Pekingese
Pekinés
- Sizevery small (toy)
- Weight3.2–6.4 kg
- Lives13–15 years
- Popularity in Mexico★★★
Character
Pekingese temperament
A very small (toy) dog from the companion (toy) group, in twelve traits from 1 to 5:
- Energymiddle of the road
- Affection with familyglued to you
- With kidsmiddle of the road
- With other dogsmiddle of the road
- With strangersmiddle of the road
- Playfulnessplayful for life
- Guarding instinctborn guardian
- Adaptabilitysettles anywhere
- Trainabilitymiddle of the road
- Barkingnearly silent
- Mental stimulation it needsmiddle of the road
- Prey driveno data yet
Distinguishing features
Pekingese characteristics
- Ears
- drop
- Height
- 15–23 cm
- Weight
- 3.2–6.4 kg
- Muzzle
- flat
- Coat
- double coat
- Coat length
- long
- Colors
- any color
- Life expectancy
- 13–15 years
- Sheddingmiddle of the road
- Coat caremiddle of the road
Life expectancy
How long does a Pekingese live?
13–15 years
The breed sets the range; how long each dog lives depends on its weight, its exercise, its teeth and its check-ups with the vet.
The long profile
Long profile, in Spanish for now
The long version of this breed — character, care and origins, in Lord Chucho's voice — exists in Spanish and hasn't been translated yet. The hard data on this page (traits, features, lifespan) is the same in both languages.
Buying guides
What to buy for a Pekingese
What to buy, by what it needs:
What we'd give Choco
For a dog like this one
Affiliate links: it costs you the same. How they work (in Spanish)
AI image: the real product may vary FURminator for double coats
On double-coated breeds it pulls out loose hair by the kilo. Your couch will thank you more than the dog will.
AI image: the real product may vary Flat 2-meter leash
Two meters: enough to sniff with dignity, enough to keep it close when it matters. Neither retractable nor 50 cm.
AI image: the real product may vary Small donut bed
Small dogs sleep curled up with a wall around them: the donut is their castle. Washable, because it will smell like dog. It's the law.
AI image: the real product may vary Hard-sided carrier
The hard carrier works for the car, the vet and moving house. Buy it for the ADULT dog's size, not the puppy you have today.
What people ask
Frequently asked questions about the Pekingese
How big does a Pekingese get?
An adult Pekingese stands 15–23 cm at the withers and weighs 3.2–6.4 kg.
Does the Pekingese need a lot of exercise?
The Pekingese scores 3 out of 5 on “Energy”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “couch potato” and 5 is “marathoner”.
Is the Pekingese good with kids?
The Pekingese scores 3 out of 5 on “With kids”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “better without kids” and 5 is “excellent”. Even with a 5, no dog should be left alone with small children: supervising them is the adult's job.
Does the Pekingese get along with other dogs?
The Pekingese scores 3 out of 5 on “With other dogs”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “lone wolf” and 5 is “life of the dog park”.
Is the Pekingese easy to train?
The Pekingese scores 3 out of 5 on “Trainability”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “negotiates every command” and 5 is “learns on the fly”.
Does the Pekingese bark a lot?
The Pekingese scores 1 out of 5 on “Barking”: nearly silent. On that scale, 1 is “nearly silent” and 5 is “reports everything”.
Is the Pekingese a good guard dog?
The Pekingese scores 4 out of 5 on “Guarding instinct”: born guardian. On that scale, 1 is “not a guardian” and 5 is “born guardian”.
Does the Pekingese shed a lot?
The Pekingese scores 3 out of 5 on “Shedding”: right in the middle of the scale. On that scale, 1 is “barely sheds” and 5 is “hair everywhere”.
Health
We only publish each breed's health topics after reviewing them carefully. We guide you, but we're not your vet: if something about your dog worries you, the internet doesn't replace a visit to the vet.
Data on this page: 3 reference sources, including the AKC. See sources (in Spanish)