Quick Facts
Origin: China
Height: 6”-9”
Weight: Up to 14 lbs
Color: Biscuit, Black, Black & tan, Cream, Fawn, Gray, Red, Red sable, White, Fawn sable, Gray sable with possible markings including White markings, Black mask and Parti-color
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Temperament: Opinionated, alert, charming, regal
Overview
Pekingese made their start as accessories for Emperors and courtiers in The Forbidden City of Imperial China. These pups have come a long way, but their regal nature and their excellent companionship stay true.
They imprint on their favorite person and create an unbreakable bond.
Pekes’ most distinguishing feature is their wild lionlike mane of hair.
Centuries of being a companion to royalty leads to a certain amount of haughtiness. As a result, Pekes can be difficult to train. If you are persistent, you can persuade your pup toward obedience. This breed can be good with children, provided the children are not prone to rowdy play or teasing.
Celebrity Owners
Donald Trump, Joe Jonas, Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Hyland, Joan Rivers, Lana Turner, Jean Arthur, Jayne Mansfield, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Barbara Cartland, Alice Brady, Bridget Marquardt, Shilpa Shetty, Olive Thomas
Fun Facts
- In Forbidden City of Imperial China, the smallest bred Pekingese hid inside of large sleeves and served as tiny bodyguards of courtiers.
- Pekingese love cold climates. Some of their owners have ice packs or pillows they give to their pup to sit on as a treat.
Health
Generally, Pekingese are healthy pups. Peke’s eyes are more vulnerable to corneal abrasions due to their lack of muzzle length. Always be aware of your pup’s surroundings to help protect their eyes. There are some health concerns to be aware of including:
- Dermatitis: Otherwise known as eczema, this condition effects the skin. Typically, skin will be dry, itchy, and inflamed.
- Brachycephalic syndrome: This syndrome describes anatomic abnormalities in certain breeds where the upper airways dysfunction and/or are obstructed.
- Intervertebral disc disease: The spine is broken into three sections, the lumbar, thoracic, and the cervical. The cervical is the top of the spine (neck area). There are 7 vertebra and 6 disks in this section.
- Luxating Patella: Luxating simply means out of place or dislocated. Patella is a kneecap. A Luxating patella is a kneecap that chronically moves out of its normal position.
- Liver shunt: The portal vein carrying blood bypasses the liver. While most commonly a birth defect, liver disease such as cirrhosis can also be a cause.
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
Grooming
Pekingese need a through brushing daily to prevent matts and tangles. Use a spray in conditioner before brushing with a comb or a small bristle brush. Be sure to gently brush all the way down to the skin to remove any dead hair.
Bathe your pup every other week. You can use dry shampoo in between washings to keep pup looking sharp. Keep your pup’s eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Clip your pup’s nails regularly. Brush their teeth several times per week.
Cost
$1,500 – $5,000
Exercise
Your Peke will love to exercise at a leisurely pace. Leashed walks or playing in a securely fenced in area. This breed is prone to overheating. Their condition can be fatal.
It is essential to limit time outdoors in hot climates and always supply your pup with a cool area with air conditioning indoors.
Nutrition
Your Peke will eat around 1 cup of food per day. They are prone to have allergies to corn, wheat, filler ash and occasionally chicken. Be sure to read ingredients before you buy. The exact requirements for your dog will vary with age and activity level.
Be mindful that little dogs that receive lots of treats and or table scraps end up overweight. A little dog that is overweight is significantly more likely to develop other health issues.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
Training
As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other dogs is essential. When it comes to training, your Peke is likely to be resistant. He may think, “Doesn’t this person realize I’m royalty?” If you stick with it and keep training, varied, short, fun and full of positive reinforcement, your pup will eventually agree. Be patient!
Crate training is highly recommended to housetraining your Peke. Faithfully stick to your schedule and your pup will figure it out eventually.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
The Good
Great watchdogs
Form very strong bonds with family
The "Ruff"
Prone to eye injuries
Difficult to train