJ: TFH Publications. pp. 112–113.
  22. ↑ "Pekingese - Brachycephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome". ufaw.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
  23. ↑ "Pet safety tips during heat warning: How to keep your animals safe this week". NBC 26. 30 June 2026. Retrieved 2 September 2026. Older, overweight, or snub-nosed dogs are especially at risk in hot weather. Boston terriers, Pekingese, Pugs, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, and Bulldogs are particularly vulnerable.
  24. ↑ "Pekingese Breed Information". PDSA. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  25. ↑ Fay-Thomson, Heidi (4 June 2020). "What to Do if Your Pet is Overheated". Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  26. 1 2 3 Godden (1977)
  27. ↑ Looty, Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl, 1861, oil on canvas backed on panel, 33.3 × 38.1 cm, Royal Collection, RCIN 40697. Painted at Windsor for Queen Victoria
  28. 1 2 Key, John (April 2000). "Pearlstone Pekingese History". Shankhill, Dublin, Ireland. Archived from the original on 2007-09-17. Retrieved 2009-10-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)()
  29. ↑ "The Letter", David Matthews, Jo Lee Magazine, Nov. 2002, p. 18" "This little dog was found by me in the Palace of Yuan-Ming-Yuan near Pekin on the 6th of October 1860. It is supposed to have belonged to either the Empress, or one of the ladies of the Imperial Family. It is a most affectionate and intelligent little creature – it has always been accustomed to being treated as a pet and it was with the hope that it might be looked upon as such by Her Majesty and the Royal Family that I have brought it from China." John Hart Dunne, Captain, 99th Regt.
  30. ↑ "Pekingese". Canadian Kennel Club. Retrieved 2 September 2026. British troops stormed the Summer Palace at Peking. Most of the palace dogs had been killed to prevent the British from taking them. But five 'sleeve' Pekes were found guarding the body of an imperial princess who had taken her own life. These five were taken back to Britain and one was presented to Queen Victoria who named her 'Looty.'
  31. ↑ Gardner, Janice (2002). Pedigree Points: A handbook of what judges look for in over 100 of the most popular breeds. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's. p. 110. ISBN 0764154648. Five favorite Pekingese of the Emperor's aunt, who had committed suicide, were found alive behind a drapery in her apartments and taken back to the UK.
  32. ↑ Godden (1977) p.94
  33. ↑ Stewart, Rosalie (1913). "Oriental Dogs". Harper's Bazaar. p. 46. Retrieved 2 September 2026 – via Archive.org.
  34. ↑ Volk, Cynthia (24 October 2022). "The Titan and the Lion Dog". The Morgan Library and Museum. Retrieved 1 September 2026.
  35. ↑ A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep by Rumer Godden, originally published by Macmillan 1987 and taken from page 109 of Corgi edition, 1989
  36. ↑ "Top dogs", The Daily Telegraph, 23 March 1994, reprinted in the anthology Way of the World, Random House (Century) 1994 and taken from page 396 of Arrow Books edition, 1995
  37. ↑ "Pekingese | Breeds A to Z | The Kennel Club". thekennelclub.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  38. ↑ Country Life magazine, 18 August 2018
  39. ↑ "Pekingese | Breeds A to Z". Royal Kennel Club. Retrieved 2 September 2026. Sadly their popularity has declined in recent years perhaps due to the demands of coat care
  40. ↑ Robins, Mary (9 April 2024). "Facts About the Pekingese That You May Not Know". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  41. ↑ "Hot Dog: Pekingese named Wasabi wins best in show at Westminster". The Guardian. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2026. Champion follows in grandfather Malachy's paw prints and gains fifth-ever win for Pekingese
  42. ↑ Alexandra, Rae (14 June 2021). "Wasabi the Pekingese Won Best in Show and Westminster Fans are Mad". Retrieved 2 September 2026. To start, the three-year-old floof-mobile was only the fifth Pekingese to win the competition in 145 years.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Godden, Rumer. The Butterfly Lions: The Pekingese in History, legend and Art. Viking. 1977.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pekingese&oldid=1376156721"