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As society parties go, this one was a real dog - for the gala
social event was the first specialty show of the Pekingese
Club of America, held January 18, 1911. And while it may sound
a bit extravagant by today's standards, at the time the setting
seemed fitting for a dog who was an eminent member of China's
royal family.
The
Legend of the Lion Dog
Without
Buddhism there would be no Pekingese. In the Lamaist form
of that religion, which has been popular in China at various
times over the last 1,500 years, the lion is an exalted symbol.
One problem - there weren't any lions in China. Luckily, somebody
in the T'ang dynasty, which ruled China from 700 A.D. to 1000
A.D., noticed that the smallest Fu (guard) dogs lying around
the palace resembled small lions. Voila! Faster than you can
sing the chorus to "T'angs for the Memories," a legion of
eunuchs were on their way to creating the Pekingese.
Development
of the lion dogs continued across several dynasties, but it
was under the Manchu dynasty, which conquered China in the
mid-1600s, that the Pekingese really developed. The Manchus
hailed from Mongolia and were closely allied with the Dalai
Lama in Tibet - some sources indicate the Lhasa terrier, which
itself was a sacred dog to the Dalai Lama and his followers,
was a significant influence on the Pekingese. Records show
that several Lhasa terriers were presented by the Dalai Lama
to Manchu emperors. In any case, during the Manchu rule, the
Pekingese developed the distinctive appearance we recognize
today.
The Manchus
never won any humanitarian awards, but they knew how to treat
their dogs. According to myth/legend/rumor, Pekingese had
their own elaborately decorated apartments and were dressed
in gold-embroidered costumes. They were fed large, multi-course
banquets on porcelain bowls and plates by their personal servants,
who slept at the foot of the dogs' beds should they need anything
in the night.
The
Dowager's Dogs
In the
1850s, a slave girl named Ye-ho-na-la caught the eye of Manchu
emperor Hien Feng and bore him a son named T'ung Chih. Hien
Feng's strong suit was breeding Pekingese, not directing foreign
affairs, and England decided he needed a lesson in diplomacy,
British Empire-style. So in 1860, a landing party from the
H.M.S. Odin attacked the Imperial Summer Palace in Peking.
The royal family escaped the raid but left behind a load of
loot, including five of their precious Pekingese. British
officers "found" the dogs and claimed them as their own -
all in the name of diplomacy. These Pekes eventually found
their way back to England, where one was presented to Queen
Victoria. In a rare moment of good humor, the queen fittingly
named her dog "Looty."
Back in
Peking, the plot thickened. Hien Feng died in 1862, and under
dubious circumstances undoubtedly orchestrated by his mother,
the 6-year-old T'ung Chih became the next emperor. The former
slave girl Ye-ho-na-la, now known as Dowager Empress T'su
Hsi, had maneuvered herself into control of one of the world's
most powerful countries.
On the
minus side, T'su Hsi was cruel, ruthless, conniving and meaner
than a snake on amphetamines. On the plus side, she loved
her Pekingese. But even this affection had its ulterior motives.
With only a tenuous link to the royal lineage, the Dowager
Empress sought to identify herself with Buddha. In fact, she
actively encouraged the nickname "Old Buddha." The Pekingese,
a living symbol of Buddha, served her purpose in identifying
her with the god.
Status
Symbol
In England
the royal connection and exotic appearance of the Pekingese,
as the dog was dubbed there, made it a status symbol for the
social elite - and those who wanted to be. In America, too,
the lion dog was becoming the rage, especially as it became
more available. In the late 1800s, T'su Hsi presented a number
of her cherished Pekingese to Americans, including Miss Alice
Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, and to
J. P. Morgan, a dominant financier and philanthropist. With
the Chinese monarchy collapsing - no thanks to the machinations
of T'su Hsi - more and more Pekingese became available in
the Chinese market. Many were exported from China by American
and European traders, eager to capitalize on the Pekingese's
booming popularity.
The Pekingese
Club of America was formed in April 1909 under the sponsorship
of J.P. Morgan, who was named its honorary president. Two
years later, 95 dogs entered that first club-sponsored show
at the ballroom of the Plaza Hotel, which would continue to
be its venue for many years. As they say in society, the Pekingese
had arrived.
Blue
Blood
Today
few care or even know about the Peke's royal lineage, although
some might say the Peke's temperament still reflects its regal
bloodline. Whether it's because of blue blood or not, the
Pekingese definitely has a mind and will of its own - it tends
to want to get its own way. Despite its stubborn streak, the
dog, fittingly, has the courage of a lion, so much so that
many consider the Pekingese's independence and self-esteem
its most endearing characteristics. It is definitely neither
cloying nor servile. Firmness is needed with a Pekingese.
