Peekapoo is known for being a great companion dog who will spend his days enjoying on your lap or simply sitting by your side.
Peekapoo is a loyal and affectionate dog who can be quite protective of the people he loves – if this seems hilarious because your Peekapoo is a small dog breed, but he will take his job super serious. See below 15 facts about this amazing small breed.
1. Peekapoo Has Many Names
Peekapoo is mostly known by this name, but that’s not the only one. This designer dog is known by many names. Some of the names that were given to this breed are Pekapoo, Peke-A-Poo, Pekepoo, Peke a Poo or even Pekingese Poodle Mix.
Any of these names are referring the same breed. Each name option suggests that Peekapoo has a Pekingese parent, meaning that this breed is hypoallergenic and above anything else intelligent.
2. Peekapoo Is A Cross Breed
Peekapoo is a designer dog and it’s actually a breed developed by crossing a Poodle and Pekingese. Peekapoo is also one of the oldest ‘designer’ or hybrid dogs with the first being bred in the 1950s.
Originally, this breed was bred in the States and their main purpose was to create a low-shedding dog who suitable for people with allergies. Like any other cross-breed, Peekapoo can vary in temperament, health, and appearance. Also, like a cross between a Poodle and a Pekingese, it’s recorded that Peekapoo was developed back in the 1950s and ’60s.
Peekapoo hasn’t gained as much popularity and recognition as some of the other designer dogs, such as Labradoodle for an example, but he’s won enough of a following in the last decades.
3. Peekapoo Is A Small Breed
Interestingly, there are no breed standards when it comes to this breed, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t have a range of sizes of this dog. In general, Peekapoo can stand up to 11 inches in height and weighs between 4 and 20 pounds. Peekapoo is a result of mating a Pekingese with a toy poodle or a miniature poodle.
Overall, this is a small breed and you should treat it like one. But make sure that you don’t treat your small Pekingese as a special dog just because he is small and let him get away with some attitude or behavior that you wouldn’t let the bigger dog pass by with. Also, the small breed tends to develop ‘small dog syndrome’ and that is something that you don’t want to see in your dog.
4. Peekapoo Is A Great Dog For People With Allergies
Just like the majority of designer dogs, Peekapoo was developed to be a dog for people with allergies. Furthermore, as with all designer dogs, some still have coats that produce an average amount of shed hair and even dander, setting off a person’s allergies. Although they aren’t a perfect fit for those with allergies (severe or moderate), you can be sure that Peekapoo will steal your heart.
Peekapoo is also known for being a successful therapy dog.
5. Peekapoo Is A Great Watchdog
Surprisingly, even though he is a small dog breed, Peekapoo makes a great watchdog and he will do anything to protect his family or anyone he loves. This breed has a strong bark and they will easily inform everyone if someone nearby has a bad intention. Your Peekapoo will bark on anyone that he thinks is suspicious. If your home is in the center of noise restrictions, this may not be the breed for you. He may be small, but he has a loud bark.
6. They Are Great For City Life
Thanks to their size, Peekapoo makes a great addition to city life, but you should be living in a more peaceful city area. They don’t do well with extremely strong noises and sudden sounds. Your Peekapoo will bark a lot. So, if you are living in an apartment make sure that you provide him a personal corner for his space where he can rest and be safe.
Peekapoo will be fine with a home with a fenced yard, as well, although this breed should be living in a home with air-conditioning, because they can easily overheat thanks to flat-faced pedigree. Your Peekapoo shouldn’t live outdoors or even be left unsupervised outside.
7. They Are Not Stranger Lovers
Peekapoo is not a fan of strangers. He is just naturally suspicious of them. If you or your friend want to be Peekapoo’s friend you will have to earn his trust. Therefore, a Peekapoo needs to be socialized from early days and socialized to a variety of people and different situations so he could get used to unknown faces and places.
It’s also a plus if you start incorporating early stimulants to create a well-behaved and affectionate dog. Exposure your dog to new people, crowded places and unfamiliar sounds step-by-step so he can get used to surrounding that he’s not completely familiar with.
8. They Can Suffer From Separation Anxiety
Bear in mind that this dog was bred to be a loyal companion, therefore they won’t deal well with being away from you. Before you open the door of your home to Peekapoo make sure that you do your research on this breed and get familiar with personality characteristics, their needs and anxiety and separation traits.
Be honest and calculate well how many hours per day you spend outside and do you have time for a dog. After all, a dog is a big commitment and you should calculate well if you can provide him the life he deserves.
So, if you leave your Peekapoo alone for a significant period you may expect some destructive behavior. You may expect destroyed furniture, shoes and even urination. In addition, you can expect excessive barking, frequent destruction and even crying.
