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If you like small dogs for apartment living, then the Pekingese dog would be ideal for you. For its small size, you will find it easy to keep the dog in small spaces. You can still own it even if you have a larger home as they are generally adorable dogs. Despite the size, we find the dog breed being sturdy and amazingly bold for such a small dog. The question most would be having is “are Pekingese hypoallergenic dogs?”
We will answer that question in this guide. However, we have to look in detail what you can expect to get with the dog on overall. Let us get into the features of the dog breed below to help you learn more.
Origin of Pekingese Dogs
Pekingese has its origin from China. Many believe that the breed has been around for thousands of years, making it one of the oldest dog breeds.
This dog breed just like the Shih Tzu and the pug was favored by the imperial family in China. Such dogs would get the best treatment such as pampering and better protection. It might explain why Pekingese dogs always seem confident and bold.
It is during the Opium War of 1860 that the breed gained attention in the Western world. The British troops who found these dogs in the palaces gained interest in them, thus taking them back to England. Over the years, the dog breed has gain popularity in the U.S too. You will now find them common in many homes around the world.
Pekingese Dog Appearance
Before we can discuss the matter of are Pekingese hypoallergenic, it is important we understand the appearance of Pekingese dogs.
It is easy to recognize the dog because of its large eyes, flat face, and the low figure. The dog weighs around 14 pounds or less and has a size of 6 to 9 inches.
Pekingese tend to have a wide range of colors for its coat. It might be the reason people love the breed as they can end up with multiple colors of the coat. You will find their coat being thicker around the shoulders and neck just like mane.
The heart shaped ears are common in Pekingese dogs. It might be something else that differentiates it with other breeds. There is also a wrinkle between the eyes and nose. The result is that you end up with a distinct look for this dog breed.
How is it Like to Keep Pekingese Dogs?
Many people who love pets would love to know how it is like to own a Pekingese dog before spending their money to get one. We would like to point out that Pekingese dogs are adorable and affectionate lapdogs to own. You will find the dog breed being pleasant to own as a house dog.
It is worth pointing out that the dog is smart. This means that it will respond better to training. However, at first it might be stubborn before it gets used to the trainer. As much as it might challenging to train it in the initial stages, the dog quickly adapts to the new commands and becomes easier to control.
Pekingese gets along with the other pets and animals you might have in the home. You should be careful whenever you leave it around toddlers. It is not the most tolerant dog towards toddlers. It tends to get protective and cautious around kids to scare them. You will also notice that it barks a lot towards strangers, making it a good watchdog.
Those who own Pekingese claim it is a lively and active breed. Do not worry about exercising it all the time. With regular walks and other indoor activities, it should be enough to keep the dog fit and healthy.
We should point out that it is a brachycephalic breed. This means that it does not have much tolerance to the humid environments. As a result, it will snore and snort a lot when placed in such an environment.
Are Pekingese Hypoallergenic?
The short answer to the question “are Pekingese hypoallergenic?” is NO. The Pekingese dog breed is a heavy shedder, so it cannot be classified as a hypoallergenic dog. Because the dog sheds a lot, we would not recommend it for someone who is allergic to dogs.
Because of their heavy shedding characteristic, you will have to brush its coat several times a week. The regular grooming is necessary so that it does not end up leaving dog hair all over the house.
Why would someone think that Pekingese is hypoallergenic? There is this misconception that the dog is hypoallergenic because it is related to Shih Tzu breed. However, they are far from the truth. We have multiple hypoallergenic dog breeds, but Pekingese is not among them.
To know that you are allergic to dogs, you will experience wheezing, coughing, red eyes, itchy and runny nose, and sneezing. When your partner brings a Pekingese into your home and you start experiencing these symptoms, then just know you are allergic to dogs.
You must understand that it is the dander that comes with the dog hair or fur that makes you get the allergies. The hair itself is not bad for your health, but the dander is what triggers the allergies. The problem with a heavy shedder is that cleaning the hair might not be easy. You might start finding the dog hair on your furniture and other places. It is important you regularly clean the dog hair as it might trigger allergies in your visitors even if you are personally not allergic to dogs.
If you think that you are allergic to Pekingese, then it is best not to own it. The shedding alone might trigger a lot of unwanted allergies.
Is it a Good Family Dog?
For many people, they would want to know if Pekingese is a good family dog before they can bring it into their homes. The good news is that this is a great family dog. We found that the breed has multiple traits you will like such as confidence, dignity, independence, smart, and so much more.
Most of the time, you will find the dog being calm and quiet indoors. The dog loves to sleep on the sofa.