But once it knows who is the master, it will respect authority
and obey your wishes - at least some of the time.
Lying
around palaces for hundreds of years must have affected the
Pekingese's activity level, for it is a relatively low-energy
dog. The Peke does not require a great deal of supervised
exercise. In fact, the dog will exercise itself if allowed
the freedom to do so. And if it shares its life with children
or another dog, a Peke will probably get all the exercise
it needs to stay fit.
Its small
size, independent nature and relatively low exercise needs
make the Peke an ideal dog for apartment dwellers, as well
as the elderly. And although it may resent the very young
if it is strictly a dog to the elderly or childless, if brought
up around children, the Pekingese will adore them. In fact,
the Peke generally adapts well to any environment. It's as
much at home in a small apartment or on a large country estate,
as the household's sole pet or as part of a large crowd of
animals. It is not a good choice for someone who wants a dog
that stays outside the majority of the time. Its long fur
causes it to suffer in extreme heat, making it necessary to
keep the Pekingese inside during hot summer days.
Taming
the Lion's Mane
The Pekingese
owes its physical characteristics to the Chinese love of beauty
and perfection. The opulence of the Chinese courts provided
ample time for the development and appreciation of all things
beautiful. The arts, of which the little lion dogs were considered
a part, were entrusted to the palace courts' eunuchs and women,
who competed to outdo each other in creating the most beautiful
dog in order to gain the special favor of the emperors. It
is believed that the various exotic colors of the Pekingese
breed were developed as a result of this competition.
In the
reign of early Manchu emperors, small dogs were especially
valued. Often, outrageous means were used to keep puppies
small. According to some sources, the puppies were enclosed
in tiny wire cages to stunt their growth, or the pups were
grown in the palms of slaves' hands, passed from one to another
and never allowed to touch the floor until the dogs reached
maturity. To keep the Pekingeses' muzzles from growing long,
they were fed from the inside of pigs skin - as the dogs tried
to eat the tiny bits of flesh attached to the meat, their
noses would bash against the hide, stunting growth. Eunuchs
were employed to massage puppies' noses so that they would
remain short.
To her
credit, T'su Hsi did not employ many of the cruel practices
of her predecessors, although she did employ her own unusual
breeding methods. The walls of her kennels were hung with
exquisite tapestries and scrolls with pictures of ideal dogs
in hope that this would influence the breeding process. The
bitches were kept in quarters decorated in colors the empress
wished the dogs' puppies to be. And she even had the eunuchs
read specially composed poetry to the bitches describing beautiful
dogs.
As usual,
the old dowager's preoccupation with color and markings had
more to do with politics than aesthetics. She believed each
color connoted some esoteric religious meaning, and that it
was possible to tell the future by the color of a dog's coat.
At times affairs of state were decided by the color of a newborn
Pekingese.
Today,
few Pekingese owners pick their dog for its fortune-telling
abilities, but many are attracted by its beautiful coat. Unfortunately,
this initial attraction has a funny way of turning to aversion
when the casual owner realizes that, as always, beauty requires
hard work.
But fear
not - the secret to grooming the Pekingese is consistency.
A few minutes a day, every day, should keep the dog's hair
from developing into a tangled mess. This routine should be
established early in the dog's life. Some owners take great
pride in keeping the coat of the Pekingese very full. This,
of course, is an absolute requirement if the dog is to be
shown. However, most owners find this an overwhelming task
and keep the coat cut back to a moderate length. Either way
the Peke's royal appearance requires commitment. Unless you've
got a legion of eunuchs to do it, expect to spend a lot of
time grooming your Pekingese, or driving your spunky little
lion dog to the groomer.
Who
You Calling a Sissy?
It's been
a long, strange trip from the ornately decorated chambers
of Imperial Chinese palaces to the backyards and apartment
buildings of America. While the Pekingese may no longer be
feted annually at the Plaza Hotel, it does enjoy an enduring
popularity, fueled by a sophisticated image. In 1998, it ranked
26th, with 11,734 new registrations, among the 146 breeds
registered by the American Kennel Club. And although many
may persist in the belief that the Pekingese is some kind
of sissy, those that know these feisty, independent lions
realize what the Chinese emperors recognized so long ago -
the Pekingese is good company for the emperor or empress of
any domain.
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