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Sun Dog Breed Description

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Breed Organization

Pekingese Club of America

Native Country
China. Sponsorship: Great Britain

Other Names
Pekingese, Peke, Sleeve Dog, Peking Palasthund, Chinese Spaniel, Imperial Dog of China, Peking Lion Dog, Pelchie Dog, Fu Dog

Life Expectancy
Approximately 10-13 Years

Litter Size
Average 2-4 Puppies

Breed Group
AKC Toy

General Description

The Pekingese is a small, well-balanced, compact dog. It has a stocky, muscular body that is slightly longer than it is tall. The head is large in proportion to the rest of the body, with the top of the head being massive, broad and flat. The front of the face is flat. The muzzle is broad and flat, thicker below the eyes, separating the upper and lower areas of the face. The skin on the muzzle is black. The black nose is broad and short. Teeth meet in an under bite with a broad jaw bone. The large, prominent, round eyes are set wide apart with black eye rims. The heart-shaped ears are set on the front corners of the top of the skull, lying flat against the head. They are well feathered so that they appear to blend with the head, giving it a rectangular look. The neck is short and thick. The legs are short, thick and heavy-boned. The tail is high-set, slightly arched and carried over the back. The outer coat is long and coarse in texture with profuse feathering. The undercoat is soft and thick. The coat comes in all colors, sometimes with a black mask.

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. Due to heavy shedding and to prevent mats, this double-coated breed requires frequent extensive grooming.

The Sleeve Pekingese is a true miniature of the standard-sized dog, and was also known as the Miniature Pekingese. The name Sleeve 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. 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 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.

Breed Standard

Head: Massive, wider than it is tall, flat. Wide, flat skull. Pronounced stop. Short, wide nose. Tight-lipped.
Ears: Heart-shaped, carried flat against the head. Long, abundant feathering.
Eyes: Large, round, dark. Edges of eyelids are black.
Body: Wide forequarters, narrower near the abdomen, short. Thick, very short neck. Wide chest. Well-sprung ribs. Pronounced flank. Straight back.
Tail: Set on high, carried firmly, curved loosely on one side of the back. Long feathering.
Hair: Long, straight, with an abundant mane forming a collarette around the neck. Long, abundant hair on the ears, backs of the legs, tail, and feet. Dense undercoat.
Coat: All colors and markings are allowed and equal in value, except albino and brown (liver). In the multi-color variety, markings are evenly distributed.
Size: 15 to 25 cm.
Weight: 2.5 to 5.5 kg.


History

This dog of Chinese origin is one of the world’s oldest breeds. He is depicted on bronze objects over 4,000 years old. For centuries, the Pekingese was bred, maintained, and honored in China’s Imperial palace. Believed to protect the emperor in the afterlife, the Pekingese was sacrificed at the emperor’s death. After seizing Peking and pillaging the Summer Palace in 1860, British soldiers brought Pekingese dogs back to England. There, they were given to Queen Victoria, the Duchess of Wellington, and the Duchess of Richmond, who established the first strain of "sun dog" from Imperial China. The Pekingese became very popular between World Wars I and II. Although limited, the breed's population remains stable.


Behavior

This lively, independent, strong-willed dog is very attached to his owner and does not always tolerate children. Distant toward strangers, the Pekingese barks often and is a good watchdog. He needs firm but gentle training.

Keeping the Pekingese coat healthy and presentable requires daily brushing, and a trip to the groomer every 8–12 weeks. One important thing for new owners to remember is that dogs intended as a house pet may be kept in a puppy cut which requires less maintenance than a show cut. It is also important to remove foreign materials from the eyes daily, and the creases on the face to prevent sores (hot spots). It is also necessary to keep and maintain the fur in the buttocks of the Pekingese clean and well groomed as the area is prone to soiling.

Due to their abundance of fur, it is important to keep the Pekingese cool. The breed is prone to have heatstroke when exposed to high temperature for a long time.

Pekingese exercise needs are minimal. Due to their extremely short snouts, they tend to have a high risk for breathing difficulties (most notably Brachycephalic obstructed airway syndrome). Because of this, they are incapable of more than around 30 minutes of exercise per day. It is important to monitor their breathing while exercising, especially if they are in the heat. If the Pekingese begins wheezing, exercise should cease immediately. After running, they should spend time resting in a cool place until their breathing returns to normal. They should also have access to plenty of water before, during, and after exercise to prevent overheating and dehydration.

He is happy living in an apartment. Not highly athletic, he needs only short daily walks. He requires daily brushing and combing, and his eyes and the folds on his face must be checked regularly.

Function

Pet.


Health

The leading cause of death for Pekingese, as for many other Toy breeds, is trauma. Primary health concerns include neurologic and cardiovascular defects, e.g., congestive heart failure. When diagnosed early and successfully treated with medication, a Pekingese with this condition can live many years. A heart murmur is a potential indicator, and must be evaluated by a veterinary cardiologist. Often the murmur does not surface until the dog is six years old, so it is difficult to screen in a puppy.

As a result of breeding for an increasingly flattened face, its brachycephaly can lead to health issues in some Pekingese. Therefore other potential concerns in the breed are eye issues and breathing problems, resulting from its tiny skull and flattened face. Furthermore skin allergies (and hotspots) and eye ulcers may develop spontaneously. Pekingese may also develop keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye) progressive retinal atrophy, along with glaucoma, in which buildup of ocular fluid places pressure on the eye, resulting in drainage. Improper development of the eye's filtration angles is the leading cause.

The Pekingese must be kept indoors, as their flattened faces and nasal structure can cause them to develop breathing problems, making it difficult for them to regulate their body temperature in hot weather. Their long spines, relative to their legs, make them vulnerable to back injuries. Care should be taken when picking them up to give adequate support to the back: one hand under the chest, the other under the abdomen. As an achondroplasiac breed, some Pekingese find stairs difficult, and older dogs may not be able to go up or down stairs alone. To avoid injury, they should also be discouraged or prevented from leaping from furniture and other heights; pet stairs may be useful to access beds.

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. The breed standards of two other brachycephalic breeds, the Pug and English Bulldog, were soon also changed.



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