Shar Pei Standards

Standard stipulation	FCI Nr.309/1994 (Chinese Shar-pei)	FCI Nr.309/1999 ( American Shar-pei )
Origin	China (Dialack-Canton) China (Dailack, Namhoi, Guangdong)	China (U.S.A.)
Patronage	Hong Kong	F.C.I. (U.S.A.)
Date of issue	January 25, 1994	August 9, 1999
Valid original standard	January 25, 1994	April 14, 1999
Utilization	Hunting and watchdog.	Hunting and watch-dog.
Temperament	Active and agile. Calm, independent, loyal and affectionate to people. “Active and agile” are the key words. Need to hunt and guard.	Calm independent, loyal, affectionate to his family.
Height	19 to 23 inch at withers (48.3 to 58.4 cm.)	17.5 to 20 inch at withers (44 to 51 cm.)
Weight	40 to 65 lbs. (18 to 29.5 kgs.)	Not specified.
Head	The skull is round and big at the base, but flat and broad at the forehead. The Chinese description of the head is “Wo Lo Tau”, meaning “Calabash”shaped head. Should not be large or heavy in proportion to body.	Rather large in proportion to body.
Tongue	Bluish-black tongue and gum preferred, pink and spotted only permissible in lighter colored dogs.	Bluish black is preferred. Pink spotted tongue permissible. Solid pink tongue highly undesirable.
Back	Very strong and straight, with very strong back bone. This is required for an active and agile rural working and hunting dog.	Dips slightly behind withers; then it rises slightly over loin. This is to balance the larger head. Croup rather flat.
Tail	There are several types of tail. The most common are the curl, and double ring; this can be a big or a small curl. The tail must be firm and tightly over the hip. Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point is implied here as a preferred tail.	Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point. May be carried high and curved, carried in tight curl or curved over or to either side of the back. The tail is set very high, a characteristic feature of the breed. This feature is usually disregarded in most judging in shows.
Wrinkles	In the adult dog pronounced wrinkles are only allowed over the forehead and withers.	Folds of skin on body in mature dogs highly undesirable except on withers and base of tail, which show moderate wrinkling.
¡@	Wrinkles on the forehead must be apparent but must not obstruct the eyes...The wrinkles on the forehead form a marking which resembles the Chinese Symbol for Longevity.	Wrinkles on forehead and cheeks continuing to form dewlap.
¡@	... loose skin around the throat. The loose skin should not be excessive. Excessive skin around the body in adults is most undesirable.	The loose skin under the neck should not be excessive.
¡@	Slight fold of skin on withers.	Wrinkles over skull and withers.
Coat/Hair	Short, hard, bristly and as straight as possible. Length must not be over 2.5cm  long. Horse coat is shorter than brush coat. Horse coat is preferred over brush coat	Short, harsh and bristly. The coat is straight and offstanding on the body, but generally flatter on the limbs.The coat may vary in length from 1cm to 2.5 cm.Brush coat preferred over horse coat
	No undercoat. Never trimmed.	No undercoat. Never trimmed.
Muzzle	Length of muzzle nearly equal to the length of the skull. Moderate in length, broad from the eyes but narrowing slightly towards the nose.	“Hippopotamus” muzzle impart to the Shar-pei a unique look.
¡@	The shape of the mouth when viewed from top should either be in the shape of a roundish roof tile commonly known as “Roof Tile Mouth” or with a wide jaw in the shape of a toad¡¦s mouth, known as “Toad Mouth” A most distinctive feature of traditional Shar-pei. Top of muzzle is curved like a roof tile. No padded or bulge on top.	A distinctive feature of the breed. Broad from root to tip of nose with no suggestion of tapering. Lips and top of muzzle well padded. Bulge at the base of the nose permissible.
¡@	Snipy muzzle is not a fault, only less preferred over broader muzzle.	Snipy muzzle is a serious fault.
Ear	Small, thick, equilaterally triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tips. Tips pointing towards eyes and folded to the skull. Wide apart and close to skull. Small but NOT very small. Small in proportion to head. Thickness is not emphasized here.	Small ears. Very small, rather thick, equilaterally triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tip and set high on skull with tips pointing towards eyes...wide apart and close to skull.
¡@	Erect and standing ears are permissible but less desirable.	Pricked ears highly undesirable.
Eyes	Medium sized, almond shaped. As dark as possible. Light colored eyes are undesirable.	Dark, almond-shaped with a scowling expression. Lighter color permissible in dilute-colored dogs.
Feet	Moderate size, compact, well padded, toes well knuckled. Hind feet may have dewclaws and not specified in standard. May remove for better management.	Moderate size, compact, not splayed. Toes well knuckled. Hind feet free from dewclaws.
Forequarters	Pasterns slightly sloping, strong and flexible.	Pastern slightly sloping, strong and flexible.
Hindquarters	Strong and muscular. Moderately angulated. ¡@ ¡@ ¡@ Hocks well let down.	Muscular, strong, moderately angulated. Wrinkles on upper thighs, lower thighs, rear pasterns as well as the thickening of the skin on hocks undesirable. Hocks well let down.
Color	Solid colors black, blue black, black with a hint of rust brown, red, and fawn. Cream is acceptable but less desirable. Darker shading or trace mark down the back, different tone of same solid color permissible around shoulder. A distinctive color feature of this breed.	All solid colors acceptable except white. Tail and rear part of thighs frequently of a lighter color. Darker shading down the back and on the ears permissible.

