http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3D76tCuoQU

Pronunciation
PEKE-in-ese

Description
The Pekingese has an extravagant, long, straight-flowing coat that has profuse feathering and comes in all colors. It has a broad head that is wide between their large, dark, lucid and slightly prominent eyes. The face is flat with a dark, wrinkled muzzle, and drooping heart-shaped, long feathering ears. Their necks are short and thick. When their mouth is closed, neither teeth nor tongue should show. These tiny, heavy boned dogs have a characteristic rolling gait.

Temperament
Pekingese are very brave little dogs, courageous to the point of foolhardiness! They are sensitive, independent and extremely affectionate with their master, but are wary of strangers. They are obstinate, self-willed and may be difficult to feed and are sometimes known to refuse to eat as much to show dominance over its owner as to lack of appetite. If overfed, Pekingese will quickly become overweight. They are loving to the point of jealousy. They tend to bark a lot and make good watchdogs. Not recommended for young children who are too rough.

Height, Weight
Height: 6-9 inches (30.4-45cm.), Weight: 8-10 pounds (3.6-4.5kg.)
Any Pekingese under 6 pounds is called a sleeve Pekingese. It is the smallest member of the Pekingese family, and the most popular size during the breeds development in China. To be a sleeve it must be 6 pounds (2.7 kg) or under, anything over that is not a considered a sleeve. In-between 6 and 8 (2.7-3.6 kg.) pounds is considered a Mini Pekingese.

Health Problems
Pekingese tend to catch colds very easily.  Prone to herniated disks and dislocated kneecaps. Trichaiasis (lashes growing inwards toward the eyeballs). Breathing problems and heart problems are also common.

Living Conditions
The Pekingese are good for apartment life. They are relatively inactive indoors and will do okay without a yard.

Exercise
Pekingese need a daily walk. Play will take care of a lot of their exercise needs, however, as with all breeds, play will not fulfill their primal instinct to walk. Dogs who do not get to go on daily walks are more likely to display behavior problems. They will also enjoy a good romp in a safe open area off lead, such as a large fenced in yard. Get your Pek accustomed to the leash when they are still a puppy. Some owners have told me their Pek will walk up to 4 miles on a nightly walk.

Life Expectancy
With healthy dogs, about 10-15 years.

Grooming
Daily combing and brushing of the very long, double coat is essential. Take extra care around the hindquarters, which can become solid and matted. Females shed the undercoat when in season. Dry shampoo regularly. Clean the face and eyes daily and check the hairy feet for burrs and objects that stick there. These dogs are average shedders.

Origin
Pekingese where regarded as manifestation of the legendary Foo Dog that drove away spirits. They were venerated as semi-divine by the Chinese. Commoners had to bow to them; you were punished by death if you stole one, and when an emperor died, his Pekingese were sacrificed so that they could go with him to give protection in the afterlife. In 1860 the Pekingese reached the West. British and French troops over ran the Summer Palace during the Second Opium War. Imperial Guards were ordered to kill the little dogs to prevent them from falling into the hands of the "foreign devils," but five Pekingese survived and were taken to Queen Victoria, who named it appropriately, "Looty." It is from these canine spoils of war that the modern Pekingese is descended. In 1893 the breed was first shown in Britain. It was recognized in the US in 1909.

The color chart                
         

BICOLOR: A coat of two distinct colors

BRINDLE: An even mixture of dark,with light. Usually resulting in a striped,tigerlike coat.

GRIZZLED: A roan pattern, usually a mixture of black and grey, or red and white.

HARLEQUIN: Black patches on white.

MERLE: A mottled, marbled look, usually red or black.

PARTI-COLORED: Variegated patches of two or more colors.

PIEBALD: Patches of black or white or two other colors.

ROAN: Even mixtures of white and another color.

SABLE: Black tips on gray, fawn, or brown hairs.

TICKED: Small areas of black or other dark colors on white.

TRICOLOR: Three distinct colors, usualy black, white, and tan.

WHEATEN: Pale fawn colred, sometimes appearing almost yellowed.

