Pekingese standards
General Appearance
The Pekingese is a well-balanced, compact dog with heavy front and lighter hindquarters.
It must suggest its Chinese origin in its directness, independence, individuality and
expression. Its image is lion like. It should imply courage, boldness and self-esteem
rather than prettiness, daintiness or delicacy.
Size, Substance, Proportion
Size/Substance - The Pekingese should be surprisingly heavy when lifted. It has a stocky,
muscular body. The bone of the forequarters must be very heavy in relation to the size of
the dog. All weights are correct within the limit of 14 pounds, provided that type and
points are not sacrificed. Disqualification - Weight over 14 pounds.
Proportion - The
length of the body, from the front of the breast bone in a straight line to the buttocks,
is slightly greater than the height at the withers. Overall balance is of utmost importance. Head
Skull - The top skull is massive, broad and flat (not dome-shaped). The topskull, the high,
wide cheek bones, broad lower jaw and wide chin are the structural formation of the correctly
shaped face. When viewed frontally, the skull is wider than deep and contributes to the
rectangular envelope-shaped appearance of the head. In profile, the Pekingese face must be
flat.
The chin, nose leather and brow all lie in one plane. In the natural position of the
head, this plane appears vertical but slants very slightly backward from chin to forehead.
Nose - It is black, broad, very short and in profile, contributes to the flat appearance of
the face. Nostrils are open. The nose is positioned between the eyes so that a line drawn
horizontally across the top of the nose intersects the center of the eyes.
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.
Wrinkle - It effectively separates the upper and lower areas of the face. The appearance is of
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 nor to obscure a large portion of the eyes or the nose from view.
Stop - It is deep. The bridge of the nose is completely obscured from view by hair
and/or the over-nose wrinkle.
Muzzle - This
is very short and broad with high, wide cheek bones. The color of the skin is black.
Whiskers add to the Oriental expression.
Mouth - The lower jaw is slightly undershot.
The lips meet on a level plane and neither teeth nor tongue show when the mouth is closed.
The lower jaw is strong, wide, firm and straight across at the chin. An excessively strong
chin is as undesirable as a weak one.
Ears - They are heart-shaped and set on the front
corners of the skull extending the line of the topskull. Correctly placed ears frame the
sides of the face and with their heavy feathering create an illusion of additional width of
the head.
Pigment - The skin of the nose, lips and eye rims is black on all colors. Neck, Body, Tail
Neck - It is very short, thick and set back into the shoulder.
Body - This is pear-shaped
and compact. It is heavy in front with well-sprung ribs slung between the forelegs. The broad
chest, with little or no protruding breast bone, tapers to lighter loins with a distinct
waist. The topline is level.
Tail - The base is set high; the remainder is carried well
over the center of the back. Long, profuse straight feathering may fall to either side. Forequarters
They are short, thick and heavy-boned. The bones of the forelegs are slightly bowed between
the pastern and elbow. Shoulders are gently laid back and fit smoothly into the body. The
elbows are always close to the body. Front feet are large, flat and turned slightly out. The
dog must stand well up on feet.
Hindquarters
They are lighter in bone than the forequarters. There is moderate angulation and definition
of stifle and hock. When viewed from behind, the rear legs are reasonably close and parallel
and the feet point straight ahead.
Soundness is essential in both forequarters and hindquarters.
Coat
Body Coat - It is full-bodied, with long, coarse textured, straight, stand-off coat and thick,
softer 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 that it does not obscure the shapeliness of the body, nor sacrifice the
correct coat texture.
Feathering - Long feathering is found on the back of the thighs and
forelegs, and on the ears, tail and toes. The feathering is left on the toes but should not
be so long as to prevent free movement. Color
All coat colours and markings, including parti-colours, are allowable and of equal merit.
Gait
The gait is unhurried and dignified, with a slight roll over the shoulders. The rolling gait
is caused by the bowed front legs and heavier, wider forequarters pivoting on the tapered
waist and the lighter, straight parallel hindquarters. The rolling motion is smooth and
effortless and is as free as possible from bouncing, prancing or jarring.
Temperament
A combination of regal dignity, self-importance, self-confidence and exasperating stubbornness
make for a good natured, lively and affectionate companion to those who have earned its respect.
The foregoing is a description of the ideal Pekingese. Any deviation should be
penalised in direct proportion to the extent of that deviation.
Faults to be Noted
- Dudley, liver or gray nose.
- Light brown, yellow or blue eyes.
- Protruding tongue or teeth.
- Overshot upper jaw.
- Wry mouth.
- Ears set much too high, low or far back.
- Roach or swayback.
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Breed or
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Pekingese dogs or
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