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PEKINGESE |
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The Pekingese
may be the ultimately dwarfed version of the hairy dogs from Tibet. Or,
like the Pug, it may contain some miniature versions of the brachycephalic
mastiff dogs. A combination of these two sources could have resulted in
this unique canine creation. Whatever the origin, similar miniature dogs
have been known in China since the T'ang dynasty of the eighth century.
In ancient superstitious times, the "terrifying" lionlike appearance
of these dogs, and the "Fo Dog" idols that represented them,
were supposed to frighten away evil spirits. The Peke was known by a variety
of names: Lion Dog, like his close relatives the Lhasa and Shin Tzu; Sun
Dog, for the prized golden color; or Sleeve Dog, when he was small enough
to be carried around in a voluminous Chinese sleeve.
The Chinese
emperor Ming Ti converted to Buddhism hi the first century AD, and the
leonine connection to Buddha was bestowed on the Pekingese, as well as
others, to be protectors of the faith. As the centuries passed, the popularity
of these and other types of small pet dogs among the wealthy ebbed and
flowed. By the beginning of the 19th century, dogs of the Pekingese type
had become the darlings of the Chinese imperial court and the next several
decades saw them reach their zenith. There were thousands of them around
the various imperial palaces, and 4,000 eunuchs were housed and employed
in Peking solely for the purpose of breeding, raising and caring for the
Pekingese dogs. Slave girls wet-nursed the imperial puppies after their
own expendable daughters were slain. No one out- side of the nobility
was allowed to own one, and the dogs knew nothing but pampering and gentle
care. Two little Pekes announced the appearance of the emperor with short,
sharp barks; two more followed daintily carrying the hem of his imperial
robe. Stealing one was punishable by death.
When Peking
was sacked by the British in 1860, the imperial family gave instructions
to destroy all the dogs so that none would fall into the hands of the
"foreign devils." Nevertheless, soldiers found four guarding
the body of the emperor's aunt, who had taken her own life. These small
dogs (all "sleeves" under 6 pounds) were transported back
to England where one was given to Queen Victoria who, with grim humor,
called her "Looty." Others were soon obtained from Peking
through more normal channels, and before long the breed became
fashionable and quickly rose to
the esteemed position where it has remained. At the end of the 1800s,
the regent dowager Empress T'zu Hsi presented a Pekingese to an American
artist, Miss Carl, in return for a painting of her favorite dog. She
also presented a dog to Alice Roosevelt upon her visit to Peking. J.P.
Morgan was another admirer of these dogs and brought a pair home to
America. The Peke was accepted by the AKC in 1909 and in England the
following year. The Dowager Empress is also credited with the following
instructions concerning the little royal dog: it was to be fed sharks'
fins and curlews' livers, breasts of quails, tea or milk of antelopes,
broth made from the nests of sea swallows; if ill it was to be ".
. . anointed with the clarified fat of the leg of a sacred leopard and
give it to drink a throstle's egg shell—full of the juice of the custard
apple in which has been dis-solved
three pinches of shredded rhinoceros horn. , . " Her full description
of the Pekingese included an ideal that "its forelegs be bent so
that it shall not desire to wander far or leave the Imperial precincts."
In rural
northern China today, a very small version of the Pekingese is still
bred. This min-iscule canine, under one pound, is considered good
luck. Always in the piebald pattern, their spotted coats are "read"
like tea leaves.
The Pekingese
does have rather distinctive physical characteristics that, while
pleasing to some, may not be appealing to others. The extremely shortened
muzzle puts the nose directly between the eyes, creating a wide "smiling"
mouth and a very flat face. This same characteristic causes them to
suffer on hot, humid days. Pekingese eyes are prominent and prone
to injury. The head is wide and flat, the neck short with relatively
massive shoulders and chest, and front legs are short and crooked.
Combined with a long body, short stature and rather narrow hips, the
breed characteristically moves with a bit of a roll.
Pekingese do have marvelous personalities, exhibiting confidence, charm and a bit of stubborn independence. They are fearless but never aggressive, and their sole purpose in life is to give comfort and companionship to their owners. |
