POINTS OF THE CHINESE PEKINGESE TYPE 



hoop-like. The fore-legs should be turned slightly outwards 

 at the shoulder, and there must be a slight curvature thence 

 down to the toes, wlich should turn somewhat outwards, 

 but not enough to produce the serious defect called " crab- 

 toes." The curvature of the fore-legs must not be ex- 

 aggerated, for in such cases there is usually a deficiency of 

 bone. This fault is sometimes so pronounced as to produce 

 the state of " sitting tiger " (" pah-hu'erh "), in which the dog 

 tends to remain continually seated. Weakness of bone is 

 one of the worst faults. Closeness of the legs is a similar 

 fault, often produced through malnutrition during puppy- 

 hood. A certain straightness of leg is admissible in China 

 among the best specimens of " Pekingese " dogs. Ex- 

 aggerated massiveness and curvature of leg-bone are not 

 considered absolutely essential there. Some of the best 

 " Pekingese " in China resemble the Japanese rather than the 

 English variety in straightness of leg. 



Breeders in the Celestial capital associate the special 



' Pekingese " type with the Manchus. Some of them say 



that the name " ha-pa " is a Manchu word meaning " to 



roll in the walk," referring to the distinctive walk and gambols 



of the " Pekingese " breed. 



We might fairly conclude that at certain periods in Chinese 

 history careful breeding was pursued, and that a tolerably 

 fixed type was evolved. Some Chinese breeders state that 

 early in the nineteenth century specialization had taken 

 place to such a degree that eight distinct breeds, instead of the 

 three now remaining, had been evolved. The occurrence, 

 during the Tao Kuang period, of porcelains illustrating eight 

 dogs possibly a play on the name is a confirmation of this 

 theory. Much of the distinction between some of these 

 breeds was in length and coloration of the coat and in mark- 

 ings. In Peking, the dogs of this breed carry a coat com- 



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