American Kennel Club Breed
Standard
AKC MEET THE BREEDS®: Pekingese
The Pekingese is a well-balanced, compact dog of
Chinese origin with a heavy front and lighter
hindquarters. They are small dogs but are not to be
considered delicate or dainty. Their image is
lion-like, implying courage, dignity, boldness and
self-esteem. They can be any color.
A Look Back
Chinese art throughout the ages, starting with the
Tang dynasty of the 8th century, abounds with images
of the Pekingese, who gets his name from the ancient
city of Peking, now called Beijing. Pekingese were
held sacred in ancient China and could only be owned
by royalty. At that time, the punishment for
stealing a Pekingese was death. Pekingese came to
Europe as a result of war. When the British overtook
the Chinese Imperial Palace in 1860, they returned
home with several of the dogs.
Right Breed for You?
Pekingese possess a regal dignity, intelligence and
self-importance, making them good natured, opinionated
and affectionate family companions. Their small size
makes them a good choice for apartment life, but they
are sometimes difficult to housebreak. They are
relatively inactive indoors and do not need a yard, but
enjoy walks. Because of their long undercoats, Pekes
need at least an hourly brushing session per week.
- Toy Group; AKC recognized in 1906.
- Weigh less than 14 pounds.
- Watchdog, canine companion.
© The American Kennel Club, Inc.
Pekingese Breed Standard
General Appearance
The Pekingese is a well-balanced, compact dog of Chinese
origin with a heavy front and lighter hindquarters. Its
temperament is one of directness, independence and
individuality. Its image is lionlike, implying courage,
dignity, boldness and self-esteem rather than daintiness
or delicacy.
Size, Substance, Proportion
Size/Substance - The
Pekingese, when lifted, is surprisingly heavy for its
size. It has a stocky, muscular body. All weights are
correct within the limit of 14 pounds.
Disqualification: Weight over 14 pounds.
Proportion - Overall balance is of
utmost importance. The head is large in proportion to
the body. The Pekingese is slightly longer than tall
when measured from the forechest to the buttocks. The
overall outline is an approximate ratio of 3 high to 5
long.
Head
Face - The topskull is
massive, broad and flat and, when combined with the wide
set eyes, cheekbones and broad lower jaw, forms the
correctly shaped face. When viewed from the front, the
skull is wider than deep, which contributes to the
desired rectangular, envelope-shaped appearance of the
head. In profile, the face is flat. When viewed from the
side, the chin, nose leather and brow all lie in one
plane, which slants very slightly backward from chin to
forehead. Ears - They are
heart-shaped, set on the front corners of the topskull,
and lie flat against the head. The leather does not
extend below the jaw. Correctly placed ears, with their
heavy feathering and long fringing, frame the sides of
the face and add to the appearance of a wide,
rectangular head. Eyes - They
are large, very dark, round, lustrous and set wide
apart. The look is bold, not bulging. The eye rims are
black and the white of the eye does not show when the
dog is looking straight ahead. Nose
- It is broad, short and black. Nostrils are wide and
open rather than pinched. A line drawn horizontally over
the top of the nose intersects slightly above the center
of the eyes. Wrinkle - It
effectively separates the upper and lower areas of the
face. It is a hair-covered fold of skin extending from
one cheek over the bridge of the nose in a wide inverted
V to the other cheek. It is never so prominent or heavy
as to crowd the facial features, obscure more than a
small portion of the eyes, or fall forward over any
portion of the nose leather. Stop
- It is obscured from view by the over-nose wrinkle.
Muzzle - It is very flat, broad,
and well filled-in below the eyes. The skin is black on
all colors. Whiskers add to the desired expression.
Mouth - The lower jaw is undershot
and broad. The black lips meet neatly and neither teeth
nor tongue show when the mouth is closed.
Neck, Body, Tail
Neck - It is very short and
thick. Body - It is
pear-shaped, compact and low to the ground. It is heavy
in front with well-sprung ribs slung between the
forelegs. The forechest is broad and full without a
protruding breastbone. The underline rises from the deep
chest to the lighter loin, thus forming a narrow waist.
The topline is straight and the loin is short.
Tail - The high set tail is
slightly arched and carried well over the back, free of
kinks or curls. Long, profuse, straight fringing may
fall to either side.
Forequarters
They are short, thick and heavy-boned. The bones of the
forelegs are moderately bowed between the pastern and
elbow. The broad chest, wide set forelegs and the closer
rear legs all contribute to the correct rolling gait.
The distance from the point of the shoulder to the tip
of the withers is approximately equal to the distance
from the point of the shoulder to the elbow. Shoulders
are well laid back and fit smoothly onto the body. The
elbows are always close to the body. Front feet are
turned out slightly when standing or moving. The
pasterns slope gently.
Hindquarters
They are lighter in bone than the forequarters. There is
moderate angulation of stifle and hock. When viewed from
behind, the rear legs are reasonably close and parallel,
and the feet point straight ahead when standing or
moving.
Coat & Presentation
Coat - It is a long,
coarse-textured, straight, stand-off outer coat, with
thick, soft undercoat. The coat forms a noticeable mane
on the neck and shoulder area with the coat on the
remainder of the body somewhat shorter in length. A long
and profuse coat is desirable providing it does not
obscure the shape of the body. Long feathering is found
on toes, backs of the thighs and forelegs, with longer
fringing on the ears and tail. Presentation
- Presentation should accentuate the natural outline of
the Pekingese. Any obvious trimming or sculpting of the
coat, detracting from its natural appearance, should be
severely penalized.
Color
All coat colors and markings are allowable and of equal
merit. A black mask or a self-colored face is equally
acceptable. Regardless of coat color the exposed skin of
the muzzle, nose, lips and eye rims is black.
Gait
It is unhurried, dignified, free and strong, with a
slight roll over the shoulders. This motion is smooth
and effortless and is as free as possible from bouncing,
prancing or jarring. The rolling gait results from a
combination of the bowed forelegs, well laid back
shoulders, full broad chest and narrow light rear, all
of which produce adequate reach and moderate drive.
Temperament
A combination of regal dignity, intelligence and
self-importance make for a good natured, opinionated and
affectionate companion to those who have earned its
respect.
Disqualification
Weight over 14 pounds.
The foregoing is a description of the ideal
Pekingese. Any deviation should be penalized in direct
proportion to the extent of that deviation.
Approved: January 13, 2004
Effective: March 2, 2004
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