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Pekingese

The breeds · companion

AKC Toy · UKC Companion · FCI standard 207

Pekingese.

AKC page: a compact toy companion of regal bearing, one of several breeds created for the ruling classes of ancient China. AKC standard: a lionlike companion of Chinese origin; courage, dignity and self-esteem rather than daintiness. UKC: descendants of the lion-like Chinese 'Fo Dogs', favorite of the Imperial Court. FCI 207: utilization companion dog. RKC: traced to the Tang dynasty, a pet for the high castes in the Imperial palace at Peking..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

13.3YRMedian lifespan13 to 13.8, measured on real dogs.
0INHeightall null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
7–14LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 7 to 14 lb; breed bitches 7 to 14 lb.
0.5HRSExercise, every dayRKC: up to 30 minutes per day; suits a flat or apartment; town or country. Wikipedia: rarely capable of more than 30 minutes a day because of the airway; watch the breathing, stop at the first wheeze, rest somewhere cool.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

6 to 9 in

Breed clubAKC

Single registry source (a page band, not a standard); Wikipedia repeats it.

Weight

dogs 7 to 14 lb · bitches 7 to 14 lb

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2004

Same as the male row: breed-wide limits in both rows; FCI females 5.4 kg (11.9 lb). Low 7 lb is Wikipedia's lower figure (editorial).

Coat

AKC: long, coarse, straight, stand-off outer coat with a thick soft undercoat; a noticeable mane on the neck and shoulders; long feathering on toes, thighs, forelegs, ears and tail; all colours and markings equally allowable. UKC: double coated; long straight rather coarse outer coat, soft dense undercoat; mane forms a ruff beyond the shoulder blades; all colours; albinism disqualifies. FCI 207: moderately long, straight with a mane not extending beyond the shoulders; coarse top coat, thick softer undercoat; excessive coat heavily penalised; albino, liver or merle unacceptable. Wikipedia: most are gold, red or sable.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2004

Registries agree on a long double coat; they differ on how much coat is correct (AKC: long and profuse is desirable; FCI: not excessively coated).

Shedding

RKC: sheds. AKC page: shedding level 3 of 5. Wikipedia: heavy shedding, which with the double coat means frequent, extensive grooming.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Registry bands; Wikipedia editorial.

Heat tolerance

1 of 5 · AKC standard: long, coarse stand-off outer coat with a thick, soft undercoat and a mane; the face is flat. UKC: double coated; free of respiratory distress from excessive wrinkles or insufficient nostrils; muzzle so short as to affect breathing is an eliminating fault. FCI 207: any signs of respiratory distress are unacceptable; not excessively coated. RKC: a flat-faced breed at higher risk of breathing difficulty. Wikipedia: because of the abundance of fur it is important to keep the Pekingese cool; the breed is prone to heatstroke at high temperatures (citation tag on the passage).

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2004

Derived: a heavy long double coat plus a flat face is the definition of 1 on the scale. Derived from the standard's coat description and, for the flat-faced breeds, from the registries' own statements on airway and heat; no heat-illness study was opened. The Wikipedia heatstroke line is editorial and unreferenced on the page read; the registries' own text on the airway is what supports the score.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

13.3 years (13 to 13.8)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

McMillan et al. 2024 / Dogs Trust table. UK population. Not in Teng et al. 2022. The AKC page 12 to 14 year band is a band, not a median, and is not used. Mid-sized sample (339 deaths).

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 30 minutes per day; suits a flat or apartment; town or country. Wikipedia: rarely capable of more than 30 minutes a day because of the airway; watch the breathing, stop at the first wheeze, rest somewhere cool.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC is a UK registry band, not a study; mapped by the library rule (up to 30 = 30). Wikipedia's 30 minute figure agrees; that passage carries a citation-needed tag.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 30 minutes per day. AKC page bands: energy level 3 of 5, mental stimulation needs 3 of 5, playfulness 4 of 5, barking level 1 of 5. AKC standard temperament: regal dignity, intelligence and self-importance; a good-natured, opinionated and affectionate companion to those who have earned its respect. UKC: fearless, loyal, rather aloof, never timid or aggressive. FCI 207: fearless, loyal, aloof, not timid or aggressive.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

AKC bands are not mapped to minutes; RKC supplies the minutes figure.

Energy

3 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

4 of 5 · RKC: grooming every day; long coat; sheds. AKC page: coat grooming frequency 3 of 5, shedding 3 of 5. AKC standard: long, coarse straight stand-off outer coat over a thick soft undercoat, with a mane; trimming or sculpting that changes the natural outline is penalised. UKC: double coated, shown groomed minimally. Wikipedia: daily brushing and a trip to the groomer every 8 to 12 weeks (a house pet may be kept in a puppy cut); clean the face creases and keep the rear 'trousers' clean.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped by the library rule (every day = 4). Wikipedia's groomer interval would read as 5 on the scale if taken alone; the Care section carries a citation-needed tag, so the registry band stands.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

AKC page: a compact toy companion of regal bearing, one of several breeds created for the ruling classes of ancient China. AKC standard: a lionlike companion of Chinese origin; courage, dignity and self-esteem rather than daintiness. UKC: descendants of the lion-like Chinese 'Fo Dogs', favorite of the Imperial Court. FCI 207: utilization companion dog. RKC: traced to the Tang dynasty, a pet for the high castes in the Imperial palace at Peking.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2004

A companion breed with no field use in any source read.

Field trial standard

FCI 207: Group 9 Companion and Toy Dogs, Section 8 Japan Chin and Pekingese, without working trial.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 207, 2026

No field test applies.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Most common disorders

RKC: a flat-faced breed, so at higher risk of breathing difficulty, skin-fold infection, dental crowding and eye problems; Breed Watch category 3. Good-practice screening is genetic-diversity work; best practice is the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme; the KC Respiratory Function Grading (BOAS) test was recognised for the breed in Aug 2026 and is to be added formally to the Health Standard and Find a Puppy from Jan 2027. Wikipedia: trauma is the leading cause of death; neurological and cardiovascular defects are primary concerns; eye ulcers, dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), progressive retinal atrophy, skin allergies including hotspots; the Kennel Club changed the breed standard in Oct 2008 to remove the flat-profile clause. Pug Dog Club of America: the Pekingese is among the breeds at risk for necrotizing meningoencephalitis.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Registry text first. Wikipedia's lines on disorders carry 'verification needed' and citation-needed tags on the page read; no VetCompass Pekingese paper was opened.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 3; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 3; Barking Level 1; Watchdog/Protective Nature 4; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 3; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 5; Playfulness Level 4; Adaptability Level 4.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 5 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Peke, Pekinese, Lion Dog

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