Pekingese - History

Pekingese History

The origins of the Pekingese are steeped in legend.

Some say that when a lion and a marmoset monkey fell in love, Buddha allowed the link to shrink in size so that they could mate. The result was the Pekingese.

Others say that a lion fell in love with a butterfly and because of the size difference Buddha made the lion smaller and the butterfly larger. Again, the result was the Pekingese.

One thing's for sure. The Pekingese is one of the oldest dog breeds in the world with a pedigree that stretches back over 2,000 years.

Because they were believed to be a gift from Buddha, Pekingese dogs were confined to temples and for centuries could only be owned by members of the Chinese Imperial Palace.

So how and when did the regal Pekingese first set foot in the UK?

Well, in 1860, during the Second Opium War, five Pekingese were taken from the Summer Palace by British troops before it was burned to the ground.

Lord John Hay took two, later called Schloff and Hytien and gave them to his sister, the Duchess of Wellington.

Sir George Fitzroy took another pair and gave them to his cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Richmond and Gordon.

And the fifth Pekingese was given to Queen Victoria who named it Looty.