The Pekingese is a small long-haired dog that originated in Beijing, China. Although it is small, it has an impressive and dignified appearance. Because it resembles a lion, it is also known as the palace lion dog. Many people, however, still simply call it the Pekingese or Beijing dog. This breed has a history of about four thousand years and was once kept by people in the imperial court, where it was small enough to be carried inside sleeves as a ?sleeve dog.? Even so, being carried in sleeves did not prevent it from moving freely on its own. The Pekingese stands about 15 to 23 centimeters tall and usually weighs about 4.5 to 5 kilograms, which helps explain why it could once be carried that way.
Because the breed was kept as a companion from early on, it is very friendly toward people and is not especially timid with strangers. It also adapts well to city life and usually does not struggle much with a new environment. It not only looks like a lion, but also shares some lion-like qualities in temperament, including alertness, boldness, strong character, and a tendency to show itself off. As for intelligence, opinions vary. Its intelligence ranking is relatively low among dogs, which many people find amusing because it does not seem to match its proud and striking appearance.
Chinese people, especially those in Beijing, have a special affection for the Pekingese. In traditional culture, the image of the mythical guardian on door decorations is sometimes associated with the Pekingese. In old legends, it was even regarded as a sacred dog able to ward off evil spirits. It was so highly valued that some emperors were buried with them, with the belief that the dog could continue to protect the emperor. The presence of Pekingese in Britain today is also tied to history, since some were taken abroad during the invasion period and their descendants remained there.
The reason the breed was called the palace lion dog is that it belonged to the aristocracy. Ordinary people, busy making a living, usually did not have the food or leisure to keep pet dogs. As a result, the breed was raised in an especially refined and elegant way by nobles. Even so, it remains very friendly toward people, extremely loyal to its owner, and cautious around strangers.
Although the Pekingese is not known for high intelligence and may learn things slowly, its noble owners in the past did not need it to master many skills. They simply enjoyed holding and playing with it, while all of its daily care was handled for it. Today, however, times have changed. If you raise a Pekingese, it is best to patiently train it in basic skills such as using the toilet area and eating at fixed times and places.
Training a Pekingese also requires some strategy, because the breed can be stubborn and strongly jealous. If it does not want to do something, persuasion alone may not work. But once it recognizes you as its owner, it may devote itself to you completely, even sacrificing its life if necessary. Its jealousy comes from a strong possessiveness toward the owner and a dislike of attention being diverted away from itself. If it notices that the owner is focusing more on a child, the owner needs to be careful, because the Pekingese may regard the child as a rival. For this reason, many people feel the Pekingese is especially suitable for single owners.