Shar Pei History

For connoisseurs of uncommon canines, there's no dog more fascinating than the Chinese Shar-Pei. The wrinkled pups look like they are enfolded in bristly blankets, and the hippo-faced adults are unique in the canine world. 

Their history matches their singular appearance -- the breed was all but destroyed by the Chinese Communist regime and was saved through the Herculean efforts of a handful of breeders in Hong Kong and some Americans intrigued with the look and character of the breed.

The Shar-Pei is an ancient breed from an ancient land, perhaps related to the smooth-coated Chow Chow and the Tibetan Mastiff. The breed developed in the southern provinces of China as a working companion of farmers and peasants who needed a cattle herder, guardian, and hunting helpmate. 

His loose skin, nettlesome coat, and small ears protected him in battles, characteristics that unfortunately gained him favor as a fighting dog.

During the Han Dynasty some 2000 years ago, traders opened China to the West and to mastiff-type dogs that outweighed the Shar-Pei and attracted the attention of fight promoters, so the breed's fighting career was cut short. The Shar-Pei returned to his peasant roots to guard hearth and home for several centuries. After World War II, Communism took over in China, and dogs were considered a luxury that took food from the mouths of babes. Taxes on pets thinned their ranks, and by 1950, the breed was in big trouble.

Somewhere along the way, a few breeders in the British colony of Hong Kong acquired a few of these Chinese Fighting Dogs. Matgo Law was one such fancier of the wrinkled dogs, and in 1973 he and fellow breeder C.M. Chung began a campaign to save the breed with a plea for help in Dogs magazine.

Americans responded wholeheartedly and almost too well -- the Shar-Pei became a fad in the early years in the US, with pups selling for thousands of dollars and breedings done without concern for temperament, health, or structure.

A handful of Shar-Pei came to the US prior to Law's effort, but the breed was neither promoted nor developed. Chung and Law received more than 2000 responses to their appeal, and they began to send puppies to selected breeders in this country. Several of these early breeders formed the Chinese Shar-Pei Club of America to form a breed standard and work together to preserve the breed.

The Chinese Shar-Pei gained entrance to the American Kennel Club miscellaneous group in 1988 and became a full-fledged member of the non-sporting group in October, 1991. The breeds numbers have increased substantially from that first cry for help; in 1994, more than 15 thousand individuals and 6600 litters were registered, placing the dog 25th in popularity of 137 breeds.

 

Photos taken personally by T.Eric Omura from the Panyu museum. These pictures shows the existence of the Shar-pei from the Han Dynasty, over two thousand years ago. The location where the statues were is actually very close to the Dali and this confirm the place of origin for the Shar-pei.  And as we know from the latest DNA test analyze in Sweden and America, for the breed, thes har-pei is confirmed to be among the first dogs evolved from the wolf.