It can still be playful whenever the owner wants to entertain it. We must point out that the breed is ideal for a home with adults and senior citizens. It is not the best for homes with toddlers. This is because the breed is not tolerant towards children who might be rough with it.
If you have any other pets in the home, you will find that the dog is friendly towards them. As such, it should be easy to own this dog and cats too in the same home.
Other than the question of are Pekingese hypoallergenic, the other question would be are Pekingese dogs aggressive? We find that Pekingese dogs are calm and quiet unless provoked. They might be stubborn to training, but we cannot say it is enough to make them aggressive. Since they are tolerant to other pets that might be in the same house, we found them as an ideal option for those who love to keep multiple pets.
Pekingese Dogs and Smartness
Whenever buying a dog, sometimes you would wish for a smart dog. Instead of wishing, it is best if you found out its smartness before buying. For Pekingese, the answer can vary a lot. This is because it can be challenging to train the dog at first before it gets used to the commands.
It is common for many breeders to associate this breed with low intelligence, but it does not mean it might not be smart. The stubbornness might be attributed to its imperial heritage. You should find it being smart enough to go through training and comprehend the commands later.
Because of its smartness, we find that it will be easy for you to interact with it over time without much of a problem. Just make sure you give it enough attention that it needs.
Barking Behavior
We had mentioned earlier that Pekingese are watchdogs, so expect such a dog to give you a good bark. However, it is important to note that these dogs only bark when they notice something new or strange. So, each time your Pekingese dog keeps on barking, just know it is something worth checking out. Most of the time, it is likely to stay quiet in the home. This is unlike other small dogs that tend to bark a lot at anything.
As soon as a Pekingese dog notices someone different at the dog, it would start barking. This can always help you notice that there might be a stranger at the door.
Pekingese dogs do not just bark because they have to bark. Most of the time you will find them sitting on the couch minding their own business. It is why they might be good for apartment living where a lot of dog barking might irritate other neighbors.
How Much Does it Cost to Get a Pekingese Dog?
Now that you know whether are Pekingese hypoallergenic or not, the next thing that comes to mind is the price of getting one. On average, the puppy will cost you from $500 to $750. However, those dogs with the AKC bloodline will cost a lot more from $1000 to $2500. Several factors will affect the final price of a Pekingese dog. Such factors include the dog age, the location, dog quality, and more.
The total cost of owning a Pekingese dog also involves the amount spent on health checkup, vaccinations, microchipping, neutering, and much more. In most cases, the cost will be around $700 to $1000 per year to keep the dog healthy.
It is important to know these costs before buying a Pekingese dog. This ensures that you are ready to spend some more money to keep your dog healthy.
Pekingese Dog Lifespan
As part of answering the question are Pekingese hypoallergic, we also have to look at the breed’s possible lifespan.
The Pekingese dogs stop growing once they achieve a full height within six to ten months after their birth. They can continue to fill out their weight until they are around one year old. Since they are small dogs, they can reach their adult size faster within just a year.
As for the lifespan, we found that the average lifespan of the breed is 11 years. However, there are times some can live up to 15 years. The most common health issue that can lead to their demise is heart failure. It is important to screen the dog more often to identify heart issues before they get serious.
Some of the other Pekingese health issues include the following.
- Ear infection
- Skin infection
- Brachycephalic syndrome
- Corneal ulcer
To keep the dog healthy, we recommend that you take it to the vet more often. This is important to identify any health problem during the early stages and move on to start treating the condition. With a proper diet and monitoring, it should be easy for the dog breed to live longer.
Pekingese Dog Grooming Tips
Just like any other dog breed, Pekingese also needs the best grooming while caring for it. Grooming is essential to keep the dog tidy and healthy. It is important the owner learns about the necessary grooming tips that the dog needs. This ensures that you can take care of it properly. You also need the right grooming supplies such as brushes and others to make your grooming job easier.
Here are some of the basic grooming tips for a Pekingese dog.
- Try to brush and comb its coat at least once a week
- Bathing should be often but not too much as a lot of bathing can dry up the dog’s skin
- Trim the dog’s hair more often to prevent formation of mats
- Check and clean the ears more often
- Brush the dog’s teeth thrice a week
- Trim the nails twice a month
In Summary
At this point, you know the answer to the question are Pekingese hypoallergenic. It is up to you now to make your mind about getting the dog or not. It is important to note that this dog sheds a lot. Even if you are not allergic to dogs, it will require a lot of grooming and cleaning of your home to remove the dog fur and hair. It is a nice dog to have in your home as it is a quiet and calm breed. It only barks if it notices something strange in the house.
