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Judging the Pekingese: Understand the intricate breed’s history, characteristics, and judging criteria with insights from experts.
Diane Burve
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This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, July 2013 issue.
I often hear the laments of judges on how difficult the Pekingese is to comprehend, and quoting the late, great Mr. Nigel Aubrey Jones of St. Aubrey-Elson fame, “Pekingese are by no means an easy breed to understand.” Thus, I can appreciate that the intricate Pekingese can indeed be a difficult breed for most to master. Hopefully, after reading this article, you will have a better understanding of this ancient Chinese breed, but this in no way negates the importance of either the (continuing) education materials available through the Pekingese Club America’s Judges’ Education program, or the many excellent mentors/breeders available through this program. Because the Pekingese is categorized as a brachycephalic achondrodysplastic (i.e. dwarf) breed, its desired attributes are a far cry from what is considered the norm in dogdom. Known as the Lion Dog of Imperial China, with DNA confirming it to have existed in China some 2,000 years ago, Pekingese were the companions of the nobles and royalty of the Imperial family only. Commoners were known to kowtow to them, so it should be no surprise that Pekingese should present themselves as bold, dignified, and full of cocky self-importance.
The typical Pekingese is a well-balanced and compact dog (not meaning square), with a much heavier front and a slighter hindquarters. Its head (the crowning glory of the breed) should be massive, shallow, rectangular, and framed by luscious thick ear fringes. The body is pear-shaped, deep, thick, short-loined, and waisted. A key breed characteristic is that a well-made Peke should be ‘surprisingly heavy for its size, when lifted.’ Density is key. Every examination should include a brief evaluation of both the dog’s heaviness for his size and his heavier front as compared to his rear. Judges should gently, but firmly, lift the Pekingese just an inch or so off the table to confirm these desired characteristics. A Pekingese should not be dainty, or delicate, as body, substance, and bone are much sought after by breeders. This desired substance must be housed in a compact package because Pekingese cannot be over its 14lb. weight limit – the only disqualification in the Breed Standard.
The old standard allocated 40 points to head properties alone, and most will agree the Pekingese headpiece is one of the hallmarks of the breed. The head should be large with a broad, flat and massive topskull (domey and round topskulls are incorrect), it should be rectangular-shaped (not square and deep with a high forehead), and open. The ears should sit neatly on the front corners of the topskull, and together with their thick fringing, should serve to frame the face, and accentuate the rectangular shape. Ears set too high, too far back, and/or too low can spoil the illusion of the “wider than tall” shape of the head. The eyes, that must be wide-set apart, and show no white when the Pekingese is looking straight ahead, should be large, dark, round, and lustrous. The nose must be black and short, with open nostrils. The nose should be positioned between the eyes, where a horizontal line extended across the top of the nose should intersect slightly above the center of the eyes.
A low-placed nose can give the impression of a ‘down face.’ The facial features should be well-spaced and pleasing – never crowded nor obscured by the over-nose wrinkle. The wrinkle should serve merely to enhance the different facial features, rather than to obscure or crowd them. A thick wrinkle, sometimes termed a ‘sausage roll,’ as well as a wrinkle that covers any portion of the nose, is highly undesirable. A Pekingese whose muzzle is not well-cushioned, but which falls away under the eyes, and lacks width of cheeks spells plain commoner, and not royalty. The underjaw should be wide, and undershot. It should show no teeth nor tongue when the mouth is closed. A firm chin, with clean level lipline, is desired. Breeders consider a wry mouth a very objectionable fault. This glorious headpiece should be set on its body by means of a very short and thick neck. Possessing a neck “like a swan” is NOT a thing of beauty in a Pekingese.
Like the Imperial Palace where Empress Dowager reigned, the Pekingese front and body is the headquarters of its structure. A pear-shaped, thick, compact, and heavy body should be slung between the short and thick front legs. Remember that the Pekingese is a low-set dog with its body slung between its legs, and not sitting above the legs. The forelegs should be bowed, the shoulders must be well laid back, the elbows tight/close to the body, and front feet turning out both when standing and moving an over-bowed front that is out at the elbows is as incorrect as the straighter front. The hindquarters are only moderately angulated and slighter in construction but should be well-muscled. The topline is level. Do not mistake thinner dogs with skeletal ‘spiney’ toplines as having a roached back. A nervous Peke can also sometimes ‘hunch’ on the table. An ideal back should be strong, well-padded over the vertebrae, and level. The tail should be preferably straight (free of kinks and curls), high set, and carried well over its back, with long and profuse fringing falling to either side.
A beautiful Pekingese with the desired shape and correct make, topped with its effortless rolling gait, is truly a piece of fine poetry in motion. Many people, including long-time judges and breeders, have a difficult time grasping correct movement. The quintessential Pekingese roll is multi-driven by the broad heavy front assembly, correct shoulder layback, bowed front legs, and slighter narrow rear. The Pekingese ‘waist’ serves basically as a neutral zone, and the rolling action should not continue past the waist to the rear of the dog. This very aristocratic dignified gait should be SMOOTH and EFFORTLESS but never laborious. A dog that exhibits rocking, prancing, bouncing, lurching, or jarring movement is incorrect. The rear action should be sound, clean, free from the rolling action of the front, and narrower. Rear action should also be free from exaggerated swishing (fondly termed as goldfish-tailing), weakness, or skipping. You may also find common ‘flat’ trotting gait without the above-mentioned characteristics, but the coveted ideal movement to strive for is the rolling gait that is SMOOTH, FLUID, and EFFORTLESS.
