Peek-A-Pom

The Peek-A-Pom is a fairly popular breed; however, little is known about the origins of the hybrid breed. In order to learn more about the Peek-A-Pom, one should look at the history of the parent breeds. The Pekingese is said to be the descendant of a marmoset (monkey) and a lion who fell in love. The lion asked Buddha to make him smaller so that he could marry his love, but to allow him to retain his courage and power. Buddha granted the lions request, and the pair produced a pair of dogs known as Fu Lin dogs. These dogs would be the favorites of the Empress. During the Opium Wars of the 1800s, British soldiers stormed the imperial palace, where they found several of the Pekingese dogs. They took the dogs home to England, where they became favorites of British nobility as well. Queen Victoria owned a Pekingese, who was a favorite among her many dogs. Although experts do not know exactly how the Pekingese was brought to the United States, we do know that the first Pekingese was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1906. It remains a popular breed today. The Pomeranian is related to the ancient Spitz breeds of the northern countries. It hails from the province of Pomerania. Poms have always been a popular breed. Notables such as Martin Luther, Issac Newton, Michelangelo, and Mozart are all said to have owned Pomeranians. Queen Victoria highly favored the breed as well. She is thought to be responsible for helping to breed the dog to the small size it is today. (At one time, Poms weighed about thirty pounds.) The Pomeranian was first registered in the United States in 1909. By the 1950s, the breed was one of the most popular in the United States, and today, it ranks fourteenth out of 155 AKC-registered breeds.