O Pekinezerima / About Pekingese
Pekingese
"Pekingese are the perfect aristocrats. They have to be treated with kindness and understanding as would a human being."The Legend
A lion fell in love with a marmoset, a tiny monkey in mythical China many years ago. Because of his great love for the tiny monkey the lion asked patron saint of animals 'Ah Chu' for permission to marry her.
The understanding saint agreed, but only on one condition; that the mighty lion be reduced to a size of a dwarf. The lion married the marmoset and descendants became Lion Dogs of China. Small in size but having the heart, character and courage of a lion. This according to legend was the beginning of the Pekingese dogs.
History
The Pekingese is undoubtedly an ancient breed. They were first mentioned in time of Confucius and the emperors throughout the centuries maintained large kennels. Many paid great respect to Pekingese and only royalties were allowed to own them.
Breeding technics might not have been as scientific compared to present day standards, nevertheless they were bred to a type for generations and great pride was taken in a great number of colours produced. Pekingese reached their peak in the late 19th century during the rulings of the princess 'Tzu Hsi' in Manchu dynasty. They were bred in large numbers at the Imperial Palace in Peking.
Towards the end of Manchu Dynasty and during the crisis in 1860, British and French troops marched on the Summer Palace outside Peking. The Royal Court fled and took all possessions with them including the sacred "Lion Dogs". In a hurry they have left five of them behind and these fell into the hands of the British Officers.
One was presented to Queen Victoria and was named "Looty". Her portrait was painted by one of the leading artists of the day and is now in the Royal collection at Windsor. Other dogs found their way to England and found home with the Duke and duchess of Richmond and the Duchess of Wellington.
With the fall of the Manchu Dynasty in 1911, the great majority of Pekingese dogs were destroyed by the court officials and only a few years later the breed was virtually extinct in its native country.Pekingese standards
ORIGIN: China
PATRONAGE: Great Britain
UTILISATION: Companion Dog
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.: Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs. Section 8 Japan Chin and Pekingese. Without working trial.
GENERAL APPEARENCE :
Leonine in appeareance with alert and intelligent expression. Small, well balanced, moderately thick-set with great dignity and quality. Any signs of respiratory distress for any reason or inability to move soundly are unacceptable and should be havily penalised. Not excessively coated.
BEHAVIOR/TEMPERAMENT :
Fearless, loyal aloof, not timid or aggressive.
HEAD :
Fairly large, proportionately wider than deep.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Moderately broad, wide and flat between ears; not domed; wide between eyes.
Stop : Defined.
FACIAL REGION:
Black pigment essential on nose, lips and eye rims.
Nose: Not too short, broad, nostrils large and open. A slihgt wrinkle, preferably broken, may extend from the cheeks to the bridge of nose in a wide inverted »V«. This must never adversely affect or obscure eyes or nose. Pinched nostrils and heavy over-nose wrinkels are unacceptable and should be heavily penalised.
Muzzle: Must be evident, but may be relatively short and wide. Firm underjaw.
Lips: Level lips. Must not show teeth or tongue; not obscuring a well defined chin.
Eyes: Clear, round, dark lustrous and not too large. Free from obvious eye problems.
Ears: Leathers heart-shaped, set level with skull, carried close to the head and not coming below line of muzzle. Long profuse feathering.
NECK: Relatively short and thick.
BODY: Relatively short, distinct waist.
Topline: Level.
Chest: Broad and well sprung ribs slung between forelegs
TAIL: Set high, carried tightly, slightly curved over back to either side. Long feathering.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS: Relatively short, thick, heavily boned forelegs.
Standing well up on feet, not down on pasterns. Absolute soundness esential.
Shoulders: Laid back and fitting smoothly into the body.
Elbows: Close to the body.
Forearms: Bones of forelegs may be slightly boved between pasterns and elbows, accommodating ribs.
Metacarpus ( pastern ): Slihtly sloping, strong and not too close together.
Front feet: Large and flat, not round. May be slightly turned out. Excessively turned out feet to be heavily penalised.HINDQUARTERS:
Hind legs strong and well muscled but moderately lighter than forequarters. Excessively narrow hindquarters to be heavely penalised. Moderate angulation. Absolute soundness essential.