^Summary

^{FCI Nr.309/1999 standard is basically a standard for Western type Shar-pei which the breeders here in China and Hong Kong refer to as the "meat-mouth¨. On Jan. 12, 1998, AKC approved second edition of Chinese Shar-pei standard, and the FCI issued the Nr.309/1999 standard one year later. This Nr.309/1999 standard is actually quite similar to the American AKC standard.}

^{The fact of life is that the Western type Shar-pei (meat-mouth) are already well accepted by many breeders around the world. Any attempt to replace it with a separate traditional Chinese Shar-pei standard is not practical and do no justice to the already existing type of dog. For FCI, the case of Shar-pei is intrinsically the same as the case for Akita. To solve this issue, one option is to let Nr.309/1999 remains as a standard for Western type Shar-pei and FCI Nr.309/1994 revived as the standard for the original traditional type Chinese Shar-pei.}

^{In summary, the most distinctive differences between the traditional type (bone-mouth) and the Western type (meat-mouth) are the head, coat and tail. The difference in features between to two types is summarized below:}

Features	FCI Nr.309/1994	FCI Nr.309/1999
Head	The skull is round and big at the base, but flat and broad at the forehead. The Chinese description of the head is “Wo Lo Tau” meaning “Calabash” shaped head. Should not be large or heavy in proportion to body.	Rather large in proportion to body.

^{According to the Nr.309/1999 standard, a meat-mouth requires a heavy head, rather large in proportion to body. This description has cause breeding of more and more heavier head costing the dog speed and agility.}

^{If Shar-pei is a "hunting and watchdog¨ as the standards claim it to be, then the performance of bone-mouth is outstanding when tested side-by-side with a meat mouth. Therefore, "active and agile¨ are the keywords which have been taken out from the Nr.309/1994 standard to produce the Nr.309/1999 standard.}

Utilization	Hunting and watchdog.	Hunting and watch-dog.
Temperament	Active and agile. Calm, independent, loyal and affectionate to people. “Active and agile¨ are the key words. Need to hunt and guard.	Calm independent, loyal, affectionate to his family.

^{The heavier head of meat-mouth naturally cause the back to dip to balance the weight.}

Back

Very strong and straight, with very strong back bone. This is required for an active and agile rural working and hunting dog.

Dips slightly behind withers; then it rises slightly over loin. This is to balance the larger head. Croup rather flat.

