Chinese Shar-Pei

Country of origin

The Chinese Shar-Pei is believed to have originated from a southern Chinese province and was bred to be farm, hunting, and guard dogs. It is speculated that they are related to the Chow Chow due to a unique trait: their similar purple tongues. Their wrinkled, prickly bodies very effective in fighting off wild animals that they hunt, because they can easily twist around to bite their attacker due to the looseness of their skin. This particular characteristic gave people the idea of involving Shar-Pei in dog fighting, until it was rightfully banned. Its name means “Sand coat.”

Size

These unique dogs grow from 17 to 20 inches, and weigh up to 25 kilograms. They have squarish bodies, a wide and short muzzle, triangular ears, thick and curly tails, a purple tongue, and of course, wrinkled skin. Although the traditional Chinese Shar-Pei have less wrinkles, it is the modern Shar-Pei (with more folds) that is being increasingly more popular nowadays.

Coat

There are two common types of coat for the Chinese Shar-Pei, the Brush coat and the Horse coat. Both are sand papery and rough, with the only difference being the length. The Brush coat can grow up to an inch long, while the Horse coat is much shorter. There is another type of coat called the Bear coat; it grows more than one inch (this causes the dog to often mistaken as a Chow) and is very rare. They come in colors such as cream, blue, black, red, brown, sable and apricot.

Character

The Chinese Shar-Pei is intelligent, alert, playful, courageous, energetic, independent, and could be very suspicious to strangers, which makes them great guard dogs that like barking in order to alert you of the presence of peopel. In order to be friendly, balanced dogs though that are not overly territorial, they must be well socialized at an early age. They are instinctively clean which makes it very easy to potty train them.

Temperament

Because these dogs can be pretty dominant toward humans and other dogs, it is important for them to have owners that are strong pack leaders. They have a stubborn streak, so their owners must know what they are doing when they train their Chinese Shar-Peis, or else these smart dogs might not take their handlers seriously.

Care

Chinese Shar-Peis have sensitive skin and their folds are susceptible to skin infections if not properly cleaned. These folds must be wiped dry after a bath. They are also sensitive to heat, like their fellow short-nosed breeds like the boxer or the bulldog, and must be well cooled off during hot seasons. They are quite calm indoors and can live in small homes such as apartments as long as they have enough exercise.

Training

Positive reinforcement or reward-based training is most effective training for this wilful breed, but at the same time consistency and firmness from the handler is required.

Activity

These active dogs would do well with daily walks and play, and some can even join agility trials. Owners must watch out though, as they can easily get heat stroke.