Stifles: Well defined.
Hocks: Firm, low.
Metatarsus (Rear pastern) : Strong, parallel when viewed from the rear.
Hind feet: Large and flat, no round. Hind feet point straight ahead
GAIT/MOVEMENT:
Typically slow, dignified rolling gait in front. Typical movement must not be confused with a roll caused by slackness of shoulders or with other indications of unsoundness. Any slackness of shoulders and elbows, and any indications of unsoundness in feet and pasterns to be heavely penalised. Movement no to be hindered by excessive body coat.
COAT
HAIR: Moderately long straight with mane, not extending beyond shoulders, forming a cape around neck. Top coat coarse with thick, softer undercoat. Feathering on ears, back of legs, tail and toes. Lenghtand volume of coat should neither imjpair the activity of the dog nor obscure the shapeliness of body. Excessive coat be heavily penalised.
COLOUR : All colours and markings are permissible and of equal merit, except albino or liver. Parti-colours evenly broken.
SIZE/WEIGHT:
Ideal weight not exceeding 5 kg for males and 5,4 kg females. Dogs should look small but be surprisingly heavy when picked up; heavy bone and a sturdy well-built body are essentials of the breed.
Soundness is essential in both forequarters and hindquarters.
FAULTS:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion ti its degree and its effect uponthe health and welfare of the dog.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:
Aggressive or overly shy.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B.: male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.About the Breed
It is generally acknowledged that out of all the toy breeds, the Pekingese is the most adapted to be a pet. It is hardy, courageous, decorative and companionable with character and personality.
A person who does not know or understand a Pekingese, may assume that they are merely stupid lap dogs. On the contrary, Pekingese are most active and sporting little creatures. They are as much at home running in the country as they are in a flat in a city.
Pekingese have no equal. They are the perfect aristocrat. They have a will of their own. While acknowledging all their natural qualities it has to be admitted that much of their present intellect depends on how they are brought up.
A lion fell in love with a marmoset, a tiny monkey in mythical China many years ago. Because of his great love for the tiny monkey the lion asked patron saint of animals 'Ah Chu' for permission to marry her.
The understanding saint agreed, but only on one condition; that the mighty lion be reduced to a size of a dwarf. The lion married the marmoset and descendants became Lion Dogs of China. Small in size but having the heart, character and courage of a lion. This according to legend was the beginning of the Pekingese dogs.
History
The Pekingese is undoubtedly an ancient breed. They were first mentioned in time of Confucius and the emperors throughout the centuries maintained large kennels. Many paid great respect to Pekingese and only royalties were allowed to own them.
Breeding technics might not have been as scientific compared to present day standards, nevertheless they were bred to a type for generations and great pride was taken in a great number of colours produced. Pekingese reached their peak in the late 19th century during the rulings of the princess 'Tzu Hsi' in Manchu dynasty. They were bred in large numbers at the Imperial Palace in Peking.
Towards the end of Manchu Dynasty and during the crisis in 1860, British and French troops marched on the Summer Palace outside Peking. The Royal Court fled and took all possessions with them including the sacred "Lion Dogs". In a hurry they have left five of them behind and these fell into the hands of the British Officers.
One was presented to Queen Victoria and was named "Looty". Her portrait was painted by one of the leading artists of the day and is now in the Royal collection at Windsor. Other dogs found their way to England and found home with the Duke and duchess of Richmond and the Duchess of Wellington.
With the fall of the Manchu Dynasty in 1911, the great majority of Pekingese dogs were destroyed by the court officials and only a few years later the breed was virtually extinct in its native country.Pekingese standards
ORIGIN: China
PATRONAGE: Great Britain
UTILISATION: Companion Dog
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I.: Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs. Section 8 Japan Chin and Pekingese. Without working trial.
GENERAL APPEARENCE :
Leonine in appeareance with alert and intelligent expression. Small, well balanced, moderately thick-set with great dignity and quality. Any signs of respiratory distress for any reason or inability to move soundly are unacceptable and should be havily penalised. Not excessively coated.
