The power of the dog/The Pekingese
"For we are Ancients of the earth."
Tennyson.
PEKINGESE
"Nan Tye of Newnham" &
"Ch. Mai-Mai of Newnham"
Owned by Mrs. William Herbert
THE PEKINGESE
attended to; my lord, my lady, as the
case may he (usually the latter), the pet
daughter, and the pet dog."
"Vivian Grey."
BUT there is neither East nor West, Border nor Breed nor Birth "when great ladies of the Occident decree that dogs of the Orient are worthy of acquisition. Thus it comes about that one of the most popular toy dogs of the day is the Pekingese—-the Palace dog of his own land, treasured and guarded by many generations of Emperors and Empresses. Even to-day in China the task of collecting individuals outside the Royal palaces is attended with the utmost difficulty, and great must be the amazement of any untravelled Chinaman who sets foot in this country for the first time on seeing so many about. Our own history of the breed begins with the advance of the French and English troops upon Pekin in 1860. The occupation of the city being a formidable undertaking for such a small body, the allies made a movement on the Summer Palace of the Emperor at Yen Min Yuen, nearly four miles from Pekin. The victory was of a Pyrrhic nature, as the defenders fled. When the British soldiers entered the Palace much booty had already been removed, but several of the Emperor's favourite dogs remained behind, two of which passed into the possession of Lord John Hay. Two more became the property of an officer, who subsequently presented them to the then Duchess of Richmond, and General Dunn picked up another, which he had the pleasure of giving to Queen Victoria. So the story usually ends in most of the literature upon the subject, but, reading through some old volumes of "Country Life," dated 1899, I find that there were others, of which sight had been lost. Admiral Oliver Jones, then a Captain, who was present on the occasion, has stated that there were six, the mother and five puppies, one of which he had. A month or two later Mr. H. Townshend wrote to say that two officers of the 99th Foot also got a couple, from whom puppies were born in Canton. Mr. Townshend brought home one which lived for seventeen years, and was one of the most perfect animals in intelligence and habits that he had ever met.
The last remark probably explains the spell which these little creatures seem to cast over their owners. Superficially, one might think that the English toy spaniels should never be supplanted by the Chinese, and as far as mere beauty is concerned one would assign the palm to the lovely Japanese, but the Chinaman has come and conquered. He must be endowed with some intrinsic merits which are not apparent to the casual observer, one of which undoubtedly is the soundness of his constitution, a capacity for withstanding diseases to which others succumb only too readily. Whether this immunity will be retained or no is a debatable point. When the breed first started upon its career of popularity some twelve or fifteen years ago the numbers were strictly limited, and much inbreeding must have been necessary. While this may mean the perpetuation of a desired type it connotes also the possibility of an increased susceptibility to disease. The longevity attained by the earlier importations is sufficient proof of their stamina then. The letter I have quoted speaks of one reaching seventeen years, an age exceeded by a year by one of Lord John Hay's.
The charm of so many Pekingese that I have seen is that although toys in weight there is nothing toyish in their dispositions. They have all the boldness of bigger dogs, a fine capacity for devotion to master or mistress, engaging manners, tenacious memories, and indefatigable activity, all of which are virtues to justify our regard.
Externally they should have a massive front, tapering off behind the ribs to a distinct "waist," a conformation which is supposed to give them a leonine aspect. The legs should be short, heavy of bone in front and bowed outwards at the elbows. The head needs to be massive, with a broad flat skull, wide between the ears. The body must not be long. On the other hand, the coat should be profuse. Altogether you want a big dog in a small compass.
Bearing in mind the long ancestry of the Pekingese, the many centuries through which he has been the spoilt child of fortune in that inscrutable land whence he comes, it should not be a difficult matter to maintain the type in its correctitude, but critics are already complaining of the introduction of undesirable features, such as long legs, flat sides, and so on. I have on other occasions pointed out that the true toy at his best should not be merely a weed. Nearly anyone can get a light dog if he is bred from indifferent parents, and subjected to semi-starvation during the growing period. The real enthusiast, however, is not satisfied with such a miserable travesty, and people who buy Pekingese as pets should insist upon having those that have plenty of bone, and are sturdily put together. The expert is not likely to be misled by these aptly called "flat-catchers." It is the novice who is to blame by creating the demand for a tiny specimen, without regard for his make and shape. 