Pekingese Profile

coat, color & grooming

The Pekingese wears a coat that is long, coarse, and straight, standing away from the body like a furry halo. Beneath the topcoat is a thick, soft undercoat. True to his description as a lion dog, the Pekingese has a noticeable mane on the neck and shoulder area, with the coat on the rest of the body being somewhat shorter. While it should be long and profuse, the coat should not obscure the shape of the body. Long feathering is found on the backs of the legs and on the toes, with longer fringing on the ears and tail.

The Peke's coat can be any color or have any markings, including black and tan, fawn or red brindle, and particolor, which is white with another color. He may or may not have a black mask. Solid white Pekingese were highly prized by the Chinese and are still popular today. Regardless of coat color, the exposed skin of the muzzle, nose, lips, and eye rims is black.

Unless you're showing him, you can brush your Peke's coat weekly with a small bristle brush, curry brush, or shedding comb. Before brushing, mist the coat lightly with water to prevent the hair from breaking. Brush all the way down to the skin; if you just go over the top of the coat, you won't get out the dead hair that forms mats and tangles. Continue to mist the hair as you brush each area of the body. Use a metal comb on the feathering and fringing on the legs, ears, and tail. These areas tangle easily, so comb them daily.

Clean the face and around the eyes daily with a damp cotton ball to prevent problems with the skin folds in the area. Keep skin folds clean and dry to prevent infections. Any time your Peke gets wet, thoroughly dry the skin folds until no dampness remains.

Bathe your Pekingese once or twice a month, as needed. Use a shampoo made for dogs so you don't dry out his coat. You can also shake on a dry dog shampoo and then brush it out.

Trim the hair on the feet to prevent mats from developing and foreign objects from becoming tangled there. Trim the nails regularly, usually every two or three weeks. If you can hear them clicking on the floor, they're too long. Teaching your Peke puppy to accept having his teeth brushed at least weekly (daily is better) can help prevent dental disease later in life, a common problem in small dogs.

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