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Pekingese (Peke): Temperament, Origin, and Grooming

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About Pekingese

Country of Origin, History of Pekingeses

Pekingese was held in such high regard in Imperial China, that when overtaken by British and French forces in the late 1800’s, was ordered to be destroyed to avoid falling into foreign hands. Five dogs survived and were brought to England and from those came the breed as we know it today.

It was mostly through gifting amongst the elites that the Pekingese was introduced to United States and even Ireland.

From the early 1900s, the Pekingese dogs started gaining popularity in Western countries.

Pekingese Tools

Breed Selector Tool - is the Pekingese the right breed for you?

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Pekingese Calorie Calculator

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A General Appearance of the Dog

The Pekingese is characterized by a flat face and large eyes. With a muscular body and short legs, its body is close to the ground. The muzzle, nose, lips and eye rims are black.

These smaller Pekingese are commonly called "Sleeve" Pekingese because Chinese emperors could carry the smallest of his dogs in his sleeves.

Coat

Pekingese can either have the long-hair type coat or the spaniel-type coat. The Pekingese sheds a lot.

Color

Pekingese can be gold, red or sable. Cream, black, white, tan, black and tan.

Height

6-9” to meet the breed standard, however smaller ones called Sleeve Pekingese can be much smaller. These should probably be avoided, as health issues tend to increase as the size of the dog begins to decrease.

Weight: Weight should be 8-10 lbs.

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Pekingese Personality Traits

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Temperament

Being dogs of a royal ancestry, Pekingese can be aloof, stubborn and dignified. However they are affectionate and loyal and are happy to be lap dogs.

Peke dogs are protective in nature and make very alert watchdogs. Their alarm bark is much bigger than their size.

They are very devoted to their families. They need to socialized early to learn to accept other people.

Are they suited to homes with kids?

Older children and adults are best suited to the breed and they make fine watchdogs as long as barking is kept in check.

Are they suited to other pets?

Pekingese make good companions with other dogs and pets, but they need to be socialized early.

Living Conditions:

They should be kept indoors. Because of their shortened face, Pekingese are not suited to hot or humid weather. Like Pugs, they are prone to snoring.

Pekingese Activity Level

Keeping this dog active will sometimes fall on the owners shoulders because the Pekingese are quite content to lounge.

Walking on lead will be easier with a body harness rather than a lead around the neck. Their body confirmation and full coat makes easy work of slipping out of the latter.

Grooming

Grooming should be left to a professional and depending on whether you want a full coat or puppy cut should require 3-6 visits a year. Brushing between grooms is important to keep mats from beginning.

The cost of this should be factored when considering the breed. The term “high maintenance” is unfortunately paired with this fine, noble dog, but the proper owner will find it a rewarding experience nonetheless.

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Free Pekingese Training Secrets

Free Course on Pekingese Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

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Health and Care

Pekingese can be picky eaters to the point of food refusal. Even with that, proper diet should be offered to avoid excess weight that would put a stress on joints.

Herniated discs in the back and dislocation of the knees are frequently found in the breed as well as respiratory difficulties. Extreme heat or exertion can make breathing difficult and their sensitivity to dampness can bring on a cold similar to humans.

Pekingese Life Expectancy: 10-15 years.

National Breed Clubs

Breed Club:

British – Pekingese Club of UK
US – Pekingese Club of America, Inc.

Group: Toy Group.

AKC Popularity Ranking: 49

Train Your Pekingese To Listen To You

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You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.

You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:

  • How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.

  • 3 dangerous mistakes that most Peke owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.

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  • How to obedience train your Pekingese to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.

  • A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.

  • How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.

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  • One hidden psychological trigger that all Pekingeses have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.

  • Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.

Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Peke information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Pekes have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.

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Our Dog Experts

The Pekingese training information you will read here was developed by a panel of renowned dog training experts whose combined wisdom represents nearly 100 years of specialist experience training dogs.

Here are a few of our experts:

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