When you are judging the Pekingese, your first impression should be that of a well-balanced, low-to-the-ground dog with a massive envelope-shaped shallow head, short neck, compact body, and high set tail. The wide mane, tail plume, and skirts/trousers should add to its dramatic appearance. The outer coat should be harsh, straight, and standoffish, supported by an abundance of thick softer undercoat. A long and profuse coat of correct texture is desirable, but it should never obscure the true shape of the dog. Excessive coat, especially of cottony and wooly feel, does not make a better dog! In some cases, it only obscures the true leonine appearance or hides a multitude of sins! Rewarding dogs solely on the basis of the most coat is ignorant judging; there is so much more to the Pekingese than its coat, which should just be the icing.
Approach a Pekingese confidently, and when you go over the exhibit, there is no need to dishevel the coat in order to effectively examine the dog. Look for a big rectangular headpiece (framed by profuse ear fringes) that houses well-set round dark eyes, well-placed nose, correct wrinkle, well-cushioned broad cheeks, wide underjaw, good pigmentation, and mouth finish that all contribute to open features that form a pleasing expression. We are losing head size in the breed, and it is also imperative to look for a thick short neck that fits nicely into the shoulder. Save the long necks for the Manchurian mummy.
The correct front construction defines an important part of type, and because the Pekingese front is somewhat complicated, dogs with less than ideal fronts have managed to get away with flaws in front assembly in the ring. It is a shame. I urge all judges to become familiar with the correct Pekingese front structure, which should be a broad chest with tight elbows that supports a deep and substantial body with a deep barrel chest that is slung between its bowed front legs that are wide set apart. When you place your hands on the front assembly, feel if the elbows are tight against the ribcage, check for the bow of the forelegs, examine the shoulder layback, return of upper arm, and feel for the width of the underbody of the chest (at least 2 to 3 fingers). The Pekingese front should never be narrow, and its front feet should be slightly turned out, not pointing forward or toeing in. To ascertain that the body is truly slung between its front legs, the elbow should be fitted above the bottom of the ribcage. The Pekingese front is not a Dachshund front, as it does not have a protruding prosternum. Checking for good spring of ribs, a level topline, high set tail, and sound muscular hindquarters should complete your examination.
When looking at gait, always allow the Pekingese to move at its own comfortable and unhurried speed, even in the Group and BIS rings. All Pekingese should be shown on a loose lead, and never on a tight strung-up lead! Balance and carriage can also be assessed when the dog is moving around the ring. Stubbornness, with a mind of its own, is part of the Pekingese charm, so do not penalize a dog for not trotting along readily. It may just need some persuasive coaxing. A dog that skips or limps should not be rewarded.
One of the delights of the breed is the occasional sleeve Pekingese that are not intentionally bred for. In this country, Sleeve Pekingese are considered to be those weighing less than 6 lbs., while Miniature Pekingese weigh between 6 and 8 lbs. When you encounter a sleeve or miniature, you should judge it as you would dogs of a larger size. It should have exactly the same attributes as its larger relatives, but in a diminutive package. There are no defined specific secondary sexual characteristics or preferences, though the old British Standard preferred a larger and heavier bitch comparatively, assuming that the larger size would aid in breeding facilitate easier maternal duties. All breeders can appreciate a bigger strapping bitch with short tree-trunk legs that is built like a solid brick house, and I am certainly very guilty of it.
Listed here are some of the more common faults and shortcomings you may see in today’s show rings. They include, but are not limited to:
There are a few things that you should never do as a Pekingese judge. First and foremost, never try to pry open the mouth of any Pekingese. It is preferred that you open the mouth only when you are suspicious of a bad bite or wry mouth. Study the mouth alignment, finish, and structure. Look at the lip-line and symmetry. If anything looks out of balance, ask the handler to show you the bite. A Peke with an exaggerated undershot jaw will usually have a stronger lower jaw and a ‘trout’ finish, while a Peke with the undesired even or overshot bite will tend to lean toward a very weak receding chin that falls away with the ‘Andy Gump’ expression.
What you want is the happy medium of a firm chin and wide underjaw that completes and supports the facial features beautifully. Kindly do not ask a handler to lift a Peke up from the floor, so you can closer study its head, facial features, or expression. Additionally, never lift a dog high up from the table and swing it around to check expression. Neither of these ‘theatrics’ is necessary, nor the proper procedure to examine the head, and the Pekingese in question may so resent the procedure that it can affect its attitude after it is put back down on the floor for individual movement. If you need a second or closer look, ask the handler to put the dog on the table. In terms of prioritizing when judging, head properties should come first, followed by body and shape, then movement and carriage. While the head is an integral part of the breed, always judge and consider the whole package. Overall soundness is of utmost importance.
Always award breed type, and in Pekingese, this refers to a large (not medium nor moderate-sized) shallow headpiece with the correct facial features, a compact, substantial, thick pear-shaped body, level topline, high set tail, correct coat, soundness, and the desirable effortless roll over the shoulders when the Pekingese is moved at a trot. Base your placements on these criteria, and do not get overly hung-up on any single item. Seek and appreciate breed type and virtues instead of fault judging. The Lion Dog and its many peculiarities are near and dear to many. Yet, it is indeed somewhat an intricate breed to study, and one you may never master completely. Even the dedicated and experienced breeders that breathe and live Pekingese on a daily basis are still learning, so feel free to question, analyze, and explore the breed. As Mr. Nigel Aubrey Jones said, ‘There is nothing wrong with not knowing, but a lot wrong with thinking you know when you don’t.’ Welcome to the Imperial Palace reserved only for nobles and royalty – The Pekingese!
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