9. They Prefer To Be Solo Players
Due to their small size, Peekapoo can develop a unique behavior toward people and other animals. Moreover, they may feel the constant need to defend themselves so finding friends for them isn’t the easiest thing. In general, due to their small size, they aren’t suited to homes with bigger dogs.
On the other hand, their strong demeanor makes challenging for them to make good friends with small dogs. However, it doesn’t mean that they can’t learn to live with other animals if you raise them well and work on their bond.
They don’t have a strong tolerance level when it comes to younger children, because younger kids tend to play rough will small dogs – in these situations, there is always a risk of injury of dogs back. Therefore, Peekapoo is more suited for homes with older children, especially with older children who have experience with dogs. Shorty said they thrive in adult-only homes.
10. Peekapoo Asks For Regular Grooming
The Peekapoo’s coat is mostly soft and has and cotton-like feel. In general, their coat is wavy and of medium to long length. This breed has no undercoat and their coat is low-shedding, although a Peekapoo can range from low to average shedding, although this may depend on the genetic background.
Their coat can range from gray, white, silver, and sable to red, black, buff, apricot, chocolate, and cream. There can also be a variety of markings, including phantom, which is black with tan markings. Grooming is much more than just brushing your dog. You will have to clean his teeth and ears and make sure that his nails are regularly trimmed. Don’t overdo with bathing, but make sure to bath your dog when needed.
You will have to invest some time in keeping the Pekingese-based wrinkles and folds around the eyes, muzzle, ears, and nose free of dirt and debris. If you leave his coat too long, you can expect mats and tangles, and in that case, you should invest even more in brushing on a daily level. Also, occasionally hair can cause some irritation to the eyes. If this happens, pluck the hair regularly.
11. They Love To Be Active
For a small breed, they do love to be active and to exercise a lot. They just love to be energetic. Surprisingly, he can walk up to 60 minutes a day once he reaches his full maturity level. However, be careful when it comes to daily walks, especially during the hot weather, because this breed is prone to heatstroke and overheating.
After all, this breed is defined as a Brachycephalic breed. Learn the symptoms and make sure that your Peekapoo doesn’t get too hot.
When your Peekapoo is a puppy stick to the 5-minute rule:
- when he is just one month old walk him for 5 minutes
- when he is 5 months old, walk him for 25 minutes a day
It’s important to ensure that he doesn’t over-exercise and hurt his skeletal system.
12. They Are Stubborn
Peekapoo is considered to have a stubborn nature and you need to know how to work around it if you want a well-behaved dog. Training is an important part of every dog’s life and you need to find the best way to train him. Once you master the way of training your Peekapoo will be easy to train. With proper training, they can be house-trained and taught commands very quickly.
But, thanks to their guarding role they can show a significant level of stubbornness and independence. Therefore, you can expect some housebreaking, like the habit of pooping in your home. You should establish a routine and create positive training that will ensure that he knows when he is a good boy and when he shouldn’t do something bad. Avoid punishment, because it can create problematic behaviors as a fear response. Ignore unwanted behavior.
13. They Are Prone To Respiratory Problems
Peekapoo’s are prone to respiratory problems, due to their facial structure. The main reason for this is because the Pekingese parent is a brachycephalic dog breed. This is a condition that is hard to avoid.
Around 67% of Pekingese have Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Most dogs with this condition live normally, but some can have problems with breathing normally even when they are resting.
Peekapoo is at risk mostly on very hot days, so he can be at risk of overheating. Your Peekapoo is especially at risk if he has been very active or he is spending a lot of time in an area with little or no shade at all. If you are thinking about taking your Peekapoo to the beach, you should think twice because you don’t want to expose your Peekapoo to any kind of danger.
14. They Are Fine With Any Weather
Surprisingly, this is a breed that will excel both in a cold or warm climate. Yes, they will suffer more in warm climates due to their breathing problems, but they will manage and still be active. Furthermore, they will do fine with areas affected by humidity. Your Peekapoo will equally love cold weather and winter. He simply does well in cold snowy weather.
He will demand to spend a significant amount of time outside even when its cold because he loves to jump in the snow and create his playtime schedule.
15. They Live Long
This breed is one of the longest living purebred dogs. Their life span is around 14 years. There were recorded cases that some Peekapoo’s lived for even 15 years. In general, cross-breeds tend to live longer than purebred, so you can expect for your Peekapoo to live the minimum of 13 years. On average, small dogs live longer than larger breeds.
Bear in mind that Peekapoo is a dog with a brachycephalic face, meaning that his life will be filled with discomfort and probably expensive medical bills.
Featured Image credits: Flickr user – Christine Olson