Pekings Dog

The pekingese dog is ancient breed from China of unknown ancestry, though by Buddhist legend it was created from the mating of lion with a butterfly, monkey, or marmoset. Peking is an old transliteration of Beijing, the capital city of China. The Pekingese has changed little in over 2000 years. It was bred by Larmaist Buddhist monks who believed lions embodied the essence of Buddha and sought to create a lion dog. Pekingese become companions for royalty, permitted to breed only in the Imperial Palace. During the Tang Dynasty Pekingese were even considered to be royalty themselves, with personal servants at their disposal.