This week was a tough week at the doggie daycare. We were at full capacity, with many dogs staying longer than anticipated because of their humans’ cancelled flights. I sought refuge in the yards of the little dogs, where affectionate balls of fluff ran to greet me, wriggling happily and licking me as soon as I entered their space.
In honor of the loving little dogs, this week’s breed is the Pekinese.
I have a dear friend in Chicago who told me that Pekinese were originally protectors of Chinese royalty. The dogs lounged in the enormous sleeves of the Emperor, keeping him warm. If an intruder were to threaten, the Emperor simply straightened his arms and the Pekinese would shoot out of his sleeves in ferocious defense. I love that image.
Most of that is true, although I can't verify the part about the Emperor's sleeves becoming dog cannons.
Pekinese are an extremely old breed, and legend has it that they arrived in China along with Buddhism (around 150 C.E.). According to that legend, the Buddhist monks were disappointed that lions were extinct in China. Lions are an important Buddhist symbol. The teachings of the Buddha are referred to as “The Lion’s Roar” and the Buddha, when seated, is pictured on a Lion Throne. The Buddhist monks who brought the Dharma to China began breeding dogs to look like lions.
Another legend says that thousands of years ago a lion fell in love with a marmoset monkey and begged the gods to shrink him so that their love could be fulfilled. The resulting off-spring was the Pekinese dog.
My money is on the Buddhist monks.
In any case, during the Tang Dynasty (eighth century) some Pekinese were actually granted royal rank and privileges at court.
One of the more recent Pekinese breeders was Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908). She developed a list of characteristics for Pekinese breeding. My favorites are:
"* Let it venerate its ancestors and deposit offerings in the canine cemetery of the Forbidden City on each new moon.
* Let it comport itself with dignity; let it learn to bite the foreign devils instantly.
* Let it be dainty in its food so that it shall be known as an Imperial dog by its fastidiousness. Shark's fins and curlew livers and the breasts of quails, on these may it be fed; and for drink give it the tea that is brewed from the spring buds of the shrub that groweth in the province of Hankow, or the milk of the antelopes that pasture in the Imperial parks."
Only Royals were allowed to own Pekinese, until the Second Opium War. The Opium Wars were fought by the Chinese against Western merchants who were selling opium in China. (No wonder Cixi wanted Pekinese to bite the Foreign Devils). A water-shed event was the burning of the Old Summer Palace by the British in 1860. The Old Summer Palace was made primarily of cedar and took days to burn. The precious antiquities, silks, jade, and works of art that had been housed in the Palace were all either looted or destroyed. The Chinese never rebuilt the Palace. They left it in its demolished state, and they still visit the ruins to this day:
Five Pekinese survived. They were taken to England where one was given to Queen Victoria, a pair were given to the Duchess of Wellington, and the last two were given to Lady Algernon Gordon-Lennox, who began breeding them in her famous kennel, Goodwood.
Of course, in order to have a good breeding program more dogs were needed, and generally they were acquired through pretty nefarious means. Ah Cum, a renowned sire of the modern breed, was smuggled out of China in a crate full of Japanese deer in 1896. (I don’t even want to think about that horrific voyage).
By 1900, the Pekinese were the most popular breed in England. Oh! And there were what was known as “sleeve Pekinese” who could be kept in their owners' sleeves as companions and little furry heaters.
Today’s Pekinese have shorter legs and longer hair than their ancestors. But they retain their haughty dispositions. For nearly two thousand years these dogs have been bred to act like royalty. That is a trait which has lasted.
In soap news, we have new soap labels! It was high time - our old labels were New Mexico labels, and we're now a Colorado company. Our old labels were our first legit labels, so there were a lot of things we wanted to change. Behold our new labels:
The logo was created by my nephew, Michael. And look at the back:
I’m really pleased. If you’d like to purchase some labels (with bars of soap stuck inside) please visit our website: SerenaSoaps.com
Finally, an acknowledgement: all the non-soap photos in today’s blog were from Pixabay, a free photo site. Thanks, Pixabay!