Peke

　　The Peke, also known as the Pekingese, is a breed whose standards may rarely get special attention; after all, they are one’s own beloved dogs. Today, the editor will popularize the breed standard of the Peke for everyone.

　　Body Shape

　　The Pekingese’s neck is very short, thick, and merges with the shoulders. The body is pear-shaped and compact. The forequarters are heavy, ribs well sprung hanging between the forelegs. The chest is broad, with a very small or no prominent sternum. The waist is fine and light, very distinctive. The topline is level. The tailset is high; the tail curls over the middle of the back. The long, thick, and straight feathering hangs to one side.

　　Head: The cranial bones are large, broad, and flat (not domed). The skull is high, cheekbones broad, forming a correct facial structure with a wide and low jaw and broad chin. Viewed from the front, the head is wider than deep, giving a rectangular shape to the face. From the side, the face of the Pekingese must be flat. The chin, nose leather, and forehead lie in the same plane. When the head is in a normal position, this plane should be vertical but actually tilts slightly backward from chin to forehead. Nose: black, wide, and very short in profile, forming a very flat face. Nostrils are open. The nose is located between the eyes, with the top of the nose exactly in the middle of the line connecting the eyes. Eyes: very large, very black, round, shiny, and widely spaced. Eye rims are black, and when the dog looks straight ahead, the whites of the eyes are not visible. Wrinkles: effectively distinguish the upper and lower halves of the face.

　　The appearance begins from skin wrinkles extending to the cheeks covered with hair, passing through an inverted V-shape extending to the opposite cheek. The wrinkles are neither overly prominent to fill the whole face nor too large to cover the nose and eyes impairing vision. Stop: deep. Wrinkles on the bridge of the nose and nose appear fully covered by hair. Muzzle: very short and broad, matching high and wide cheekbones. The skin is black. Whiskers add to an Oriental appearance. The lower jaw projects slightly forward. Lips are flat, and when the mouth is closed, teeth and tongue are not visible. An overdeveloped or underdeveloped lower jaw is equally undesirable. Ears: heart-shaped ears located on both sides of the head. Proper ear positioning combined with very dense hair creates the illusion of a wider head. For dogs of any color, the nose leather, lips, and eye rims are black.

　　Coat

　　Pekingese body coat: the coat is long, straight, erect, with a thick and soft undercoat covering the whole body. There is distinct mane around the neck and shoulders, slightly shorter than the coat on the rest of the body. Long and thick coat is ideal but must not obscure the outline or ignore the correct coat structure. Feathering: long feathering on the forelegs and the back of the thighs, ears, tail, and toes. Feathering on the toes should be retained but must not affect movement.

　　Forequarters

　　The Pekingese has short, thick, and strong-boned forelegs. The bones from elbow to wrist are slightly curved. The shoulder angulation is correct and lies flat against the body. Elbows are always close to the body. The front paws are large, flat, and slightly turned outwards. The dog must be able to stand properly.

　　Hindquarters

　　The hindquarters are lighter boned than the forequarters. The stifle and hock angles are gentle. Viewed from behind, the hind legs are appropriately close together, parallel, with toes pointing forward. Both forequarters and hindquarters must be very healthy.

　　Color

　　All colors are permitted, and all colors are equally accepted.

　　Gait

　　The Pekingese’s gait is composed and noble, with a slight twist behind the shoulders. Due to the curved forelimbs and broad heavy forequarters, and light, straight, and parallel hind limbs, the dog twists on a fine waist axis. This twisting gait is smooth, relaxed, and can be as free as bouncing or jumping joyfully.