Shar Pei, Shar Pei Puppies - Everything you need to know!

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All The Things You Probably Weren't Told About The Shar Pei!

According to DNA analysis, the Shar Pei has been found to be one of the most ancient of all dog breeds. In any case, they are very loyal, playful as well as active and also often domineering though very brave as well. When you bring home a Shar Pei, you will be pleased with the way he bonds with the family and though suspicious of strangers, will not show too much aggression against them. They have a very distinguishing frown on their face and is easy to get along with, calm and also confident and very dignified as well as independent. However, Shar Pei are best handled only by a confident handler, and anyone that is inconsistent, uncertain or too soft or mild, will generally fail in mastering the Shar Pei, who will instead soon assume the role of the master. This lens is all about the Shar Pei, and is dedicated to those who own them or those who want one.

Shar Pei Breed History: The Highlights 

Because of China's zoophobia, the Western World would never have heard about Shar Peis if not for the diligent efforts of Hong Kong businessman Matgo Law. Shar Peis became victims of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Along with many other Chinese traditions and art forms, Shar Peis were outlawed and mostly destroyed. Matgo Law managed to rescue some and get them spirited away to Western countries. He started exporting Shar Peis in 1973. By the 1980's, there was a craze for Shar Peis, which led to much indiscriminate breeding.

Many reliable Shar Pei information sources have come to the conclusion that the dogs sent to America were particularly inferior. These dogs are thought to have inherited several health problems (such as skin disorders and inverted eyelids) and had some nasty tempers to boot. But they are the only gene pool of Shar Peis available. They will always be a rare breed and need experienced, confident, physically strong owners.
Shar Peis were thought to have been originally farm dogs, meant to guard livestock, the farm and the farmer's family. Even today, Shar Peis are very protective and leery of strangers. But then they were taken off of the farm and put into the spotlight of the dog fighting pits of China. This is probably when the emphasis on loose skin and wrinkles occurred. A Shar Pei is supposed to have enough skin to cover two dogs. Loose skin makes a fighting dog harder to damage.

By the time Communism took hold of China, Shar Peis could be found in Hong Kong and what is now known as Taiwan, but they were still mostly in China. And then the Cultural Revolution came, where many traditions in China were wiped out and ruthlessly suppressed overnight. Although the end of dog fighting was a positive move, killing off all of the dogs was not. It looked like the end was in sight for the tough Shar Pei.
A Hong Kong businessman, Matgo Law, managed to rescue many Shar Pei dogs and get them exported to Western countries through the Hong Kong Kennel Club. In the 1980's, the cost of a pure bred Shar Pei puppy in America was astronomical. The lure of easy money made for poor breeding choices. The Shar Pei fell out of favor with the American public in the 1990's. However, they did manage to become a recognized breed in the American Kennel Club in 1988.

Although there are an estimated 70,000 Shar Peis today, that still is not considered a diverse enough gene pool to ensure the breed's survival. They are prone to many health problems, including inverted eyelids. Sometimes their wrinkles become so deep, the dog is effectively blind and needs cosmetic surgery in order to see. Perhaps it is best if this breed was left to history, since they do not have much of a promising future.

The Shar Pei has an interesting history that is not completely known. You can find lots of articles about Shar Pei information in dog history books.

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Shar Pei: The Dog With Personality  

The Shar Pei dog, originating in China, features deep wrinkles all over the body with unique bluish black tongue. The Shar Pei puppies have more wrinkles than Shar Pei adults. As declared by Time Magazine and the Guinness Book of World Records, this dog breed was once identified as an extinct animal around the world. Generally, the Shar Pei is a healthy dog, but its vulnerability towards many diseases like painful eye conditions, allergy-prone skin complications, fever, kidney and liver complications are quite apparent.

In the early days in China, the Shar Pei dog was bred for the purpose of dog fighting. Blessed with a soothingly devoted personality. The Shar Pei dog shows its true affection and loyalty towards its owner and family. Being suspicious about strangers, they need a great deal of time to become friendly with new people. A highly sociable individual even needs to make his best effort to make this dog to become a friend for life. If being obedient, this dog guards the owner and family offering a strong protective shield.
The personality of the Shar Pei dog is a great area of concern, especially for breeders. Breeders must take enough care about researching the personality of a Shar Pei breeding pair otherwise it may lead to extreme frustration. At the time of breeding, it is the duty of the breeder to thoroughly investigate and appraise for dogs similar in personality. If it is not done, the buyers may end up by having a puppy that is wrong for the family. In fact, individuals having an easygoing temperament may not be proven to be a good owner of a Shar Pei in most of cases.

