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.

Shar Pei body and look

SHAR-PEI TYPES AND THEIR DIFFERENCES
HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE TRUE TRADITIONAL SHAR-PEI

The truth is that there is a lot of confusion regarding the number of shar-pei types. Very few know the differences and even fewer care to separate them in groups, in order not to participate and compete all these different types with the same criterion, into one single ring. It is simply unfair and silly, wile other breeds are showed in different rings only because of their different length of coat or texture.

And while the traditional shar-pei or Chinese has one single version, (that means one type and a specific morphology and anatomy), the western shar-pei (or American), has many more and it makes sense, since it is a new creation of the canine world (only 50 years, wile the traditional as a dog, has a history of 2000 years), that constantly mutates to satisfy the market.

So there are two basic types, the Chinese and the American with the latter divided into subcategories depending on the type of coat and the morphology of the mouth:

1)meat mouth brush coat

2)bone mouth brush coat

  

3)meat mouth horse coat

4)bone mouth horse coat

5)bear coat and any type of mouth (meat mouth or bone mouth), but is not recognized and accepted in the show rings

6)flowered with any type of mouth (meat mouth or bone mouth).A very pleasing color which is gaining fans, but is not acceptable in shows

7) classic type (meaty bone mouth). Is something between the bony and fleshy mouth. This type has  its DNA from both Chinese and American shar-pei and is a dog without exaggeration. The muzzle has not much pudding and cheeks, but is not completely bony. It can be horse coat or brush coat.

The problem of the most people that want to own a traditional shar-pei, is how they will manage to get a pure breed Chinese type, without becoming victims of some opportunists who will sell them a mixed dog as a traditional only because it has no puddings in its muzzle. So there are some very basic differences between Chinese shar-pei (traditional) and all other types of Western or American shar-pei and also in a mixed shar-pei.

The most striking difference as always refers to all articles, is the muzzle. The Chinese shar-pei (traditional), always has a ''dry'' muzzle (bone mouth), and has no pudding over its nose and should not be with fleshy cheeks. We do not want anything between the jaws and teeth of the dog, that will prevent a good bite or make it less effective and powerful, because this type is a pure working breed for hunting purposes.

The muzzle is always thinner than the width of the skull, looking from above and slightly wedge. The length of the skull is almost equal to the length of the muzzle, which should not be snippy but squared and straight to the line of the skull. When its mouth opens, the dog gives the impression that smiles, opening wide in a typical Chinese called ‘’toad mouth’’.

The nostrils are large and open and gives the animal the necessary dose of oxygen that is needed, while the mouth is closed for stopping and killing the game. The eyes are large, almond and as dark as possible. Never should be placed too deep in the skull (and that’s how they avoid entropion and eyes are always healthy). Few tight folds are only on the forehead and elsewhere on the head or body of the dog. The ears can be upstanding or not, small or a little bigger.

The American or Western type of meat mouth shar-pei that is most desirable for shows and breeding, has a squared head (skull-muzzle). The width of the head is almost the same as the width of the nose, looking from above. It always has padding over its nose and thick, fleshy cheeks and mouth. This is its hallmark as ‘’hippopotamus’’ head, which gives sweetness and attractiveness in this type and make it a perfect ‘’show’’ and impressive ‘’pet’’dog. The nostrils unfortunately are too small and difficult in most cases for the dog to breath wile is playing, sleeping or has his mouth closed for a reason especially in a warm day. The eyes are placed too deep in the skull and almond in shape. Has a lot of fold skin in the head, around mouth and throat. Sometimes it has fold skin in all around its body (although this tends to be undesirable in recent years in the show rings). The ears are always down and as small as possible. 

