The Legend of the Pekingese
There are two origination stories for the Pekingese. The first is the
most common, The Lion and the Marmoset:
A lion and a marmoset fell in love. But the lion was too large. The
lion went to the Buddha and told him of his woes. The Buddha allowed the lion to shrink down to the size of the marmoset.
And the Pekingese was the result.
The second, less-common, originating story is The Butterfly Lions:
A lion fell in love with a butterfly. But the butterfly and lion knew
the difference in size was too much to overcome. Together they went to see the Buddha, who allowed their size to meet in the
middle. From this, the Pekingese came.
Another legend says that the Pekingese resulted from the mating of
a lion and a monkey, getting its nobleness and coat from the former and its ungainly walk from the latter. Because the Pekingese
was believed to have originated from the Buddha, he was a temple dog. As such, he was not a mere toy. He was made small so
that he could go after and destroy little demons that might infest the palace or temple. But his heart was big so that he
could destroy even the largest and fiercest.
Pekingese Breed Standard
Toy Group
The Pekingese is a well-balanced, compact dog of Chinese origin with a
heavy front and lighter hindquarters. Its temperament is one of directness, independence and individuality. Its image is lionlike,
implying courage, dignity, boldness and self-esteem rather than daintiness or delicacy.
Size/Substance - The Pekingese,
when lifted, is surprisingly heavy for its size. It has a stocky, muscular body. All weights are correct within the limit
of 14 pounds. The Pekingese is slightly longer than tall when measured from the forechest to the buttocks. The overall
outline is an approximate ratio of 3 high to 5 long.
Face - The topskull is massive,
broad and flat and, when combined with the wide set eyes, cheekbones and broad lower jaw, forms the correctly shaped face.
When viewed from the front, the skull is wider than deep, which contributes to the desired rectangular, envelope-shaped appearance
of the head. In profile, the face is flat. When viewed from the side, the chin, nose leather and brow all lie in one plane,
which slants very slightly backward from chin to forehead.
Ears - They are heart-shaped,
set on the front corners of the topskull, and lie flat against the head. Correctly placed ears, with their heavy feathering
and long fringing, frame the sides of the face and add to the appearance of a wide, rectangular head.
Eyes - They are large, very
dark, round, lustrous and set wide apart. The look is bold, not bulging. The eye rims are black and the white of the eye does
not show when the dog is looking straight ahead.
Nose - It is broad, short
and black. Nostrils are wide and open rather than pinched. A line drawn horizontally over the top of the nose intersects slightly
above the center of the eyes.
Muzzle - It is very
flat, broad, and well filled-in below the eyes. The skin is black on all colors. Whiskers add to the desired expression.
Mouth
- The lower jaw is undershot and broad. The black lips meet neatly and neither teeth nor tongue show when the mouth is closed.
Neck - It is very short and thick.
Body - It is pear-shaped,
compact and low to the ground. It is heavy in front with well-sprung ribs slung between the forelegs. The forechest is broad
and full without a protruding breastbone. The underline rises from the deep chest to the lighter loin, thus forming a narrow
waist. The topline is straight and the loin is short.
Tail - The high set tail
is slightly arched and carried well over the back, free of kinks or curls. Long, profuse, straight fringing may fall to either
side.
Forequarters They are short, thick and heavy-boned. The bones of the forelegs are
moderately bowed between the pastern and elbow. The broad chest, wide set forelegs and the closer rear legs all contribute
to the correct rolling gait. The distance from the point of the shoulder to the tip of the withers is approximately equal
to the distance from the point of the shoulder to the elbow. Shoulders are well laid back and fit smoothly onto the body.
The elbows are always close to the body. Front feet are turned out slightly when standing or moving. The pasterns slope gently.
Hindquarters They are lighter in bone than the forequarters. There is moderate angulation
of stifle and hock. When viewed from behind, the rear legs are reasonably close and parallel, and the feet point straight
ahead when standing or moving.
Coat - It is a long, coarse-textured, straight,
stand-off outer coat, with thick, soft undercoat. The coat forms a noticeable mane on the neck and shoulder area with the
coat on the remainder of the body somewhat shorter in length. A long and profuse coat is desirable providing it does not obscure
the shape of the body. Long feathering is found on toes, backs of the thighs and forelegs, with longer fringing on the ears
and tail.
Color All coat colors and markings are allowable and of equal merit. A black mask
or a self-colored face is equally acceptable. Regardless of coat color the exposed skin of the muzzle, nose, lips and eye
rims is black.
Gait It is unhurried, dignified, free and strong, with a slight roll over
the shoulders. This motion is smooth and effortless and is as free as possible from bouncing, prancing or jarring. The rolling
gait results from a combination of the bowed forelegs, well laid back shoulders, full broad chest and narrow light rear, all
of which produce adequate reach and moderate drive.
Temperament A combination of regal dignity,
intelligence and self-importance make for a good natured, opinionated and affectionate companion to those who have earned
its respect.
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SHE IS A REAL PEOPLE LOVER !