THE FABLE OF THE PEKINGESE

Have you ever seen a Pekingese
With his ears a'flapping in the breeze
Like a junk-o-war in the China Sea:
Sailing out against an ancient enemy?
With his main a'top like a frigate's sail
And the flag of battle his upturned tail:
As he trots along so near the ground
Does he even seem like a sampan outward bound?
Thats the way they always looked to me
In my childhood days when I chanced to see
Pekingese that passed my house each day---
And I wondered why they were made that way:
Why they looked so fierce, though built so small,
And they never feared anything at all
With their nose pushed back beneath their eyes,
Which were big and round but soft and wise.
Though they looked like toys they'd want to fight
All the biggest dogs that came in sight,
But they'd stop at once and start to play
If I happened to bounce a ball their way
And I asked around among grown ups
Why they were different from other pups,
There was one who knew, for he'd been to sea---
And this is the tale that he told to me:
Many years ago, there lived out East,
In a jungle land, every kind of beast;
And amongst them all, in a cave alone
A Buddhist monk had his house of stone.
With all his friends was his greatest pet:
A brown and white little marmoset,
Just a tiny monkey who looked quite frail,
With a ruff round her neck and a bushy tail.
Now this hermit waasn't a lonely man.
From the day he arrived there he began
To preach to them all, in the jungle shade;
And one of the very best friends he made
Was a lion, who from the moment they met,
Fell in love with the monk's little marmoset.
And the lion declared t'was his mystic fate
That the hermit's pet should become his mate.
But the monk said this wouldn't do at all
With the lion so big, and his pet so small,
But that she could be, for the rest of his life.
A sister to him -- instead of a wife.
But the lion begged of the holy man
To think of a better and wiser plan:
And the monk replied: it was his advice
That the lion must make a great sacrifice.
As King of the Beasts, he must reign no more;
He must lose his strength and triumphant roar:
And never again must he regret
The solemn forfeit the monk had set.
And the lion swore his love was true
And all of these things he would gladly do.
"Your wish shall be granted," the hermit said,
"And you and the marmoset truly wed."
The monk intoned, as he cast a spell
The lightning flashed, as the shadows fell;
And all of the animals trembled to see
The lion diminishing gradually.
And smaller he got, and smaller yet,
'Til he reached the size of the marmoset.
And tho' feeble and small, he was quite content.
He'd won her love, and her heart's consent.
"This is true love indeed," cried the Saint. "here's how
Your steadfastness shall be rewarded now ---
Though you've lost your strength, yet you will retain
Your courage and dignity, your beauty of mane:
No hunger shall plague you, your children will dine
As guests of the great ones, in palaces fine:
And the spirits of monkeys, so joyful and free
Shall live in your offspring, as long as can be."
This part of their life in the jungle ends
When they left the monk and their childhood friends.
**
Now more than twelve-hundred years ago,
As far back in history as we know,
The fame of their children around Cathay rang,
Where they lived in the palace of the Emperor T'ang,
Who gave them appointments of honour and wealth,
With doctors to see they were kept in good health.
Even artists made potteries, as close as two peas,
To the likeness of our present day Pekingese;
And a thousand years after, their sons sat at sea
On the lap of the Dowager Empress Tzu-Hsi.
Their dinner was shark fins, and breast of the quail;
And antelope's milk kept them hearty and hale;
Servants brewed for them carefully, yet never in haste,
Hankow tea from the buds with the delicate taste.
And when sick, were served juice, with the greatest regard,
From the ripe custard apple --- by squeezing it hard.
And to make it quite certain they'd feel less forlorn
Three pinches of shredded rhinocerous horn.
Many years passed away, but they had to remain
In the precincts of Tzu-Hsi's imperial domain.
Then some wars came along and it seems very queer;
That's the reason the Pekingese first landed here.
So next time you see a small peke with a friend
Pressing on like a steamboat arounding the bend,
Don't forget all the grandeur and pomp of his past,
Of his birth and his breeding you've learned of at last:
Of the times when his ancestors sat down to tea
And drank the best brews on an Empress' knee.
There's one way to prove your good breeding, and that
Is: remember your manners --- and just tip your hat
<>by FRANK WADE!

SLEEVE PEKINGESE

Most precious of all the palace dogs was the sleeve. Carried around in
the long flowing sleeves of the Emperor, Empress or other members of the
Royal family. I believe they were used as handwarmers in those cold
draughty palaces. They certainly used Pekes as footwarmers.
************
Sleeves are perfect miniature pekes, with the same dense
bone and other characteristics as their regular sized
littermates and relatives. Some regular sized pekes do not have
as much bone as others and it therefore follows that not ALL sleeves
have super heavy boning. This does not mean they are
not a true sleeve. They are tough and sturdy and also have
very dominant personalities. They are more than able to run
in safety with their regular sized counterparts and generally are
(or end up as) the alpha male or female of the "Pack".
*****************
FEMALE SLEEVES SHOULD NEVER BE BRED AS THEY ARE LIKELY TO
HAVE FULL SIZED PUPPIES WHICH WOULD CAUSE DEATH FOR ALL
CONCERNED. It is perfectly fine to use a male sleeve at stud.
**********
Due care should be taken when introducing ANY new dog into
your household and a sleeve is NO exception. Strict supervision and
introducing the newbie to each member seperately at first and gradually
adding one more dog until all have accepted
the new dog into their territory is the way to go.
*********
Some people are confused between the TWO types of so-called
sleeves. The other type is not a true sleeve but a dwarf.
Dwarves have very large heads (just like their human counterparts) and
some or all of the following characteristics. Crossed or very protruding eyes,
twisted spines, wry mouths, crippled legs, EXTREMELY light bone, and
worst of all, severe health problems, including seizures, amongst others,
causing a very shortened lifespan.
With care, a true sleeve should have the same lifespan as
a regular sized peke. There have been sleeves as old as 20.
***************
The Top weight for a sleeve varies in different countries,In England,
it is 7 lbs but in Canada and the USA it is 6 lbs.
Generally they can not be shown in a sleeve class under
one year old.

Happy Pekes
Shoreline, WA