The Schnekingese is a hybrid mix of the Miniature Schnauzer and the Pekingese. There is very little historical information available about the hybrid, which includes no place or approximate date of origination. However, there is abundant information available about the parent breeds and those histories are quite interesting, involving the ancients, legends and wars. The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed which, as its name suggests, originated in Germany, a Schnauzer type of dog being traced back to at least the 1400's, when the breed was utilized to hunt and kill rats and other vermin found on the farms of Germany for many centuries. This size Schnauzer is the most popular of the three sizes (Giant, Standard and Miniature) and shares the non-shedding, hypoallergenic traits of the larger versions of the breed. The ancestry of the Miniature Schnauzer is believed to include the Affenpinscher, Poodle, Miniature Pinschers, Wire Fox Terriers and Zwergspitz. Though Miniatures have been found depicted in pictures dating back to the 1400's, the breed itself was not recognized until the late 1800's. The Miniature Schnauzer came to North America in about 1924 and, surviving both World Wars, it was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1926. The breed continues to grow in popularity to become one of the most popular breeds in the United States. The Pekingese parent breed originated in China with the oldest known record of a canine that resembles the Pekingese being found as early as the 8th century. The Pekingese breed has an even more interesting history, rooted in ancient legend. As the legend goes, a lion fell in love with a marmoset (a monkey species) and asked a god to make him smaller so they could be together, wanting to retain his large lion heart and brave character. The god granted the request and is said to have created canines known as "lion dogs". So that's the legend, and here are the actual facts: the small breed has been traced back to the Tang Dynasty in China to the 8th century. The Pekingese seems to be have been cherished and valued as a companion only, with no actual working activities being employed. Considered sacred by the Chinese, they only allowed royalty to possess the breed, making it illegal for common people to own them - theft of a Pekingese (named after Peking, China's capital at that time) was a death sentence! The Imperial families pampered these fluffy bundles of love and kept the blood lines pure, fostering a breed which has changed little down through the centuries. The Pekingese still remains a regal, feisty and independent canine breed which was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1906. The Schnekingese hybrid itself is recognized by these organizations: American Canine Hybrid Club, Designer Breed Registry, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, Dog Registry of America, and the International Designer Canine Registry.