Pekingese: Index
The Pekingese was the dog of the Chinese royalty for hundreds of years and it was forbidden under penalty of death for a commoner to have a Pekingese. The breed became available to the public after the British Army sacked Beijing. The Chinese Emperor tried to prevent the dogs from getting into the hands of the foreigners, but 5 survived and were brought to Queen Victoria. All current Pekingese are descended directly from these 5 survivors.
