Have you hugged your Pekingese today? |
“What is a Pekingese?”
The Pekingese is a small (toy breed) dog being 14 pounds or less, having long, full hair and a darling flat face. Almost lion like in appearance (thus the nickname lion dog) a well balanced compact dog with heavy front end (broad chest) and lighter hindquarters (almost pear shaped in body). Their tail is always curled and carried over the back (unless the dog is scared or upset) with long feathering that may fall on either side. They have short, bowed front legs and walk with a rolling gait.
“Where did Pekingese come from?”
During the T’ dynasty in China (700 A.D. to 1000 A.D.) the Pekingese was perfected and came about as a royal unique breed. Later, in 1860 when French and British troops invaded the Summer Palace, General Dunne brought a small fawn and white Pekingese to Queen Victoria who became known as “Looty.” As of 1906 American Kennel Club officially recognized the Pekingese as a breed in the registry.
“I have always heard that Pekingese are snippy little dogs, is this true?”
First, I must say MOST dogs are a product of their environment, a good example is this: I know breeders who keep their Pekingese in kennels and their dogs are quite happy there because this is how they were raised. My dogs on the other hand have been raised indoors and if they even thought they had to spend the night outside they would just die. I have never had one of my dogs bite anyone, they may bark but it goes no further. Any dog will defend itself if hurt or cornered but the answer is no, Pekingese do not run around just looking for someone to bite.
“Are Pekingese good with children?”
At the time of this writing I own nine Pekingese and have a seven year old daughter. I can assure anyone that I would not own the breed if they were not good around children. My daughter and her friends are in and out of our house all the time and it’s nothing to have as many as six children running around. Yes, the dogs bark like crazy wanting to join in the fun but they have never bitten a child. Keep in mind though a child does need to be educated on the do’s and don’ts of handling any dog. A child can easily hurt a dog causing the dog to defend itself, this will lead to an unhappy parent, child and dog.
“Are Pekingese good watch dogs?”
They are very good little watch dogs, mine always let me know when there is something or someone outside. I do have one that will bark at nothing more than a rabbit in the yard but then I know if my oldest female, Pooh, barks we better check it out.
“Do Pekingese shed a lot?”
No more so than any other dogs, it’s more noticeable due to them having long hair but regular brushing when they shed will help. Primarily shedding occurs with the change of season or for a female when she cycles or has puppies due to the hormone changes she goes through (females who have been spayed will shed with change of season only and most of the time have a much prettier coat).
"Do Pekingese have to be groomed a lot?”
Weekly brushing of your Pekingese will take care of most of his grooming needs. Pay close attention to behind the ears, hind legs and tail as this is where they seem to mat the most. When shedding you may want to brush a few times a week to help remove loose hairs from their coat. Most Pekingese love to be brushed, our Mud will push the other dogs out of the way to get a turn.
“I have heard Pekingese are lazy little lap dogs, is this true?”
Anyone who spends a day at my home will quickly learn Pekingese are not lazy! They love to play as much as they love to eat and sleep. Our dogs play fetch with us, will run, jump, bark or anything else to entertain themselves. The good thing for someone who does not live an active life style is that a Pekingese does not require a lot of exercise to stay healthy.
“Will a Pekingese eye really just pop out of their head?”
Myself, I have never heard of one’s eyes just popping out. Due to their large eyes and shallow eye sockets a blow to the head or catching the eye on something or strain can cause the eye to pop out. The only problem we have had to date is an eye getting scratched which can still be very painful.
UP DATE: I have recived a few ugly emails stating I am miss leading people into thinking a Pekingese eyes will not pop out of their head. I have spoke with Vets and Vet techs and there was the same responce from all of them.
No a Pekingese eyes will not "just pop out" for NO reason. Its not like they are going to be just walking along and one day and the eye is going to fall out. HOWEVER if one becomes very upset and begains to strain (thus causing the eyes to buldge) the eye sockets are shallow enough to cause the eye to pop out due to the pressure from behind the eye. If they catch the eye on something or hit it on something the eye can pop out. And a blow to the head can cause it to pop out. Our Xian has a scared cornia from her and Kassey playing one day and Kassey accidently scratching her eye. If anyone feels I have miss lead people I am sorry but the Myth I was answering was some people have been told that a Pekingese eye will just pop out of their head for no reason.
“Is it true that Pekingese do not handle heat very well?”
Any short nose breed of dog (Pug, Bull dog, Pekingese) does not do well in extreme heat if left to fend for themselves. Shade must be provided if the dog must stay outside but it is more preferable to let them have A/C if you can. Wadding pools or sprinklers are greatly enjoyed by most Pekingese; we have a small wadding pool that our dogs will spend hours running in and out of despite the fact we have A/C.
Question that have been asked about us as breeders:
“What do you use for flea control?”
Frontline spray, works great and we have never had a flea problem.
"Do your puppies come with their first shot and have they been wormed?”
Yes! We follow a strict worming and shot schedule on all our dogs, puppies or adults. If a puppy is still here when its second or third set of shots are due then they will be given.
“Why don’t you ship your puppies?”
First, we like to meet all our new puppies’ families but mostly because at this time we are located two hours away from the closest airport.
“Why do you ask that if a person can no longer keep a puppy or dog they have bought from you that they give you the first option of taking the dog back?”
These are our babies and we love them all dearly, we put a lot of heart and soul into raising happy healthy puppies. I can assure you there is nothing in the world that can break a breeder’s heart quicker that to find out one of their babies has been dumped off at a dog pound. We understand that sometimes things happen and a person may have an unforeseen reason they can no longer keep their dog. We want everyone to know they can always bring a dog back to us or ask us to help them place their dog in a new home.
“Do you really have nine dogs living in your house?”
Well no….there are nine dogs who let us live in their house. But really, yes, they all stay in the house; they have a dog door so that does keep me from having to open the door a million times a day. Yes, I do have to do a lot of work to keep up the house, taking care of puppies, answering emails or phone calls, making sure each dog get individual attention so they don’t feel left out and still be a mom and a wife but I would not trade it for anything.
“How did you get started with the Pekingese?”
I had always wanted a Pekingese when growing up and was never allowed to have one. One day Mike brought home Mud to me and I started doing more and more research on the breed. I then decided that Mud really needed a girl friend, this is when my friend and mentor, Sandy, came into the picture. She sold me many of my girls and it just kept going from there.
“How can you stand to sell the puppies if you love them so much?”
Bet you think I am going to say it’s the money, right? No it not all about the money. It’s the look on a person’s face when they see their new baby for the first time; it’s the emails, the phone calls, the photos we get once they go home. It’s listening to someone whose heart is broken from the loss of their beloved pet and asking if I have a new baby they can love. It’s the fact that when I sell someone a puppy not only am I selling them that puppy but that I am also giving them a form of joy and happiness in their lives.
“Why do you love Pekingese so much?”
When you have a breed of dog that is so attune to you that you feel like it’s another person in the house, you can’t help but love it. They sleep when we sleep, they play when we want to play, and if we are upset they are upset. Ever had a dog sit in you lap and lick away your tears? Had one learn a new trick just to get you to laugh and give it extra attention? How about nine little dogs all weighting less than 14 pounds each following you down the hall at night to check out a noise and ready to take on anything a million times bigger than them just to protect you and who can resist those flat sweet faces. |
|
