Pekingese - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Legend
There is a Chinese legend about the Pekingese, which says, that Pekingese is a lion shrunk to miniature size. According to this legend, a lion felt in love with a small monkey. That is why the lion came to the Buddha and asked him if he can reduce his size, but retain his lion heart. The Buddha agreed and according to the legend, the first Pekingese was the result of the lion and monkey love.

2) Magical powers
Of course that was only a legend, but it is true, that the lion was a symbol of Buddha and therefore, lion like dogs with flowing manes were very popular among Buddhist. Back in the days, people believed that these small fluffy dogs have magical powers and that they have ability to protect temples and palaces.

3) Royalty

At least since the 8th century, the Pekingese lived as royalty in the palaces and they were never allowed to leave the palace. It is believed that they even had its own servants. The punishment for stealing a Pekingese from the palace was death. For the rest of the world, the breed was discovered during the Opium Wars in the 19th century and few of them were brought to the Britain. Since than, their popularity started to rasining very quickly.

4) Loyalty
Since they were bred as royalty companion and they lived their whole lives around their owners and family, it is only logical that these dogs are extremely loyal and devoted. They are also very friendly, affectionate and intelligent, which makes them extraordinary family companions.

5) Independent dogs
It is definitely true that these dogs are intelligent, but they are not pushovers to train. It is because they have mind of their own, independent mind and often stubborn streaks. That is why sometimes it might be little bit challanging to teach them new tricks, but they are definitely capable of learning all the basic commands.

6) Watchdogs
Of course, Pekingese would make a poor guard, because they are too small for this job. But thanks to their great loyalty, they make great watchdogs. They are very alert and they will most likely let you know with their alarm bark when something suspicious is going on around your property. And dont be surprised by their bark, they really sounds like a much bigger dog, than they actually are.

7) Size

The Pekingese is not the largest dog, but you might be surprised by their average weight. Lets start with the height, which is typically between 6-9 inches, or 15-23 cm. The average weight starts at 6 pounds but they can weigh up to 14 pounds, which is 3-7 kgs.

8) Coat
One of the distinguishing mark of the Pekingese is definitely its long, coarse, and straight coat. They are called lion like dogs and it is thanks to the noticeable mane on the neck and shoulder. They can be in any color with any markings. The all white Pekingeses were and still are very highly valued, especially in China.

9) Rolling gait
Despite the small size, the Pekingese body is quite sturdy and their built highly contribute to their distinctive rolling gait, in which the body sways softly from one side to the other. Another distinctive feature of the Pekingese is its shortened muzzle, very large eyes and wrinkles between the eyes and the muzzle.

10) Health
The average Pekingese lifespan is between 11-15 years and they do suffer from some serious health problems. The most common are cardiovascular and breathing problems. The breathing problems are result of the tiny skull and flattened muzzle. The Pekingese also commonly suffer from patellar luxation, entropion and skin allergies.