Pekingese Info Page

04/10/2024

12/01/2024

Pekingese Are Very Loyal and Affectionate

Bred to be close companions to Chinese royalty, this ancient breed bonds very closely with their humans, making them wonderful house pets. They're especially well-suited to loving families where they can avoid any rough play.

12/01/2024

A hallmark of the breed is their friendly, outgoing, loving personality. Pekes are affectionate and intelligent and develop very strong connections to their people. As dogs who for centuries lived in palaces, Pekes can be as serenely independent as the emperors who owned them.

14/11/2023

Pekingese need plenty of human companionship to be happy. They thrive on attention and will bark and attempt to protect their homes and families. They are very happy to be lap dogs much of the time. Most Pekingese get along well with older children.

13/11/2023

23/07/2023

The Pekingese has a median lifespan of 11.4 years in a UK Kennel Club survey.[2]

The leading cause of death for Pekingese, as for many other Toy breeds, is trauma.[3] Primary health concerns include neurological and cardiovascular defects,[3] 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.

23/07/2023

The Pekingese (also spelled Pekinese) is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Peking (Beijing) where the Forbidden City is located. The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance. Because of its desirable characteristics, the Pekingese has been part of the development of designer crossbreeds, such as the Peekapoo (crossed with a poodle) and Peke-a-tese (crossed with a Maltese).

09/03/2023

The Pekingese has a median lifespan of 11.4 years in a UK Kennel Club survey.[2]

The leading cause of death for Pekingese, as for many other Toy breeds, is trauma.[3] Primary health concerns include neurological and cardiovascular defects,[3] 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 (including hotspots) and eye ulcers may develop spontaneously. Pekingese may also develop keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye) progressive retinal atrophy,[4] 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.[5]

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.

23/12/2022

Pekingese dogs generally weigh between 8 and 10 pounds as adults, making their food needs comparatively small. Dogs the size of Pekingese should consume between 296 and 404 calories per day, according to The National Research Council of the National Academies. The actual amount your Peke should consume will depend on the dog's activity level. Pekingese descend from a long ancestral line of royal lap dogs, so they tend to be sedentary. Pekingese should be encouraged to exercise, but if your Peke is a couch potato, it is essential to adjust their daily calorie intake accordingly. It is important that your little pet stay slender to stave off intervertebral disc disease, a serious degenerative spinal condition that can affect Pekingese. Obesity makes your Peke more susceptible to this problem, which can cause paralysis.

Healthy Foods

Commercial dog foods can provide the nutrients your Pekingese needs. Fed as dry kibble, such foods also can help to keep your pet's teeth free of plaque and tartar. The Pekingese is brachycephalic, meaning the breed has a flattened face. This not only makes the Pekingese susceptible to the usual breathing and overheating problems of dogs with shortened faces, but it also crowds the dog's teeth, making the Pekingese prone to periodontal disease. When the dog chews dry kibble, the texture assists in scraping plaque and food particles off of hard-to-reach areas of the teeth. Kibble also works well with this breed because it doesn't get caught in the long, silky hair of the face. If you mix a spoonful of canned dog food with the kibble, be sure the total meal doesn't exceed the dog's caloric needs. Remember to clean your Peke's face after a meal that includes canned food.