You just have to meet sweet Peaches!  I am not a big fan of Pekingnese (my aunt had one that freaked me out as a kid) but Peaches is a doll.  This lovely dog is so even tempered, easy going, well, really, who knew?  Not what I expect of the breed.  Poor baby was picked up as a stray.  She was so matted we had to shave her down to a lion cut ~ I think it's cute!  Her left eye suffers from dry eye (common in the breed), a condition for which we are treating her with drops 5 to 6 times a day.  She is awfully good about it ~ I think she is just grateful to be safe.  She doesn't have vision in that eye right now, but we have our fingers crossed.  Come meet this brave darling ~ you'll be so glad you did!

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, Pekingese where regarded as manifestation of the legendary Foo Dog that drove away spirits. They were venerated as semi-divine by the Chinese. Commoners had to bow to them; you were punished by death if you stole one, and when an emperor died, his Pekingese were sacrificed so that they could go with him to give protection in the afterlife. In 1860 the Pekingese reached the West. British and French troops over ran the Summer Palace during the Second Opium War. Imperial Guards were ordered to kill the little dogs to prevent them from falling into the hands of the "foreign devils," but five Pekingese survived and were taken to Queen Victoria, who named it appropriately, "Looty." It is from these canine spoils of war that the modern Pekingese is descended. Pekingese are very brave little dogs, courageous to the point of foolhardiness! They are sensitive, independent and extremely affectionate with their master, but are wary of strangers. They are obstinate, self-willed and may be difficult to feed and are sometimes known to refuse to eat as much to show dominance over its owner as to lack of appetite. If overfed, Pekingese will quickly become overweight. They are loving to the point of jealousy. They tend to bark a lot and make good watchdogs. Not recommended for young children who are too rough. This breed may be difficult to housebreak. They have an life expectancy of 10-15 years.