About Shar Pei breed

The Shar Pei is an unusual Chinese breed of dog that is distinctive due to its deeply wrinkled body and dark blue tongue that can appear almost black. When born, the skin of the dog appears almost too large for its body, but as the dog grows, their wrinkles spread out to make for a loose, but more appropriate fit!

Previously one of the rarest breeds of dog in the world, the Shar Pei is becoming ever more popular internationally . Their distinctive appearance and strong sense of loyalty to their families has led to them becoming popular with owners of all types, but the Shar Pei can be a challenging dog to own, and is prone to some hereditary health problems too. 

The Chinese Shar Pei originates from China and was bred originally for hunting small game, herding and dog fighting. It's origins can be dated back to the 200 B.C. The Chinese Shar Pei is also known by the other names of the Chinese Fighting Dog. This dog is classified as one of the Non-Sporting Dog Group. The Chinese Shar Pei was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1991.

There are two varieties in Shar-Pei: a Traditional type with fewer wrinkles, roof-tile muzzle, pointed tail, short hair (sandpaper coat), and a modified Western type with heavier muzzle (hippopotamus look) with meat padding on top and longer hair (brush coat) with loose skin. 

Here's a witty comparison :-)

And here's more adequate:

The coat of the Shar Pei can be seen in three different variants:

Horse coat, which is prickly and rough, feeling harsh if stroked in one direction, but smooth in the other.

Brush coat, which is rather smoother to the touch, and slightly longer than the horse coat.

Bear coat, which is not a permitted permutation with every Kennel Club, and which was introduced to the breed due to the addition of other breed lines. The bear coat is defined by being longer than one inch at the withers, and is otherwise similar to the brush coat.

While the coat of the Shar Pei itself is short and straight, and so relatively low maintenance, the wrinkled skin of the breed does require some attention to keep it clean and healthy. Due to the fact that the skin is loose and falls in folds, it can easily trap dirt, debris and moisture, as well as harbouring bacteria.