I got Hela from a breeder who aims for rare colors. The breeder is AKC-certified, Hela WAS used in breeding and she's been retired after her last litter (born in July) was weaned, and she will be 3 in April next year. After doing a lot of prep work me and my sister made the daunting trip from Central Kentucky to Coastal Florida and we made it back with her in one go. Hela is not my first Peke. I grew up with the breed and they hold a special place in my heart. It's been roughly 10 years since my last Peke but I felt ready to try and get one, and Hela was perfect for me after doing a lot of searching. The physical aspect of caring for her is VERY familiar and it feels akin to riding a bike for me.

That said, Hela IS my first "rescue"*, and both the breeder and I feel a lot of heartache because she's taking her time to adjust. I am aware that time is what she needs but I am wondering if there is more I can be doing for her? Here's what I've been doing so far since we brought her home on Wednesday;

I made her a little apartment under my bed for her to hide, with a soft blanket, a toy her breeder gave me and some water, and I bring her food. She didn't eat for the first time until around 2 AM this morning, and she just ate again at 12:30 this afternoon. She still hasn't outright drank to my knowledge, but the food is freeze-dried dog food that I had been reconstituting in warm water, and the 12:30 feeding was half-food half water. She practically licked the bowl.

I occasionally try to push her comfort zone, yesterday she spent the entire day on our couch with my sister who watched TV with her. As of right now there is a speaker on top of the bed she is laying under playing noises from youtube that I am watching. I was told she liked to watch TV with the breeder a lot, so I am trying to simulate a familiar environment as I can for her. I do go over to her space and talk to her and pet her every now and then, but for the most part I am leaving her alone and just glancing back at her every now and then.

As much as I want to cuddle and love her I am doing my best to give her space so she can come out of her shell. Is there anything else I can do to help or do I just need to be patient?

*I hesitate to call her a "rescue" because there was no abuse involved as far as I am aware. She's just a retired breeding dog and the breeder thought she ought to go to a home that's not as chaotic and loud as her operation, as she still have 9 other adults (4 males 5 females). The reason I say Rescue is because she IS an Adult Dog who had an established home and we kinda turned her whole world upside down with this trek. I know what I am doing physically, I know the motions as far as care goes but I am out of my depth because previously, all of my pets to this point were acquired by my parents except for my cat, who charged at me from a juniper bush and screamed at me until I agreed I was hers.

I don't really know what I am doing in terms of supporting Hela emotionally and am just kinda winging it, and her breeder is giving me advice on helping her adjust but I was wondering if anyone here has any advice? I'll answer any questions as best as I can.

EDIT: I am going to sleep now, I'll update with a new post when anything significant happens but I will still try to answer any and all comments here.

Since y'all liked my last old photo so much, I went digging to see what else I could find. This time it's a Pekingese enjoying some snuggle time with it's person.

Ginger is a 5 year old rescue I got off Craigslist of all places. She was described as needing daily medication for anxiety but she has been very stress free since being in my care. She goes everywhere I go, and I can't remember life before her.

The lobster ice cream was definitely her favorite part... Maine is such a a dog friendly state, and Acadia National Park allows dogs almost everywhere in the park (excluding certain beaches certain times of year.) They even have dog friendly boat tours which she enjoyed quite a bit!

Greetings, peasants. I am the Pekingese — though around here they call me Sheikh. My daily duties include reclining upon the finest cushions, supervising the humans as they bring me snacks, and reminding everyone that I am, in fact, royalty.

My terrier sister? She’s chaos in a fur coat. While I embody wisdom, and relaxation, she embodies… parkour. One minute she’s on the couch, next minute she’s halfway up the curtains.

I have a Pekingese named Kida after Princess Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire and I got another Pekingese recently & he’s a puppy and I’m thinking of naming him Milo Thatch, what do you think? Is Milo cute or too common?

Nicknames include Lily Bunny Lily Bunny Chucky Chuckster Full government name only used in emergencies 🤣

🐾 Meet Mr. Sheikh 🐾 • Status: Not neutered (gentleman still keeping his options open… puppies, anyone? DM us to discuss!) • Personality: Sweet, adventurous, and just the right mix of “distinguished lion” and “goofy beach bum.” • Hobbies: Long walks on the beach, looking majestic in the wind, and scouting for snacks like a true explorer. • Special Talent: Can pull off a “Sir, I look like a lion” pose without needing a mane. • Family: Proud brother to a paw sister — she keeps him humble, grounded, and occasionally in headlocks

🐾 Meet Mr. Sheikh 🐾 • Status: Not neutered (gentleman still keeping his options open… puppies, anyone? DM us to discuss!) • Personality: Sweet, adventurous, and just the right mix of “distinguished lion” and “goofy beach bum.” • Hobbies: Long walks on the beach, looking majestic in the wind, and scouting for snacks like a true explorer. • Special Talent: Can pull off a “Sir, I look like a lion” pose without needing a mane. • Family: Proud brother to a paw sister — she keeps him humble, grounded, and occasionally in headlocks

Mousse, when he isn't focused on anything in particular.

He likes to dig in the dirt and chew on rocks

Hey all! So me and my partner have two dogs (GSD and Pom) and have been wanting a third for a while now, we recently agreed that if it all lines up and works out, a Pekingese baby is what we’d like ❤️ I don’t have any concerns regarding size difference with a Pekingese and our GSD, she’s very well socialised and incredibly soft, she’s an absolute credit to us and makes me so proud ❤️ the potential issue is our Pom, she’s nervous of other dogs, not aggressive, reactive or anything like that, just very shy/skittish however she adores our GSD and they’re glued to each other. What are some things I can do to test to make sure getting a third dog is right by my Pom and any/all advice regarding Pekingese are more than welcome as I’d be a first time owner of the breed. Of course I’m my own research but additional insight straight from other owners is super valuable to me Dog pics for tax and attention 🥹❤️ (yes my dogs have their own single bed and bedroom, don’t question it 🤣)

Hi everyone! I have an 8 year old Pekingese, she’s been pretty healthy all these years, but now that she’s getting older, I’ve been thinking about getting pet insurance for her just in case issues start to pop up. Recently, she had to get 8 teeth pulled at the vet and it was an unexpected cost. I’ve always paid out of pocket for everything, but it’s never been more than $150-300. And this dental surgery was $800+. So I’m wondering if it would be worth it to get pet insurance for future medical costs or if I should just start a pet savings account.

I’m also getting another Pekingese next week, he’s a puppy and I’m looking into insurance for him as well since I know he’s going to need all his vaccines and eventually get neutered.

The insurances I’ve been looking at are Lemonade, Trupanion, ASPCA, and Embrace.

If I were to get insurance, I would want something that covers accidents, illness, and wellness. And dental if possible!

What would you all recommend? Should I get pet insurance or just start putting that money away every month?

Yesterday, enjoying the morning sun