The personality of the Shar Pei can be subdivided under three categories known as dominant, submissive and independent. While the occurrence of a distinctive personality trait is most common, overlapping of personality traits may seem to be apparent in only a few cases. The dominant Shar Pei can be a good choice for people with a tough personality and devoted learning skills for handling dogs. Although a dominant Shar Pei is quite appealing with their macho and confident personality, it could harm people just by being excessively dominant.
The submissive Shar Pei dog is easier to handle. But they lack the proper instinct to be trained easily due to their low self-confidence and reluctant behavior for trying out new things. However, this dog can mingle with other dogs, so it can be effortlessly facilitated into multi-dog environment. But feeling of fear or defensive behavior may lead this type of dog to act violently in some cases, so enduring socialization is always required. The independent Shar Pei dog is most difficult to train since it does not really care about owner's approval and is not very fond of any human companionship.

In general, Shar Pei dogs are sometimes tough to train since they reveal their stubborn attitude. Hence, determination and commitment are the two most important factors of Shar Pei training. Although they are blessed with deterministic attitude, devoted nature and intelligence, they may frequently act violently and become intensely responsive in the presence of outsiders. The personality of the Shar Pei is genetically predisposed towards aggression and genetic makeup can influence the other personality to a great extent, so you must consider these factors when planning to buy the dog.

The Shar Pei, a deep-wrinkled dog from China, has three personality types: dominant, submissive and independent. Whether you are planning to buy a Shar Pei dog or already have one, this article will provide all necessary Shar Pei information in it.

Shar Pei Are Brave And Loyal  

Originally from China, the Shar Pei can easily be distinguished because of its wrinkles and a tongue that is blue-black. This particular breed has a very rough and coarse coat and that is how it got its name, which in the Chinese language means sand skin. When you first get your Shar Pei puppy, you will notice that it has a lot of wrinkles, though once your puppy begins to grow older and matures, many of these wrinkles will have faded away, and its coat will have become smoother. This breed only got to be recognized by the American Kennel Club in the year 1991, before which it even figured on the list of rare breeds.

The Shar Pei can have more than one color and among the ones that are common to this breed you will find colors such as red like a rose, blue, sand, black and even cream, and it also shares the blue-black colored tongue with its relative the Chow Chow. It also stands out because of its loose skin and a head that is very wrinkled, though not all varieties of the Shar Pei have wrinkled appearances because some even have tight skins and few wrinkles.
Normally, the Shar Pei has coats that can either be brush coats, bear coats or even horse coats. It is also a breed that is prone to not staying very healthy, which can be attributed in part to irresponsible breeding. Among other ailments that it suffers from, is the one known as entropion that is something that will irritate a Shar Pei's eyes. However, you can prevent your pet from developing skin allergies and also sores by feeding it specially manufactured dry dog foods that will act to prevent such conditions.

One thing that all owners of Shar Peis notice is the independent nature and also that they are quite reserved in their behavior, often staying aloof and not easily making friends with people they do not know or recognize. Part of the reason for such characteristics could be that it was originally bred to be a watchdog. Nevertheless, it is very devoted to its master and will show affection and also loyalty to other members of the owner's family.
In any case, despite its aggressive nature, and watchdog attributes, the Shar Pei will still be willing to learn and is thus amenable to being trained, though when things are repeated too often, it will easily get bored. All in all, you can expect great loyalty from your Shar Pei and it is also a very loving animal that will protect you, even though it is very independent by nature.

The breed originates from China's Guangdong province and was well known from that time for being a fighting dog that also made an excellent watchdog. That is why originally, the Chinese Shar Pei served as a watchdog for the royal family of China, and thus is well suited for defending. And despite being in danger of extinction and being termed a rare breed, it is now thriving in some parts of the world and makes an outstanding family pet, and is often affectionately known as "Golden Lion".

You don't really need Shar Pei information to let you know how clean the Shar Pei keeps itself and who often does not even need to be taught to be housebroken. You can easily go through this article and obtain all the necessary Shar Pei information regarding what to expect from this breed.

Know The Shar Pei Breed Standard  

Shar Pei puppies look like raisins with legs. They are so ugly that they are cute. Shar Peis became very popular in the 1980's with the yuppie generation in North America. Their popularity has declined due to many factors, one of which is their size. These are big dogs that average fifty pounds when they grow up. They are square and solid with a broad chest and a head that looks a little too big for the body.

It's the wrinkles that are the claim to fame for the Shar Pei. Unlike most other breeds of dog, this one is quite distinctive! The puppies are far more wrinkled than the adults. The Shar Pei breed standard calls for the adult to have loose skin, if not wrinkly skin, but wrinkles are still expected around the face. Because of the heavily wrinkled face, it is normal for these dogs to slobber a lot.
Only solid colored Shar Peis are permissible for showing in sanctioned American Kennel Club shows. But there are many part-colored and even spotted Shar Peis running about. Heads that look too big for the body are preferred, but it is common for Shar Peis to have heads in proportion to their large, blocky bodies. All Shar Pei information will tell you that they naturally come in three coat lengths, but for some reason only the two shortest coats are allowed.

