History. As you may guess, the Pekingese originated in China, although exactly when has been lost in the annals of antiquity. Although what appears to be the commonest story, is that the dogs were a favourite of the Emperor, and pursuant to that were revered, and they lived mostly in the temples of China. History dates this breed of dog at anything from 2000 years ago to 2000 years BC. Pekingese dogs were introduced to England in 1860; this was after the occupation of Peking during the second opium War. One of the original five dogs taken to England was, allegedly, presented to Queen Victoria as a gift. The first official standard was written in 1898 for the Pekingese dog, and during 1904, in England, the Peking club of England was established. The first of this breed in Ireland had been given to a Dr Heuston; it had been presented to him by the Chinese minister, as a sign of gratitude for his work establishing smallpox vaccination clinics in various locations, about China.

Temperament. Typically speaking, the Pekingese is a loyal and loving dog without being too clingy, to its owner. They are a proud dog and are of regal stature, often giving the impression, as they look around, that they are studying their minions. They can be very stubborn, and definitely like to have their own way. On the upside, if the Pekingese respects you, they will be well mannered with very little formal training required. However, problems can occur if the dog gets the impression that they are actually in charge. Indoors they tend to generally lounge around the house, but can burst into sudden bouts of activity, which can be of great entertainment to the owners and family friends. They are a fearless dog, and may get into arguments with animals much larger than themselves, but they are very strong considering their small stature, and do not back down easily.

Health issues. Quite common problems with Pekingese are; breathing, due to their short snout, they tend to sound rather noisy when breathing, this may, in itself, sound funny, however, the noise is caused by the actual problems with this breeds air passages. Similar problems occur in dogs with similar heads and noses, the bulldog for example. These dogs should not be left in the open in extremes of weather or temperature, and should never be left in a car on a sunny day. Eye ulcers can also result from infections or minor injuries. If looked after correctly most problems will be spotted early and referred to the vet, in plenty of time.

Grooming. They have a great tendency to enjoy grooming, and silly as it may sound, they seem much happier when they look tidy and well groomed. They can have quite long hair which if they are an active dog will probably require brushing and combing daily. More sedentary dogs may only need grooming 2 or 3 times a week.