K-9 LifeSavers

Did you ever wonder why your Pug watches television or why your Whippet chases everything that moves? Different breeds not only have different eyes; they actually see the world differently.

It turns out that the longer-nosed dogs (think Afghans at one extreme) have a “visual streak” – a high density line of vision cells running across the retina – that gives their peripheral vision a much wider range than we humans have. They chase things because they can see them! They’ll take off after squirrels, cars, joggers, anything and everything that moves.

Meanwhile, our short-nosed dogs have what’s called “area centralis”, meaning that, like humans, their high density vision cells are arranged in a spot. They’re not getting the full picture and aren’t likely to suddenly run off.  Our lap dogs don’t see as much, but what they do see is in greater detail. When they look at their human, they are more attentive because they see so much more in our faces. And yes, that’s also why you’ll see a Pug sit and watch television. It’s not a blur to them; they can see it all – at least before wide-screen TV.

Legend has it that a lion once fell in love with a small monkey and prayed to the Lord Buddha to make him small enough to court his true love. The Lord Buddha granted the lion's wish, and through the union of the lion and the monkey was produced a little offspring, who retained the lion's form, courage, and dignity, with the impudent face, intellect, and sense of the monkey! Though the Pekingese's reality may not be quite so fantastical, their story is still pretty incredible.

It is said that Emperor Han Ming-Ti dreamt one night that he had a divine meeting with a golden man, whom his minister later suggested was the figure of Buddha. Moved by this revelation, the emperor urged his officials to venture into foreign lands and retrieve knowledge of the Buddhist faith, and the faith quickly spread throughout the country.

As a result of this movement, many aspects of China's society were influenced by Buddhism and the Buddhist symbol of the lion rose in it esteem.  As few Chinese had ever seen an a lion, the images they produced had a likeness somewhere in between a lion and a dog.  This interpretation became accepted as the Fu Lion, guardian of the imperial dharma, and a highly regarded symbol of strength, pride and prosperity.

Eventually, dogs were bred to resemble the revered symbol, which marked the beginning of the Fu dog breed, which over centuries grew in favor with the wealthy and royal members of China, and were embraced by the Imperial Palace in Peking (now Beijing). The Fu dogs were the constant companions of the emperor to the point that they were considered royalty themselves to whom common citizens were made to bow.

Fu dogs were kept within the walls of the Imperial Palace, and were never sold or given the common populace.  The only way a citizen might possess one was by stealing it, which was a crime punishable by death.

In the mid-1800s, the dogs began to appear in the outside world as Empress Dowager Cixi made gifts of the dogs to several Americans, but their real emergence came in 1860 when Peking was invade by Britain. The Royal family fled in such a hurry that they left their Fu dogs behind and, Lord John Hay took five dogs back to England, and gave them as gifts to several prominent people including Queen Victoria.

The modern Pekingese is descended from the dogs that were brought into the Western world, as they were wiped out in China following the Empress Dowager's death in 1911.  Rather than let the little dogs fall into unworthy hands, court officials killed the majority of them, and the few that escaped disappeared into private homes without a trace.  Fortunately by this time the breed was well established in the west, and still thrives today.

Though we're not sure Tommy was carried around in his owners sleeves like some of his Imperial ancestors, he had a loving home until his human died, leaving him and his "siblings" in search of another home. Tommy loves attention and is a good cuddler.  In his previous home he was around babies, toddlers, and others so he should do well in any situation.  If you're dreaming of your own little lion, give us a shout!