The Pekingese (also spelled Pekinese) is a breed of toy dog, originating in China. The breed was favored by royalty of the Chinese Imperial court as a companion dog, and its name refers to the city of Peking (Beijing) where the Forbidden City is located.
Also called "Pekes," "lion dogs," or "sun dogs," Pekingese were initially kept as companion pets to Chinese royalty and were ingrained in Chinese folklore. One story says that Pekingese were created when Buddha shrunk a lion down to the size of a small dog.
Originally bred as companion dogs to the ancient Chinese imperial family, Pekingese have historically been revered as sacred in China—according to one legend, they're lions shrunk to miniature size by the Buddha.
Bred to be companions for emperors of ancient China, many Chinese dogs were prized possessions kept close as pets for the emperor, his family, and the imperial court—so it's no surprise that many Chinese dog breeds make the perfect lapdogs today.
The Queen is often associated with her love of Corgis, supposedly owning over 30 Pembroke Welsh Corgi dogs during her reign. They were also owned by her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II of England at Balmoral Castle with one of her Corgis, 28th September 1952.
One of the most well-known royally-loved breeds, famously championed by Queen Elizabeth II, is the Welsh Corgi. During her reign, the Queen owned more than thirty of these friendly, happy, and fun-loving dogs.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was recognized as a breed by the AKC in 1995.
Shih Tzus are also often known as the Chinese Lion Dog or the Chrysanthemum Dog.
The Tibetan Mastiff is a large Tibetan dog breed. Originating with the nomadic cultures of Tibet, China, India, Mongolia and Nepal, it is used by local tribes of Tibetans to protect sheep from wolves,...
The Qin Dynasty unified China and created The Great Wall of China and the Terra Cotta Army. During the Qin Dynasty, the Shar Pei appeared. Shar Pei were bred as fighting dogs and continue to be used as guard dogs today.
Chinese Chongqing
Though unrecognized by the American Kennel Club, the Chongqing Dog Club of the UK and Ireland touts this breed as “one of the oldest, and rarest dog breeds in the world.” Some reports put the number of existing purebred Chongqing dogs at just 2,000.
Tibetan mastiffs were popular in China's imperial courts as hunting dogs. They were brought along the Silk Road in ancient times as tribute from Tibet. They were huge black dogs used as watchdogs.
The Basenji produces an unusual yodel-like sound, due to its unusually shaped larynx. This trait also gives the Basenji the nickname the 'barkless dog. '
Chow Chow
The Chow Chow might just be the oldest dog breed in the world. Artifacts found from the Han Dynasty that dates all the way back to 206 B.C. seemingly depict this magnificent Chinese dog breed.
The Chinese Imperial Dog or Imperial Shih Tzu is a Shih Tzu bred to be smaller than the Shih Tzu's written standard of 9 pounds. It was started some time back in the 1970s when breeders chose the runts for their breeding stock. It is still being bred today.
In Chinese mythology, a dog is responsible for the solar eclipse. Legend has it that Tiangou (the Heavenly Dog) ate the moon, but he was captured and forced to spit the moon back out. Zhang Xian, god of birth and protector of male children, is the enemy of Tiangou.
Cute Chinese inspired names such as Ming, Ping, Chang, or Chen are very common for the Chinese Imperial Dog and the Shih Tzu. You might want to consider something a little more original such as Bik, Manchu, Susu, or Luli.
The pair or normally shown together, either side of an entrance or doorway, with the female positioned on the left and the male on the right. Foo dogs are popular in Chinese Buddhism and are a reminder to keep all negative energy away from the home or workplace.
Foo dog, dog breeds originating in China that resemble "Chinese guardian lions" and hence are also called Lion Dogs. Asiatic lions found in nearby India are the ones depicted in the Chinese culture.
The first corgis joined the royal family in 1933 when the Duke of York, later King George VI, acquired two for his daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Queen Elizabeth II owned many corgis including Susan, who was an eighteenth birthday present and from whom all future royal corgis have been descended.
Following on from Susan, many of the Queen's other corgis were called all sorts of names, from the weird to the wonderful and everything else in between - including Sugar, Honey, Sherry, Whiskey, Bee and Buzz. There was also a Foxy, Tiny, Mask, Cindy, Rufus, Brush, Pickles, Tinker, Jolly and Sweep.
1. Border collie. According to The Intelligence of Dogs, which ranks 131 dog breeds in terms of their relative intelligence, the border collie is the smartest dog breed known to man.