Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Pekingese Breed Overview
- History of the Pekingese Breed. Where Pekingeses came from
- What the Pekingese Looks Like
- How Much is the Pekingese Puppy?
- Best Pekingese Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Pekingese
- Pekingese Growth
- What Colors do Pekingeses Have?
- How Long Pekingeses Live
- Pekingese Litter Size
- How Fast Pekingeses Can Run
- Good Names for Pekingeses
- How Intelligent are Pekingeses?
- How Popular are Pekingeses with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Pekingeses and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Pekingese
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Pekingeses
- Other Things to Know About Pekingeses
Pekingese Breed Overview
The Pekingese is a tiny-sized dog.
The adult Pekingese stands 6 to 9 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Pekingese belongs to the Companion Dogs group.
Dogs in the Companion Dogs group, like the Pekingese, were bred to be companions for humans. Their main goal in life is to be with people, and they will be very sad if left to themselves for long hours day after day.
The fact that Pekingeses belong to the Companion Dogs group is one of the reasons why Pekingeses have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Pekingese is generally described as:
- Affectionate
- Aggressive
- Good-natured
- Intelligent
- Opinionated
- Stubborn
History of the Pekingese Breed. Where Pekingeses came from
Pekingese are a breed of dog with a long and illustrious history.
Though their exact origins are shrouded in mystery, it is believed that they were first bred in China over 2,000 years ago.
Pekingese were historically favored by Chinese royalty, and they were often seen in the palaces of Emperors and Empresses.
In 1860, Pekingese were brought to England as a gift from the Emperor of China, and they quickly became a favorite among the British nobility.
Pekingese continue to be popular dogs today, known for their loyalty, independent spirit, and gentle nature.
Though they may be small in size, Pekingese have always been big on personality.
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What the Pekingese Looks Like
Pekingese are small, long-haired dogs with aflat, broad head and a short snout.
Pekingese have a dense, double coat that comes in a variety of colors, including black, white, cream, fawn, sable, and brindle.
Pekingese are loyal and affectionate dogs that make great companions.
Pekingese are also known for being independent and willful, which can make training a challenge.
Pekingese are relatively active dogs, but they do not require a lot of exercise.
A short daily walk or play session will suffice.
Pekingese are prone to several health problems, including respiratory difficulties and eye problems.
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How Much is the Pekingese Puppy?
The average price of a Pekingese puppy is $1930. The price of a Pekingese puppy ranges from $1288 to $2500.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Pekingese. These factors include what health records the Pekingese puppy has, the lineage of the Pekingese puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Pekingese based on the many factors that determine the price of the Pekingese puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Pekingese puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Pekingese breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Pekingese Breeders
We have researched reputable Pekingese breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Pekingese breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Katrina Tate – Trina`s Luxurious Pekingese
Puppy Price: $4000
Lisa Mahaffey`s Refuge Acres
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
RISING STAR KENNELS
Puppy Price: $1000-$2000
Dexter Weaver
Puppy Price: $2500.00
Ven-Mar Pekingese – Pups and young adults available
Puppy Price: $Varies Per Sex, Size, Colors
Adopting or Rescuing the Pekingese
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Pekingeses included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Pekingese named Johnny that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Pekingeses like Johnny on pefinder.com.
Waldo is the name of another Pekingese (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Pekingeses that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Pekingese Growth
New Pekingese owners need to know about the growth of their Pekingeses. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Pekingese will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Pekingese early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Pekingese puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Pekingese at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Pekingese
What Colors do Pekingeses Have?
Pekingeses come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- White / Cream
- Black
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Apricot / Beige
- Brown / Chocolate
- Sable
- Brindle
- Golden
How Long Pekingeses Live
The lifespan of the Pekingese is typically from 12 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Pekingese. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 87 pet Pekingeses lived.
From the study, it was found that Pekingeses have an average lifespan of 11.4 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Pekingeses to live as long as 18.1 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Pekingese to live long.
Pekingeses live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Pekingese to improve your Pekingese`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Pekingese live long.
Pekingese Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 18 different Pekingese birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Pekingeses can have is 3 puppies. Also, the Pekingese can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 7 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Pekingese will have depends on factors such as the age of the Pekingese, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Pekingese will have and how the litter size of the Pekingese compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Pekingeses Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 11 different Pekingeses, the average speed of the Pekingese is 9.4 mph (15.1 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Pekingese ran in a race is 18.63 mph (30.0 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Pekingese is 4.07 mph (6.6 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Pekingese compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Pekingeses
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Pekingese ranked by popularity:
- Leo
- Johnny
- Dog
- Maxie
- Jessie
- Dasher
- Rocky
- Gizmo
- Prancer
- Booker
How Intelligent are Pekingeses?
| Pekingese | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 73 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 80 To 100 Repetitions Or More! |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Pekingese has an obedience intelligence rank of 73 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Pekingeses in the `Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Pekingeses tend to learn new commands after 80 to 100 repetitions or more!.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| German Shepherd Dog | 3 |
| Golden Retriever | 4 |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 10 |
| Belgian Tervuren | 14 |
| Collie | 16 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 26 |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | 27 |
| Giant Schnauzer | 28 |
| Manchester Terrier | 32 |
| Cairn Terrier | 35 |
| Norwich Terrier | 38 |
| Curly-Coated Retriever | 41 |
| Dachshund | 49 |
| Norfolk Terrier | 56 |
| Italian Greyhound | 60 |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 62 |
| Saint Bernard | 65 |
| Bullmastiff | 69 |
| Beagle | 72 |
| American Bulldog | 77 |
How Popular are Pekingeses with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Pekingese.
The popularity of the Pekingese averaged over the years is Number 87 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Pekingeses and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Pekingese is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Pekingese puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Pekingese breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Pekingeses for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Pekingeses here.
How to Take Care of Pekingese
To take good care of your Pekingese, you need to make sure that you groom your Pekingese regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Pekingese regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Pekingese`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Pekingese daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Pekingese.
Also, you need to feed your Pekingese high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Pekingese from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Pekingese and how much food to feed the Pekingese at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Pekingese has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Pekingese needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Pekingeses
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Pekingese.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Pekingese:
- Dandie Dinmont Terrier (72 percent match with Pekingese). Learn more about the Dandie Dinmont Terrier here.
- Mal Shi (72 percent match with Pekingese). Learn more about the Mal Shi here.
- Pomeranian (72 percent match with Pekingese). Learn more about the Pomeranian here.
- Pomsky (72 percent match with Pekingese). Learn more about the Pomsky here.
Other Things to Know About Pekingeses
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Pekingese that you need to know about the Pekingese breed: