May 4, 2011

Origins of the Pekingese: A Love Story

Ah, the Pekingese.

Photo source: Petfinder.com

The ancient toy dog breed beloved of the Chinese Imperial court. Whence came its flat face and bow-legged gait, characteristics of the breed for over 2,000 years? According to legend,

A lion and a marmoset fell in love. But the lion was too large. The lion went to the Buddha and told him of his woes. The Buddha allowed the lion to shrink down to the size of the marmoset. And the Pekingese was the result.


Photos courtesy of My Opera and the Amazona Zoo

Photo source: Good Dog Care

A less common version of the story substitutes a butterfly for the marmoset, but I think the family resemblance is more obvious in the marmoset version.

7 comments:

family law Toronto said...

haha..is that not a joke?:)

utility cans manufacturer said...

funny but...they're really similar:)

Flehmen Response said...

@family law Toronto: the legend is very real!

Canada said...

I love the dog...

buy research papers said...

They all are so cute!! I love animals!

Nimfa and my pekingese said...

i know this breed was only allowed to be owned by members of the Chinese Imperial. They even instructed people to destroy the breed to avoid being handled by foreign people. But five of them survived and became the ancestors of our cute Pekingese now. I really love their flat nose.

jesusthegreat said...

Exterminators would get rich clearing those out if i were dictator. IT IS A SHAME that the emperor didn't get his wish.....we would have one less load of worthless chinese sh!t in the world.
NOT SO UGLY THEY'RE CUTE, SO UGLY THEY'RE UGLY AS HELL.....