Pekingese | Dog Breed Information & Facts – Pictures

The Pekingese is one of the most striking dog breeds, thanks to its fun appearance and lovable character. Fun, active and familiar, this dog is also intelligent and sensitive. All this makes training easier, even if he is a bit stubborn, so you have to be patient with it. In addition, he is brave and angry, which can cause him problems if he is not socialized as a puppy.

He is a small dog with a flat nose and the appearance of a lion. He was once considered a sacred dog and part of Asian royalty. Currently the Pekingese is very popular in practically the whole world.

Dog sheet Pekingese

Pekingese photos

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Physical characteristics

The Pekingese is a small dog, small but surprisingly robust. In proportion, it is wider than it is tall and shows a large head covered with fur which gives it the characteristic appearance of a small lion.

The size of the Pekingese is 15-23 cm at the tourniquet, a very small size for its weight, which is about 3-5 kg and makes it very corpulent for its size.

Dog-characteristics-Pekingese

Distinctive features

  • Head: The skull is quite wide and flattened. The muzzle is shortened, but wide and rolled up with a well -developed chin. There is a characteristic fold in the shape of a V on the bridge of the nose. The judgment is clearly indicated.
  • Jaws: the lower jaw is strong, has pronounced contours. The teeth are small, quite strong, white. Bite – Moderate Supervilion.
  • Ears: hanging ears in the shape of a heart, decorated with long fringes. The ears are high and wide.
  • Eyes: The eyes are round, large and convex with a large set. The color of the iris is dark.
  • Body: the body is shortened, seems slightly heavy. The neck is short and powerful. The back is straight and strong. The chest is fully developed, deep enough and spacious.
  • Members: The legs are shortened, twisted. Previous limbs seem much more powerful than posterior limbs. The legs are flat with an oblique game with rather thick fingers.
  • Pelage: the root of the hair is thick, hard and very long, forming a beautiful mane on the neck. The sub-point is dense and fluffy. Red, black, multicolored, fawn color. There can be a dark mask on the muzzle.

Character and behavior

Pekingese does not only want to be the principal of the family, but feel like an emperor. He likes to be the center of attention and receive regular care, and if something is wrong, he instantly “organizes” a riot in the form of noisy barking and groans, jumps on furniture, etc.

He loves his master a lot, in case of danger he is ready to defend him. The breed belongs to monogams, so the change of owner for it is significant stress.

With children

Relations with children are rather calm than soft, because the animal does not really like hugs close to the children, who give it really tangible discomfort.

With other animals

He gets along well with pets, especially with those of small size, because the Pekingese considers that he is unworthy to organize a confrontation with “little things”.

However, with dogs, especially males, it is most often at the stage of eternal war. Such an enmity is explained by the desire for leadership of the Pekingese and their refusal to share the love of the master.

Health

Like many other breeds, the Pekingese is known to suffer from some hereditary health problems that are worth knowing if you plan to share your home with one of these energetic little dogs. The diseases that seem to affect the breed most are:

  • Hereditary and congenital deafness.
  • Back problems more particularly intervertebral disk disease.
  • Eye problems.
  • Heart problems.
  • Respiratory problems more particularly due to stenotic nostrils and pinched nostrils.
  • Pyometra – an infection of the uterus
  • Dystocia – difficulty getting low, many Pekinese puppies to be delivered by caesarean section

Life expectancy

The life expectancy of the Pekingese is 13 – 15 years.

Care

The long peeling of the dog needs care – it must be combed two to three times a week. Some owners opt for regular grooming in order to have less concerns to do.

Keep your animal’s ears and eyes clean and cut the claws three times a month. Bat the dog once or twice a month. Also make sure that the folds of the muzzle are always dry and clean.

They can quickly gain weight and become obese if you do not control their diet.

Living conditions

Pekingese is ideal for a small apartment, because it does not need a lot of space.

Exercise

The Pekingese does not need a lot of exercise. It usually takes two daily walks of 15 to 20 minutes, which can be short or moderate, and low play time. In general, the Pekingese is a quiet dog who prefers to spend time without much activity. However, it is important to take it for a walk to socialize, in addition to giving it physical activity.

Note

Pekingese does not tolerate the heat well, keep this in mind.

Fun facts

  • In the imperial palace, Pekingese puppies were fed not by their mother, but by specially assigned people. The babies were hand-fed exclusively with human milk.
  • In ancient China, every Pekingese had a servant.
  • In the imperial chambers, the Chinese dogs lived like in paradise, but if their royal master died, his Pekingese were killed and buried with him.
  • For the theft of of this little dog, the kidnapper was punished with the death penalty.
  • The roots of the breed lead to the Central Asian wolves.
  • The emperor hid the Pekingese in his sleeve, if someone approached unacceptably close to the royal person, the dog would suddenly jump out and attack the offender.

History of the breed

This may not be the way the Pekingese was born, but it’s a good story. The breed is really old, with DNA tests that confirm it as one of the oldest dog breeds. It is believed that the Pekingese has existed in China for 2,000 years. Named for the capital of Peking China (now Beijing), they were companions of nobles, princes and members of the imperial family.

The Pekingese was a dog revered by Buddhist monks in China, because their physical characteristics have some similarities with the lion of Fu, a mythical animal of the Buddhist tradition. For this reason, the dogs were supported by royalty and only the nobles could have a Pekingese in their possession, such was the devotion for this breed, which sometimes even had human servants.

In 1860, during the Second Opium War, Anglo-French troops looted and burned the summer palace in Beijing shortly after the Chinese Emperor Xianfeng fled. Fortunately, before they burned it, they saved (or rather captured) five Pekingese dogs living in this palace. These five dogs were taken to England, where they were given to nobles and aristocrats. One of them has even arrived at the hands of Queen Victoria of England.

These five dogs were the parents of the current population of Pekingese, because the other dogs from China died or were hidden by the population, without any proof of their offspring. Subsequently, in the United Kingdom, the sponsorship of the breed began and its popularity has continued to grow until today.