Home / Breeds / Compare / Chinese Crested Dog vs Pekingese
The Chinese Crested Dog’s beginnings are unrecorded; it is a tiny companion breed whose traditional work was to be close company for people, a role dogs have filled for thousands of years. From China, the Pekingese is a tiny companion breed whose traditional work was to live as close company for people, work dogs have done at our sides for thousands of years. This page puts the two side by side on the numbers that actually differ: size, exercise, grooming, what each costs to keep, and the health tests a breeder should show you.
The biggest gap is lifespan: the middle of the Chinese Crested Dog range is 15.5 years against 13 years for the Pekingese.
The next biggest gap is shedding: the Pekingese is rated 3 of 5 against 1 of 5 for the Chinese Crested Dog.
The third gap worth noting is monthly cost: the modeled total is about $68 a month for the Pekingese against $48 for the Chinese Crested Dog.
| Chinese Crested Dog | Pekingese | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Toy | Toy |
| Origin | Unknown | China |
| Height | 11 to 13 in | 6 to 9 in |
| Weight | 8 to 12 lb | 7 to 14 lb |
| Lifespan | 13 to 18 years | 12 to 14 years |
| Coat | Hairless skin with hair only on the head, feet and tail in many individuals. | Long, coarse double coat forming a lion like mane around the neck and shoulders, over a thick undercoat. It sheds moderately and needs thorough brushing several times a week to prevent mats. |
| Temperament | Sweet, adaptable, playful and devoted | Sweet, adaptable, playful and devoted |
| Energy | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Trainability | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 2 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Shedding | 1 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| With children | Good with children | Good with children |
| With other dogs | Good with dogs | Good with dogs |
| With strangers | Friendly with strangers | Friendly with strangers |
| Apartment fit | Well suited | Well suited |
| Daily exercise | 30 to 45 min | 20 to 30 min |
| Food per month (model) | $10 (0.9 cups a day) | $10 (0.9 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $26 to $49 | $42 to $75 |
| Monthly total (model) | $36 to $59 | $52 to $85 |
| Yearly total (model) | $430 to $706 | $622 to $1,018 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $5,585 to $12,701 | $7,460 to $14,247 |
| Breeder health tests | 5 recommended tests | Panel not published yet |
| Health watch | Hairless skin needs sun protection and regular care, and teeth are often missing or loose in the hairless variety. Eye conditions including PRA and lens luxation are screened for, along with patellas. | The flat face brings breathing and heat risks, and the prominent eyes are easily injured. Back problems (IVDD) and patellar luxation also appear. Keep the dog lean and never exercise hard in heat. |
Chinese Crested Dog: scores 16 on the first-time-owner rule, which weights trainability double, then calmer energy, grooming and barking, against 15 for the Pekingese.
Pekingese: matches the Chinese Crested Dog on the apartment rating ("Well suited") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks: barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Both are listed the same way for children and tie on the tie-breaks; supervision matters more than the breed label in this row.
Chinese Crested Dog: sheds less, rated 1 of 5 for shedding against 3 of 5 for the Pekingese. Shedding only proxies loose hair in the home; no breed is allergen-free.
Chinese Crested Dog: runs about $20 a month under the Pekingese on modeled food plus insurance ($48 against $68 at the midpoints).
For the Chinese Crested Dog and the Pekingese, the verdicts follow published rules: first-time owner scores 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking); apartment ranks the apartment rating, then barking, exercise and weight; children ranks the children rating, then trainability and stranger friendliness; allergy ranks lowest shedding, then grooming; budget ranks the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
Month to month, the modeled figures put the Pekingese ahead on cost: about $68 a month at the midpoint of food plus insurance, against $48 for the Chinese Crested Dog. Over a lifetime, run across the lifespan ranges, the model gives $7,460 to $14,247 for the Pekingese and $5,585 to $12,701 for the Chinese Crested Dog. Treat these as planning estimates, not quotes.
The Chinese Crested Dog needs the most exercise: 30 to 45 minutes a day, against 20 to 30 minutes for the Pekingese. Energy ratings are level at 3 of 5, so the difference sits in the planned minutes rather than in drive.
The Chinese Crested Dog sheds less, rated 1 of 5 for shedding against 3 of 5 for the Pekingese. Coat notes for the Chinese Crested Dog: Hairless skin with hair only on the head, feet and tail in many individuals.
The Pekingese, on the published ratings: "Well suited" for apartment life against "Well suited" for the Chinese Crested Dog, barking rated 3 of 5 against 3 of 5, and a daily exercise plan of 20 to 30 minutes against 30 to 45 minutes.
The Chinese Crested Dog has the longer typical range: 13 to 18 years against 12 to 14 years for the Pekingese. Individual dogs vary widely, and weight control and vet care move the number more than breed averages suggest.
Choosing between more than two? Open the comparison tool and put up to four breeds side by side, or read all written breed comparisons.
The Chinese Crested Dog and Pekingese facts on this page follow the standards and club guidance summarized on each breed's profile. Cost figures are modeled estimates for planning, labeled with their basis; they are not quotes and not veterinary advice. The health test panels follow the recommendations published by the breed clubs and CHIC, as set out on each breed's health testing page.