^{Height 23 inch at the withers is indeed a good and reasonable size for a rural "hunting and watchdog¨. Although 23 inch is uncommon nowadays for a Shar-pei, many old memories in Hong Kong and China pointed out that they have seen larger dogs than what we commonly see today. With today¡¦s better nutrition and exercise, it is easier to obtain a larger structure. It is true that some traditional Shar-pei breeders in Hong Kong also think that 20 inch is the right size, meaning this is the statistical mean (the right size) for Shar-pei but it must not be confused with the maximum. If one set the height at maximum to be 20 inch, then in actual breeding the end result will be producing a dog on average of below 20 inch. Therefore 23 inch is a reasonable maximum limit for the dog, meaning the average height will be below this maximum limit.}

Height

19 to 23 inch at withers (48.3 to 58.4 cm.)

17.5 to 20 inch at withers (44 to 51 cm.)

^{Muzzle is distinctively different between the two types. The Western type requires a ¡§Hippopotamus¡¨ look permitting a bulge at the base of the nose. Traditional type basically requires a ¡§Roof tile¡¨ look. One can imagine a roof tile which has a curved and smooth surface. Any bulge or padding or protrusion on the surface, it can not function and would not be a roof tile. A ¡§Toad Mouth¡¨ only suggests a very developed cheek like a toad but still the top of muzzle should be smooth and straight.}

Muzzle	Length of muzzle nearly equal to the length of the skull. Moderate in length, broad from the eyes but narrowing slightly towards the nose.	“Hippopotamus¨ muzzle impart to the Shar-pei a unique look.
¡@	The shape of the mouth when viewed from top should either be in the shape of a roundish roof tile commonly known as ¡§Roof Tile Mouth¡¨ or with a wide jaw in the shape of a toad¡¦s mouth, known as ¡§Toad Mouth¡¨. A most distinctive feature of traditional Shar-pei. Top of muzzle is curved like a roof tile. No padded or bulge on top.	A distinctive feature of the breed. Broad from root to tip of nose with no suggestion of tapering. Lips and top of muzzle well padded. Bulge at the base of the nose permissible.
¡@	Snipy muzzle is not a fault, only less preferred over broader muzzle.	Snipy muzzle is a serious fault.

^{Coat is another distinctive feature separating the two types. It is easy to differentiate the coat between the two types, and totally different preference when judging the two types. In general terms, Shar-pei has horse coat and brush coat, and sometimes people even refer to a bear coat. They are only referring to the difference in length of the coat with horse coat being the shortest, followed by brush coat and the longest is the bear coat. A bear coat is too long to be shown in a dog show which means it is over 1 inch in length.}

Coat/Hair

Short, hard, bristly and as straight as possible. Length must not be over 2.5cm  long. Horse coat is shorter than brush coat. Horse coat is preferred over brush coat

Short, harsh and bristly. The coat is straight and offstanding on the body, but generally flatter on the limbs. The coat may vary in length from 1cm to 2.5 cm. Brush coat preferred over horse coat

^{For a traditional type Shar-pei, the coat must be short and hard and therefore the judges should prefer the shorter horse coat over any other longer length coat. The Nr.309/1994 standard says "Length must not be over 2.5cm and this preference implies that the coat should be shorter and harder the better. Over the years, the judges in the Western world developed to prefer the brush coat over the horse coat. The horse coat was treated as if it is a fault because the Nr.309/1999 standard requires “from 1 cm to 2.5 cm” which implies that below 1 cm can be a problem. This description is inferior than the AKC standard for Shar-pei coat which says "coat lengths may range from extremely short “horse coat” up to the “brush coat¡¨ not to exceed one inch in length at the withers.¡¨ In the U.S., although both "horse coat¨ and "brush coat¨ are within the standard ”brush coat¨ is preferred without much explanation. The Nr.309/1999 went even one step further specifically excluding the "horse coat¨ (below 1 cm) from the standard. At least, the FCI can take the credit that Nr.309/1999 standard is more specific than the AKC standard.}

