Pekingese loses its captivating allure

Beijing – For centuries, owning the flat-faced Pekingese dog was a luxury to be enjoyed only by China’s royal family.

However, after years of turmoil and the 1911 revolution that established China as a republic, the dog named after the Chinese capital became available to the masses, and by the 1990s, they were so common that the streets of Beijing – formerly Romanised as Peking – were teaming with strays.

But as the Lunar Year of the Dog begins this month, the most distinctive Chinese canine is almost nowhere to be found. Local pet owners today prefer foreign breeds such as poodles and Chihuahuas. “Now there really are too few local Pekingese,” said Zhang Lei, a breeder in Beijing.

“If you want a local Pekingese then the only option is to crossbreed them with a foreign Pekingese. A lot of people don’t have them. I think the local Pekingese are now facing a crisis.”

In 2003, Zhang adopted a few stray Pekingese and since then has bred them, mostly as a hobby. Some sell for between 1 000 and 2 500 yuan (R1 800 – R4 500) each, but there are few buyers.

Pekingese were introduced to Europe when Western armies pillaged the Summer Palace in Beijing, stealing several of the Qing court’s dogs during the Second Opium War in the 1850s. It became a favourite at dog shows.

Wang Fei, who has a four-yearold white local Pekingese, said the breed became a victim of its own popularity. – Reuters

Picture: Reuters FACING A CRISIS. Pekingese dog Xiaobai is pictured outside its owner’s house in Beijing, China. Breeders say there are too few local Pekingese dogs in China, a breed that was very common in the 1990s.