Another quirk that Shar Peis have - besides their eye opening about the wrinkles - is that they have a blue-black tongue, sometimes described as purple in some reliable Shar Pei information sources. This is a trait shared with the breed thought to be the ancestor of the Shar Pei, the Chow Chow. In size and build, the two breeds share a lot in common. Shar Pei tails are left undocked and naturally curl over the back in much the same way as a Pug's.
The Shar Pei temperament is perhaps the most surprising, considering the breed is considered so cute in North America. They were bred to be fighting dogs. The loose skin and wrinkles give not only a scowling appearance, but less of a solid hold for an opponent to sink his teeth into. Chinese Shar Peis are a lot like Japanese Sumo wrestlers. They were also bred to fight off human and animal predators from livestock.

As a consequence, these are not very friendly dogs, on the whole. They usually do well with children, but become aggressive to other dogs and to adults. They often bond closest to one member of the family. They make great watchdogs and need a lot of exercise in order to burn up their energy. They are fearless dogs that feel superior to the rest of the world that need few excuses to ignore you. These are not the dogs for first time dog owners.

The Shar Pei usually gets along with kids and other pets except other dogs. Shar Pei information is easy to find if your search the web or go to the library.

Chinese Shar Pei: Know Them Well  

In spite of its unique characteristics, for some reason the Chinese Shar Pei was deemed to be dangerous and thus was being slowly driven to extinction by the Chinese Communists until the brave efforts of some Hong Kong breeders and a few Americans saved them and made them a very popular breed that today is much sought after by dog lovers all over the world. Thus, today this unique breed that has a wrinkled look and which has the face much like that of a hippo is readily available for dog lovers to own

One look at its compact build and strong frame and muscled body should impress you and with a blocky head and a weight not exceeding fifty-five pounds. The Chinese Shar Pei is a well-mannered breed that moves with balance and strength and which also has a good rear-end drive. The name is symbolic of its coarse and bristled coat that is of three types that are horse, bear and brush coat. This ancient breed is also closely related to the Tibetan Mastiff and also the Chow Chow and has survived from ancient times.
Everyone likes the Chinese Shar Pei and it is also famous for being very calm and it appears confident as well. In addition, it has a dignified demeanor though at the same time it tends to remain aloof from others and does not easily befriend strangers, and is often quite arrogant as well. Shar Peis can often turn into clowns when in the company of other Shar Peis and without a doubt has a temperament that is very unique. While at the same time is also not a very easy animal to train, though it does need to be socialized and be made to understand that the master is the boss.

The Shar Pei does like human contact and is well disposed to being around people, though to ensure that it does not have any serious faults, before purchasing or obtaining the Chinese Shar Pei, it would be a good idea to only obtain it from reputable breeders who have ensured proper breeding practices and given it opportunity to interact with other humans. Once the Shar Pei understands its place in your home, it will make an excellent and also dependable fellow family member and a good children's playmate as well.
Most recognized for its wrinkled looks, the Chinese Shar Pei is a most sought after breed and this is quite a change because the breed was once considered as being a rare one when it was in danger of becoming extinct, no thanks to the efforts of Chinese Communists in trying to end this breed. Still, because of good fortune, it is now possible to own this aloof breed that has a unique appearance, though such a breed is still not the best bet for a first time dog owner and because it needs a fair bit of maintenance, may not always be the easiest dog to keep at home.

The Shar Pei is also prone to certain health problems and will often require preventive care, which a prospective owner must be aware of and be prepared to do. Nevertheless, the Chinese Shar Pei is loved and because of its possessive nature, makes a good family pet, and to ensure that you get yourself a good pet, try and obtain it from reputable breeders who will ensure that its temperament is sound, and who will have assessed it as being worthy of making an ideal pet dog.

There is enough Shar Pei information available that shows how originally the Chinese Shar Pei was a guard dog that is also very protective, territorial and is today well suited as a family dog. If you need more Shar Pei information, this article will be your source to learn more about the Chinese Shar Pei.

Shar Pei Pictures 

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Sasha out in the backyard by ToddBlm

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Harvey, Sharpie and friend by Aine D

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Two friends by Aine D

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Sharpie by Aine D

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Shar Pei on Video 

Shar Pei - History of breed (Part 1of3)

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by Melissa-Coleman

Melissa is a long time owner and breeder of the Shar Pei. (more)

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