BEHAVIOR/TEMPERAMENT :
Fearless, loyal aloof, not timid or aggressive.
HEAD :
Fairly large, proportionately wider than deep.
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Moderately broad, wide and flat between ears; not domed; wide between eyes.
Stop : Defined.
FACIAL REGION:
Black pigment essential on nose, lips and eye rims.
Nose: Not too short, broad, nostrils large and open. A slihgt wrinkle, preferably broken, may extend from the cheeks to the bridge of nose in a wide inverted »V«. This must never adversely affect or obscure eyes or nose. Pinched nostrils and heavy over-nose wrinkels are unacceptable and should be heavily penalised.
Muzzle: Must be evident, but may be relatively short and wide. Firm underjaw.
Lips: Level lips. Must not show teeth or tongue; not obscuring a well defined chin.
Eyes: Clear, round, dark lustrous and not too large. Free from obvious eye problems.
Ears: Leathers heart-shaped, set level with skull, carried close to the head and not coming below line of muzzle. Long profuse feathering.
NECK: Relatively short and thick.
BODY: Relatively short, distinct waist.
Topline: Level.
Chest: Broad and well sprung ribs slung between forelegs
TAIL: Set high, carried tightly, slightly curved over back to either side. Long feathering.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS: Relatively short, thick, heavily boned forelegs.
Standing well up on feet, not down on pasterns. Absolute soundness esential.
Shoulders: Laid back and fitting smoothly into the body.
Elbows: Close to the body.
Forearms: Bones of forelegs may be slightly boved between pasterns and elbows, accommodating ribs.
Metacarpus ( pastern ): Slihtly sloping, strong and not too close together.
Front feet: Large and flat, not round. May be slightly turned out. Excessively turned out feet to be heavily penalised.HINDQUARTERS:
Hind legs strong and well muscled but moderately lighter than forequarters. Excessively narrow hindquarters to be heavely penalised. Moderate angulation. Absolute soundness essential.
Stifles: Well defined.
Hocks: Firm, low.
Metatarsus (Rear pastern) : Strong, parallel when viewed from the rear.
Hind feet: Large and flat, no round. Hind feet point straight ahead
GAIT/MOVEMENT:
Typically slow, dignified rolling gait in front. Typical movement must not be confused with a roll caused by slackness of shoulders or with other indications of unsoundness. Any slackness of shoulders and elbows, and any indications of unsoundness in feet and pasterns to be heavely penalised. Movement no to be hindered by excessive body coat.
COAT
HAIR: Moderately long straight with mane, not extending beyond shoulders, forming a cape around neck. Top coat coarse with thick, softer undercoat. Feathering on ears, back of legs, tail and toes. Lenghtand volume of coat should neither imjpair the activity of the dog nor obscure the shapeliness of body. Excessive coat be heavily penalised.
COLOUR : All colours and markings are permissible and of equal merit, except albino or liver. Parti-colours evenly broken.
SIZE/WEIGHT:
Ideal weight not exceeding 5 kg for males and 5,4 kg females. Dogs should look small but be surprisingly heavy when picked up; heavy bone and a sturdy well-built body are essentials of the breed.
Soundness is essential in both forequarters and hindquarters.
FAULTS:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion ti its degree and its effect uponthe health and welfare of the dog.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:
Aggressive or overly shy.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B.: male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.About the Breed
It is generally acknowledged that out of all the toy breeds, the Pekingese is the most adapted to be a pet. It is hardy, courageous, decorative and companionable with character and personality.
A person who does not know or understand a Pekingese, may assume that they are merely stupid lap dogs. On the contrary, Pekingese are most active and sporting little creatures. They are as much at home running in the country as they are in a flat in a city.
Pekingese have no equal. They are the perfect aristocrat. They have a will of their own. While acknowledging all their natural qualities it has to be admitted that much of their present intellect depends on how they are brought up.
By means of constant companionship, patient training and scientific breeding, pekingese have been produced that they are as mentally alert as they are physically perfect. The Pekingese have reached a very high standard.