Breed library

Pekingese

Also known as Pekinese.

Breed overview

The Pekingese (also spelled Pekinese) is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Beijing (Peking) where the Forbidden City is located. The breed has several characteristics and health issues related to its unique appearance.

Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.
Country of origin: People's Republic of ChinaBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

The breed emerged in China from several kinds of small dog owned by aristocratic families.
During the Second Opium War, in 1860, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing was sacked and set ablaze by a combined Anglo-French expeditionary force, after the Xianfeng Emperor had fled with all of his court members to Chengde.
A British soldier, Captain John Hart Dunne came across a lone Pekingese, which he brought back to England.
The Empress Dowager Cixi presented Pekingese to several Americans, including John Pierpont Morgan and Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, who named her dog "Manchu".
Around the turn of the century, Pekingese dogs became popular in Western countries.

Size and appearance

Modern breeders and dog show judges seem to prefer the long-haired type over the more traditional spaniel-type coat. The Pekingese's flat face and large eyes are some of the breed's most obvious characteristics. The body is compact and low to the ground. Pekingese also have a muscular and durable body. The breed has an unusual rolling gait, caused by its bowed front legs, firm hind legs, and pear-shaped body.

Body mass reference: Up to 5.4 kgBreed reference body mass. maximum, female.
Body mass reference: Up to 5 kgBreed reference body mass. maximum, male.

Coat layers: double
Coat length: long

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.04 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 1.56 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 1.77 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.97 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Energy (C-BARQ mean): 1.15 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.23 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 1.24 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.58 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.53 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.82 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.96 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.65 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 1.06 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.
Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 1.87 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Pekingese.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

The Pekingese is considered "high maintenance" in regard to grooming. The breed is double-coated, and thus both layers of its coat must be adequately brushed. The breed should never be shaved, as this can lead to sunburn. It is important to remove foreign materials from the eyes daily, and clean the creases on the face to prevent sores (hot spots). It is also necessary to keep and maintain the long fur in the rear end (aka the "trousers" or "skirt") clean and well-groomed, as the area is prone to soiling. In cold climates, the trousers may accumulate clumps of snowballs. Due to their abundance of fur and the brachycephalic skull, it is important to keep the Pekingese cool. The breed is prone to have heatstroke when exposed to high temperatures.

Coat layers: double
Coat length: long
Shedding amount: heavy

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.3 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

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Breed history

The breed emerged in China from several kinds of small dog owned by aristocratic families. Unlike the others, it could only be owned by members of the Chinese Imperial Palace. During the Second Opium War, in 1860, the Old Summer Palace in Beijing was sacked and set ablaze by a combined Anglo-French expeditionary force, after the Xianfeng Emperor had fled with all of his court members to Chengde.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
File:1AKC Pekingese Dog Show 2011.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 2.0. 1AKC Pekingese Dog Show 2011.jpg - SheltieBoy. CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1AKC_Pekingese_Dog_Show_2011.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0.
Pekingese - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Pekingese, revision 1376156721. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pekingese&action=history
Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.