The
Pekepoo is not categorized as a purebred dog, but both its parent breeds – the Pekingese
and the Poodle – have long been popular pets in Asia, Europe, and North
America, as well as recognized as purebreds by the American Kennel Club. Pekepoos may have even
been bred since the early 1900s when both the Pekingese and Poodle were growing
in popularity in the United States. The parent breeds’ histories go back much farther
than the 20th century, however. The Pekingese originated centuries
ago during Imperial China and remained isolated in the country for most of its
history. The first written account of the Pekingese comes from the 8th
century, but little is known about its evolution and ancestry because of incomprehensive
breeding records. When China began to “open” in the 1800s, however, the
Pekingese was introduced to rest of the world. The small dog was given as gifts
as a sign of respect to foreign (primarily American) visitors, and in some instances,
were smuggled out during the opium wars of the 1860s by invading European militias.
Pekingese quickly became popular outside of China because of their unique
appearance and staunch loyalty. Americans in particular took to the breed and
began using it as a show dog as early as the late 1800s. It was recognized by the AKC
shortly after in 1909. The Pekepoo’s other parent, the Poodle, is commonly
thought of as a French breed. Poodles, however, originated centuries ago in modern
day Germany to hunt small to medium size waterfowl; hence the name “Poodle” which
is translates to “pfudel” or “to splash in water” in German. The earliest references
of the standard Poodle come from the 15th century, though varieties
of the Poodle are thought to have existed before that time. The Poodle’s
agility and intelligence led to its growth in popularity across Europe. The
French in particular took to the breed and refined the breed standard to
reflect the standard Poodle that we know today. The French were also the first
to breed the Poodle down in size to create miniature versions of the animal. In
the 1800s, Americans began to import Poodles to North America and they were
recognized by the AKC in 1887. It was one of the most popular breeds in America
by the 1950s and remains a common pet in the country today.
