Pekingese

Pekingese were bred to be lap dogs in Peking, China. In ancient times, these dogs’ sole purpose was to sit on members of the royal family’s laps, which means that only the influential could own them. According to PBS, they were bred to resemble the Chinese mythical lion foo dog.

British soldiers in the Asian country in the mid-1800s came across these dogs and brought them home, giving one to Queen Victoria, who popularized the Pekingese across the country and then the United States. A lot of celebrities have been captured by this breed, including Jayne Mansfield, Shirley Temple, Elizabeth Taylor, and Joan Rivers.