The Pekingese, a compact toy companion of regal bearing and a distinctive rolling gait, is one of several breeds created for the ruling classes of ancient China. These are sophisticated dogs of undying loyalty and many subtle delights.

Since Ancient China, Pekingese have long been revered, even believed by some to be shrunken-down lions. Today, they still retain some leonine qualities.

The "Little Lion Dog" has a rich history. Learn more about where the royal Pekingese — once owned exclusively by the Chinese imperial family — came from.

–Award Presented at AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin – David Fitzpatrick was presented with the 2021 AKC Breeder of the Year award for Pequest Pekingese at the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin on Sunday, December 19, 2021.  The annual award honors those breeders who have made an impact on their breed and dedicate their lives [...]

As told to the AKC by Cindy Lutian. Cindy is an instructor at Canine Star Training Academy, where she teaches CGC and Rally. Currently, she owns five Pekingese who compete in CAT, Fast CAT, Rally, and more. Her dog Buster was the first-ever Pekingese to be invited to the AKC Fast CAT Invitational. *** When I [...]

Two years after his Pekingese "Wasabi" was the first Toy dog to win Best in Show at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, David Fitzpatrick walked away with two more huge awards. At the 2021 AKC National Championship, Fitzpatrick received the award for AKC Breeder of the Year for Pequest Pekingese and won Best [...]

Update June 13, 2021: Wasabi the Pekingese won Best in Show at Westminster in 2021. Learn about Wasabi's first big win at the AKC National Championship in 2019: Anticipation is a double-edged sword: The more you expect from a situation, the greater your disappointment if those hopes are dashed. But the opposite is true as well: If Goliaths are [...]

No doubt spurred on by the famous Best in Show wins of My Own Brucie in the early 1940s, accompanied by this handsome dog’s likeness appearing on the cover of Life, the Cocker Spaniel became the country’s number-one dog. The breed enjoyed the number-one ranking for sixteen years, from 1936 to 1952. Although the Pekingese [...]

1942-2003 AKC Executive Field Representative Carol Hollands, who bred generations of Best in Show Pekingese, died of an apparent heart attack at her home in Enfield, Connecticut, on September 10. She was 61 years old. Hollands, daughter of breeder-handler Horace Hollands, grew up in the sport of dogs and was mentored by the likes of Jerry Rigden [...]

Which dog is the fastest dog in the nation? Now we know. The 2020 AKC Fast CAT Invitational took place December 9-11, 2020 in Orlando, FL in conjunction with the AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin. The fastest dogs from each breed, based on rankings from AKC Fast Coursing Ability Tests (Fast CAT), were invited to [...]