The Pekingese Was Used as Attack Dog, Hidden in the Sleeves of Royalties in Ancient China

The Pekingese make cute lap dogs, but did you know that they were also bred as personal guard dogs to royalties in Imperial China?
The smallest and most ferocious ones were called "Sleeve" Pekingese or just "Sleeves" because emperors and courtiers would carry the dogs around in their sleeves. When their owners felt threatened, they'd release the dogs to attack and scare off the unfortunate fellow. According to the Pekingese Club of America, the dogs were "the ancient Chinese version of mace."
And if you've ever seen a Pekingese, you'd know how protective and aggressive it can be. So the next time you see a cute Pekingese, you'd know that it's actually a descendant of vicious imperial guard dogs of ancient China!