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| Pekingese | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A long-haired Pekingese brushed out and ready for show | |||||||||||||
| Common nicknames | Peke | ||||||||||||
| Origin | China | ||||||||||||
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| Dog (domestic dog) | |||||||||||||
| Pekingese | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 北京狗 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | Beijing dog | ||||||
| |||||||
| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 獅子狗 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 狮子狗 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | lion dog | ||||||
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ThePekingese (also spelledPekinese) is abreed oftoy dog, originating inChina. The breed was favored by royalty of theChinese Imperial court as acompanion dog, and its name refers to the city ofBeijing (Peking) where theForbidden City is located.[1] The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance. Because of its desirable characteristics, the Pekingese has been part of the development of designer crossbreeds, such as thePeekapoo (crossed with apoodle) and Peke-a-tese (crossed with aMaltese).[2]
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Modern breeders and dog show judges seem to prefer the long-haired type over the more traditionalspaniel-type coat.[3]
The Pekingese'sflat 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's unusual rolling gait may have been deliberately developed through selective breeding, to prevent the court dogs from wandering in ancient times.[citation needed]
Breed standards allow a wide range of color combinations.[3] 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 withalbinism.[citation needed]
Ablack mask or a self-colored face is equally acceptable inshow dogs. Regardless of coat color, the exposed skin of the muzzle, nose, lips and eye rims is black.[3] Due to heavy shedding and to prevent mats, this double-coated breed requires frequent extensivegrooming.
Pekingese weigh from 7 to 14 lb (3.2 to 6.4 kg) and stand about 6–9 inches (15–23 cm) at thewithers; however, they can be smaller. These smaller Pekingese are commonly referred to as "sleeve" Pekingese or just "sleeves". The name is taken from ancient times, when emperors would carry the smallest of the breed in their sleeves.[citation needed] A Pekingese over 14 lbs. is disqualified in the show ring.[3]
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.
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 forcrossbreeds.[4]
The leading cause of death for Pekingese, as for many other Toy breeds, istrauma.[5] Primary health concerns include neurological and cardiovascular defects,[5]
As a result of breeding for an increasingly flattened face, itsbrachycephaly can lead to health issues in some Pekingese. Therefore other potential concerns in the breed are eye issues andbreathing problems, resulting from its tiny skull and flattened face. Furthermore, skin allergies (includinghotspots) andeye ulcers may develop spontaneously. Pekingese may also developkeratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye) andprogressive retinal atrophy.[6][verification needed]
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 programmePedigree Dogs Exposed.[citation needed]
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Keeping the Pekingese coat healthy and presentable requires daily brushing and a trip to the groomer every 8–12 weeks. Dogs intended as a house pet may be kept in a puppy cut, which requires less maintenance than a show coat. It is important to remove foreign materials from the eyes daily, and clean the creases on the face to prevent sores (hot spots). 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.
Due to their abundance of fur, it is important to keep the Pekingese cool. The breed is prone to haveheatstroke when exposed to high temperatures.[7]
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).[8] Because of this, they are rarely capable of more than 30 minutes of exercise per day. 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 anddehydration.
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 theChinese Imperial Palace.[9]
During theSecond Opium War, in 1860, theOld Summer Palace inBeijing was sacked and set ablaze by a combined Anglo-French expeditionary force, after theXianfeng Emperor had fled with all of his court members toChengde.
A British soldier, CaptainJohn Hart Dunne came across a lone Pekingese, which he brought back to England. It was the first of the breed to survive the voyage.[9] He presented her toQueen Victoria, who named itLooty.[10][11][12]
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 committedsuicide. 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.[citation needed]Lord John Hay took a pair, later calledSchloff andHytien, and gave them to his sister, the Duchess of Wellington, wife ofHenry 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.[13]
TheEmpress Dowager Cixi presented Pekingese to several Americans, includingJohn Pierpont Morgan andAlice Lee Roosevelt Longworth, daughter ofTheodore Roosevelt, who named itManchu.
The first Pekingese inIreland was introduced by Dr. Heuston. He establishedsmallpox vaccination clinics in China. The effect was dramatic. In gratitude, the Chinese minister,Li Hongzhang presented him with a pair of Pekingese. They were namedChang andLady Li. Dr. Heuston founded theGreystones kennel.[11]
Around the turn of the century, Pekingese dogs became popular in Western countries. They were owned by such arbiters of fashion asAlexandra of Denmark, wife ofEdward VII, andElsie de Wolfe, popular American interior decorator. Later, they were owned byRumer 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"[14] and byAuberon Waugh, who on one occasion fancifully boasted that one of his dogs shared his love ofThe Daily Telegraph and hatred forThe Sunday Times.[15]
A 2018Country Life article asserted that the breed's "perceived desirability has plummeted, eclipsed entirely by that of theshih tzu".[16] The Kennel Club also states that "their popularity has declined".[17] However, in 2021 a Pekingese named Wasabi won theWestminster dog show, the fourth time a Pekingese wonBest in Show at Westminster.[18]
According to the 1948 publicationDogs In Britain, A Description of All Native Breeds and Most Foreign Breeds in Britain by Clifford LB Hubbard, the Sleeve Pekingese is a true miniature of the standard-sized dog, and was also known as the Miniature Pekingese. The nameSleeve Pekingese came from the custom of carrying these small dogs in the capacious sleeves of the robes worn by members of the Chinese Imperial Household. They were used as a defensive weapon if needed. Hubbard indicated that this tradition appeared to be early Italian rather than Chinese, 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 puppiesrice wine, holding newborns tightly for hours at a time or putting the puppies into tight-fitting wire mesh waistcoats. These practices were apparently forbidden byDowager Empress Cixi.
In Hubbard's time, the termSleeve was applied in Britain to a miniature Pekingese no more than 6–7 pounds in weight, often appearing to be only about 3–4 pounds. Mrs Flander'sMai Mai weighed only a little over 4 pounds and many other breeders had bred true miniatures of a similar size. He noted that miniatures may appear in a litter bred from full-sized Pekingese and were exhibited in classes for dogs less than 7 pounds at the major dog shows in Britain. In 1946 (when Hubbard wrote his book), the Sleeve Pekingese had a strong following with the most popular colours being cream and white, with white being considered particularly attractive. He illustrated the description with a white Sleeve Pekingese bred by Mrs Aileen Adam.[19]
There are two origin stories for the Pekingese.[9] The more common one is The Lion and the Marmoset:
The other originating story is The Butterfly Lions:
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