Pekingese

The Pekingese is one of the world's oldest breeds, originally developed in China as a companion dog to nobility. It is believed to have existed in its present form for over 2,000 years, largely unchanged. Along with the Pug, it is known as the "Foo Dog"� because of its resemblance to the traditional Chinese guardian lions. It is also called the "Lion Dog"�. The Pekingese is a stocky, sturdy dog, slightly longer than it is tall. It is quite bow-legged, which gives it a slow, rolling gait. It's tail is set high and carried over the back. The Pekingese is brachycephalic or flat faced. Its snout is black, it has a pronounced underbite. The eyes are large, round, wide-set and rimmed with a black line. It has a double coat, consisting of a soft, thick undercoat and a somewhat coarser long, full topcoat. Traditionally it had a medium-length coat resembling that of a spaniel, but modern breeders favor the long coat. The coat has abundant feathering and may come in one of a variety of colors, although the most common is fawn. The face may or may not be black. Its ears are heart-shaped and lay flat against its head. The ears carry considerable feathering, causing them to blend into the fur of the head and disappear, giving an illusion of greater size to the head. The Pekingese stands an average 6 to 9 inches tall at the withers. A variant under 6 inches tall is referred to as a "Sleeve Pekingese"�; it is believed that this tiny variant was once the size preferred in China. The Pekingese gets its name from the city of Peking, which is now known as Beijing. This is where the imperial palace was and where the royal family lived with their little Foo dogs, who were believed to possess a divine nature and protect the owners from evil spirits. Once, only a person of noble blood who lived inside the palace could have such a companion dog, and anyone caught stealing one was executed. A commoner was expected to bow to a Pekingese in greeting as they would before a person of royalty. The Chinese nobles sometimes carried the Pekingese in the sleeves of their garments. In 1860 the British army invaded China and took over the Forbidden City, where the palace was located. As the British came through the gates, the emperor's Imperial Guard carried out their orders to kill all the Pekingese dogs to avoid their being taken by the "foreign devils"�. Five of the dogs survived this massacre; it is said that the elderly aunt of the emperor committed suicide and her body was found surrounded by her grieving dogs. The five were taken by the British soldiers back to England where they were presented to Queen Victoria. From these five are descended all of the Pekingese of today. The breed was first shown formally in 1893. The American Kennel Club recognized the Pekingese in 1909, and today it is recognized by many kennel clubs around the world. The Pekingese is bred to be a companion dog, and should live indoors as a house pet. Its coat requires daily brushing, which is very important in order to keep the coat from matting. Allowing mats to develop is painful to the dog, and encourages skin infection. Daily brushing will keep the coat clean as well. Owners not wishing to show their dogs often choose to keep the coat in a "puppy cut"�, which is a bit shorter and easier to maintain. It still requires frequent brushing but its care is much simpler. The Pekingese should be taken to the groomer every two to three months for bathing and to have its coat trimmed and professionally brushed out, which cleans it of dead fur. This breed requires its eyes and face to be washed daily. If neglected, its face will collect bacteria in the tiny folds, and skin infections may occur. Hair between the toes should be checked regularly for any debris that may have been picked up and may impede the dog's walking or cause injury to the foot. The Pekingese does well in an apartment, and its exercise needs should be satisfied with a good play session every day, although for mental health a few walks around the neighborhood per week are recommended in order to avoid the development of behavioral problems. The Pekingese must be kept out of a warm environment, since heatstroke is a problem with this breed due to its abundance of fur and its brachycephalic respiratory system. It is prone to many of the same breathing problems that are common to many such breeds, and the Pekingese tends acquire respiratory infection easily and frequently. If breathing becomes very labored, the dog should have immediate veterinary care. Responding to increasing public criticism, the Kennel Club changed its breed standard in 2008 to allow for less flattening of the face of the Pekingese (and also the English Bulldog and Pug). This breed is also prone to corneal ulcers, which may appear suddenly, and to various skin allergies. Its long back predisposes it to back injury and the types of issues that may result from allowing the dog to become overweight, which puts undue stress on the spine. It is important that the owner take care not to allow excess weight in the Pekingese. The Pekingese is a brave little dog and will bark if there is an intruder to the home. It is intensely loyal to its human pack, and tends to develop a particular attachment to one or two persons in the household. An old Chinese legend explains the origin of the Pekingese: a lion and a marmoset monkey fell in love. Their large size difference troubled the lion, and so he went to the Buddha for guidance. The Buddha the made the lion as small as the monkey, and the result was the Pekingese dog, the perfect companion for centuries to come.

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