In a drama serial set in the latter years of the Qing Dynasty in Beijing is highly irritating to me lol. I just downloaded the first episode of the TVB Drama "The Confidant" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Confidant and the opening scene was a Prince/Emissary chasing down a delinquent with a entourage complete with dogs...yes, GSD's.
The establishment and the Empress Cixi had great disdain for anything from the "foreign devils" being brought into China or indeed court life. So GSD's certainly may have been kept as a sort of novelty pet/in the Imperial menagerie but would definitely not be on the Imperial Chinese security K9 unit during those times. Shar Pei's/Chows would have been the dogs employed for that kind of work - while Pekingese/Shih Tzu's/Assorted lap dogs would have trailed behind the Royals themselves.
I appreciate the historical canine accuracy of scenes in two movies I can recall....
The first being something in a eastern european language - it was about Anna Karenina or something; it showed Borzoi coursing and them on leashes with the noble/wealthy party during a walk afterward.
The second being Lugwig by Visconti. About the "mad king" Lugwig of Bavaria. During a scene with Empress Sissi being escorted to a carriage - an Irish Wolfhound was present. The dog of choice of many Noble/Royal houses during the 17th/18th century.
A pretty enjoyable watch otherwise.
The establishment and the Empress Cixi had great disdain for anything from the "foreign devils" being brought into China or indeed court life. So GSD's certainly may have been kept as a sort of novelty pet/in the Imperial menagerie but would definitely not be on the Imperial Chinese security K9 unit during those times. Shar Pei's/Chows would have been the dogs employed for that kind of work - while Pekingese/Shih Tzu's/Assorted lap dogs would have trailed behind the Royals themselves.
I appreciate the historical canine accuracy of scenes in two movies I can recall....
The first being something in a eastern european language - it was about Anna Karenina or something; it showed Borzoi coursing and them on leashes with the noble/wealthy party during a walk afterward.
The second being Lugwig by Visconti. About the "mad king" Lugwig of Bavaria. During a scene with Empress Sissi being escorted to a carriage - an Irish Wolfhound was present. The dog of choice of many Noble/Royal houses during the 17th/18th century.
A pretty enjoyable watch otherwise.