Pekingese, << `pee` kihng EEZ, >> is a small dog with long hair, a broad flat face, and a tail that curls over its back. The Pekingese has short legs, a long body, and a large head with long-fringed ears. Its front legs are bowed, and its tail is plumed. Its eyes are quite prominent. When the Pekingese trots, it sways from side to side. It may be almost any color, but is usually tan or brown with light shadings. It weighs from 6 to 10 pounds (2.7 to 4.5 kilograms). One kind, the sleeve Pekingese, was so named because ladies of the Chinese court carried the dogs in their balloonlike sleeves.
The Pekingese was the royal dog of China, and at one time only people of royal blood could own the dog. It has been raised in China since the 700’s, but the rest of the world did not know of the dog until 1860, when the British Army seized Beijing (also spelled Peking) and Admiral Lord Hayes took two Pekingese to England. The Pekingese is a mischievous, intelligent animal. In spite of its small size, the Pekingese is bold and brave.
See also Shih Tzu.