Comparing now the body and the construction of two types, we see the following differences. The Chinese shar-pei (traditional) is always taller and skinner compared to the American and the highest the best (some reaching the 55.88 cm- Wither height). The body is athletic, with ''light'' body structure, never seems ''heavy.'' The legs are straight, strong and long. Very important, is the shape of the feet, in the traditional type, which should be flattened with obvious long fingers, which the dog uses for climbing, digging, and even to catch something. The coat is strictly short (1 cm or less) and is unusually hard to the touch, so that causes irritation to human skin. The colors of the Chinese Shar-pei is brown, cream and rusty black (not pure black as labrador). There are no bleu, lilac, chocolate, flowered or sable Chinese Shar-pei. And last characteristic of this type is the bolt ‘’sharp’’tail. The tail begins thick rounded and tapered to a fine point (while in the American type, is just a little bit thinner in the edge)
 

 The American type of shar-pei (or western type), tends to become increasingly short and small in size, and preferred that way, with a height reaching with difficulty the 51 cm. In fact they have created a miniature and mini shar-pei also, that barely touches the 35-40cm. In general opinion, it is compact, heavy structure dog ,with short legs and  tight ‘’cat’’ feet. The coat has several varieties, horse coat, brush coat (up to 2,5 cm) and bear coat (like chow-chow). The texture of the coat is hard but not enough to compete this of a traditional. It has a lot of color varieties, from black, fawn, red, cream, chocolate, blue, blue black, lilac, even flowered(not show quality). The tail is thick and short, tapering slightly, but with no bolt edge.

 The classic type or meaty bone mouth as they call it, can have any of these features from the one or the other type and some times from both of them together, but always with the characteristic meaty bone mouth that we mentioned above.

 All these different types of shar-pei, are all suitable for family, apartment in the city, or countryside. Choose the type that attract you more in appearance, but if you are athletic and energetic guy, prefer the Chinese, if you are calm and languid, is better to choose the American one.

 Both types have great versatility and if you really know about dogs, you can easily make them follow your lifestyle, since dogs are imitating animals, which means that learn and keen to make the lifestyle that you follow in your life!

VELES - The God of Shepherds, Magic and Wild Animals

Veles was worshipped in two aspects. As Veles he is god of death and the underworld, god of music, and a sorcerer. As Volos he is god of cattle wealth and commerce. The worship of Veles vanished with the coming of Christianity, but the worship of Volos survived as late as the eighteenth century. The God, Volos, was replaced with St. Blasius, patron saint of domesticated animals. While its original roots are in the Roman Isis Feast, most people in the West , know the feast of Shrovetide as Mardi Gras. Veles's feast day is February 12th.

The Slavic Horned lord, ruled horned animals, earth, waters and Underworld, associated with dragons, cattle, magic, musicians, wealth and trickery. He was imagined to be (at least partially) serpentine, with horns (of bull, ram or some other domesticated herbivore), and a long beard. He has many associations with wealth and the magical forces of the spirit world. The character of Veles is very complex, and is likened to that of Cernunnos.

Along with a so many cultures ancient Slavs viewed their world as a huge tree, with the treetop and branches representing the heavenly abode of gods and the world of mortals, whilst the roots represented the underworld. Veles was seen as a huge serpent coiling around the roots, was ruling the world of dead.

The underworld was supposedly a lovely place, described in folk tales as a green and wet world of grassy plains and eternal spring, where various fantastic creatures dwell and the spirits of deceased watch over Veles' herds of cattle.

In more geographical terms, the world of Veles was located, the Slavs believed, "across the sea", and it was there the migrating birds would fly to every winter. In folk tales this land is called Virey or Iriy. Each year, the god of fertility and vegetation, Jarilo, who also dwelt there during winter, would return from across the sea and bring spring into the world of the living.

Veles also regularly sent spirits of the dead into the living world as his heralds. Festivals in honour of him were held near the end of the year, in winter, when time was coming to the very end of world order, chaos was growing stronger, the borders between worlds of living and dead were fading, and ancestral spirits would return amongst the living. This was the ancient pagan celebration of Velja noc (Great Night), the relic of which still persists amongst many Slavic countries in folk customs of Koleda, a kind of combination of carnival and Halloween, which can happen anywhere from Christmas up to end of February.