[Illustration: TOY DOGS 1. MISS STEVENS' TYPICAL JAPANESE PUPPY; 2. MRS. VALE NICOLAS'S POMERANIAN CH. THE SABLE MITE Photograph by T. Fall; 3. MISS M. A. BLAND'S POMERANIAN CH. MARLAND KING Photograph by T. Fall; 4. LADY HULTON'S BLENHEIM CH. JOY Photograph by Russell; 5. THE HON. MRS. LYTTON'S KING CHARLES CH. THE SERAPH]
Many years ago Mr. Alfred de Rothschild tried, through his agents in China, to secure a specimen of the Palace dog for the writer, in order to carry on the Goodwood strain, but without success, even after a correspondence with Pekin which lasted more than two years; but we succeeded in obtaining confirmation of what we had always understood: namely, that the Palace dogs are rigidly guarded, and that their theft is punishable by death. At the time of the Boxer Rebellion only Spaniels, Pugs, and Poodles were found in the Imperial Palace when it was occupied by the Allied Forces, the little dogs having once more preceded the court in the flight to Si-gnanfu.
The Duchess of Richmond occasionally gave away a dog to intimate friends, such as the Dowager Lady Wharncliffe, Lady Dorothy Nevill, and others, but in those days the Pekinese was practically an unknown quantity, and it can therefore be more readily understood what interest was aroused about eleven years ago by the appearance of a small dog, similar in size, colour, and general type to those so carefully cherished at Goodwood. This proved to be none other than the since well-known sire Ah Cum, owned by Mrs. Douglas Murray, whose husband, having extensive interests in China, had managed after many years to secure a true Palace dog, smuggled in a box of hay, placed inside a crate which contained Japanese deer!
Ah Cum was mated without delay to two Goodwood bitches, the result being, in the first litters, Ch. Goodwood Lo and Goodwood Put-Sing. To these three sires, some of the bluest Pekinese blood is traceable, vide Ch. Goodwood Chum, Ch. Chu-Erh of Alderbourne, Ch. Gia-Gia, Manchu Tao-Tai, Goodwood Ming, Marland Myth, and others.
It must, however, be clearly admitted that since the popularity of the breed has become established we unluckily see scores of Pekinese in the show-ring who have lost all resemblance to the original type, and for this the Pekinese Club is in some measure to blame. The original points for the guidance of breeders and judges were drawn up by Lady Samuelson, Mrs. Douglas Murray, and Lady Algernon Gordon-Lennox, who fixed the maximum size at 10 lb.—a very generous margin. Since then the club has amended the scale of points, no doubt in order to secure a larger membership, and the maximum now stands at 18 lb.
Is it therefore to be wondered at that confusion exists as to what is the true type? At shows there should be two distinct classes; the Palace dog and the Pekin Spaniel, or any other name which would enable the breeds to be kept distinct.
The following is the scale of points as issued by the Pekinese Club:—
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HEAD—Massive, broad skull, wide and flat between the ears (not dome shaped); wide between the eyes. NOSE—Black, broad, very short and flat. EYES—Large, dark, prominent, round, lustrous. STOP—Deep. EARS—Heart-shaped; not set too high; leather never long enough to come below the muzzle; not carried erect, but rather drooping, long feather. MUZZLE—Very short and broad; not underhung nor pointed; wrinkled. MANE—Profuse, extending beyond shoulder blades, forming ruff or frill round front of neck. SHAPE OF BODY—Heavy in front; broad chest falling away lighter behind; lion-like; not too long in the body. COAT AND FEATHER AND CONDITION—Long, with thick undercoat; straight and flat, not curly nor wavy; rather coarse but soft; feather on thighs, legs, tail and toes, long and profuse. COLOUR—All colours allowable, red, fawn, black, black and tan, sable, brindle, white and parti-coloured. Black masks, and spectacles round the eyes, with lines to the ears, are desirable. LEGS—Short; fore-legs heavy, bowed out at elbows; hind-legs lighter, but firm and well shaped. FEET—Flat, not round; should stand well up on toes, not on ankles. TAIL—Curled and carried well up on loins; long, profuse straight feather. SIZE—Being a toy dog the smaller the better, provided type and points are not sacrificed. Anything over 18 lb. should disqualify. When divided by weight, classes should be over 10 lb., and under 10 lb. ACTION—Free, strong and high; crossing feet or throwing them out in running should not take off marks; weakness of joints should be penalised.
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