Shar Pei breed

The Shar Pei, or Chinese Shar-Pei, is a breed of dog known for its distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue.The breed comes from China. The name (沙皮, pinyin: shā pí; English name probably derived from British spelling of the Cantonese equivalent, sā pèih) translates to "sand skin" and refers to the texture of its short, rough coat.
As puppies, Shar Pei have numerous wrinkles, but as they mature, these wrinkles loosen and spread out as they "grow into their skin".Shar Pei were named in 1978 as one of the world's rarest dog breeds by TIME magazine and the Guinness World Records. It is one of the ancient dog breeds, but the American Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1992.

pages:

01. About Shar Pei breed

02. Shar Pei History

03. Shar Pei body and look 

04.Shar Pei Standards

05.Shar Pei Usage

06.Finding A Shar-Pei Puppy

07. Care of Shar Pei puppy and adult dog

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 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.