^{So the coat of the Western type Shar-pei has eventually become a short hair Chow Chow. If you look at a bear coat Western Shar-pei, it is already a step short of becoming a full Chow Chow. This is not a surprise at all because Shar-pei evolved from the Tang dog and Chow Chow is also a Tang dog.}

^{Traditional Shar-pei breeders place important emphasis on "Mou Ngan¨ meaning "coat and eye¨. Coat in Cantonese is pronounced "Mou¨ and eye is "Ngan¨. This is definitely true as the name of this breed itself implies. The name Shar-pei literally means "Sandy Skin¨ and this "Sand¨ like texture is the result of very short and stiff standing coat on the body. ¡§Ngan¡¨ or the eyes give the Shar-pei its brave, daring, and confident look.}

Eyes

Medium sized, almond shaped. As dark as possible. Light colored eyes are undesirable.

Dark, almond-shaped with a scowling expression. Lighter color permissible in dilute-colored dogs.

^{Without a proper "Ngan¨ or eye set in the facial look, a Shar-pei can have all the correct features but still lacks a majestic look. An almond shaped eye means more specifically a triangular eye, which is an essential element in the facial expression.}

^{The tail is another very distinctive feature which separates the traditional type from the Western type. In this case, it is unusual that Western judges tend to interpret the standard very broadly and at times close their eyes on the requirement of the tails. The key words are ¡§Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point¡¨. This ¡§tapering to a fine point¡¨ need to be strictly enforced if it needs to be a good Shar-pei. ¡§A fine point¡¨ means it is almost sharp and pointed and there can be no other interpretation for this.}

Tail

There are several types of tail. The most common are the curl, and double ring; this can be a big or a small curl. The tail must be firm and tightly over the hip. Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point is implied here as a preferred tail.

Thick and round at the root, tapering to a fine point. May be carried high and curved, carried in tight curl or curved over or to either side of the back. The tail is set very high, a characteristic feature of the breed. This feature is usually disregarded in most judging in shows.

^{This is written even in the Nr.309/1999 Western type meat-mouth Shar-pei standard but this is not strictly enforced. For the traditional type breeders here in China and Hong Kong, they refer to the different types of tail by object names such as spear, sickle, hook, and coin. Except for the coin which means a double coiled tail, all the other descriptions are sharp pointed objects. Western judges will not hesitate to select a Champion even the hair on the tail is quite long. "Tapering to a fine point¨ is not upheld at all for Western type Shar-pei, but this is of utmost importance when referring to a traditional Shar-pei.}

^{Finally the wrinkles. The word “wrinkle¨ is the curse for Shar-pei from day one when it became known to the world. The skin happens to be loosely attached to the body but not to such extend as wrinkled and folded all over the body. Basically by appearance, the skin should be well fitted onto the body with a little fold at the withers and some decorative wrinkles on the forehead. Shar-pei originally has nothing to do with the wrinkles. The wrinkled image is mainly a Western market creation.}

Wrinkles	In the adult dog pronounced wrinkles are only allowed over the forehead and withers.	Folds of skin on body in mature dogs highly undesirable except on withers and base of tail, which show moderate wrinkling.
¡@	Wrinkles on the forehead must be apparent but must not obstruct the eyes...The wrinkles on the forehead form a marking which resembles the Chinese Symbol for Longevity.	Wrinkles on forehead and cheeks continuing to form dewlap.
¡@	... loose skin around the throat. The loose skin should not be excessive. Excessive skin around the body in adults is most undesirable.	The loose skin under the neck should not be excessive.
¡@	Slight fold of skin on withers.	Wrinkles over skull and withers.

Care of Shar Pei puppy and adult dog

Diet:

Your puppy can eat following foods: Minced chicken, milk, scrambled eggs, Fish, puppy biscuits, cooked meats, heart, liver, kidneys, beef and chicken.
These have to be lightly cooked in a small amount of water.
Also lightly boiled they have had mutton bones and Beef bones, these help with teething.
Adult dogs eat a similar diet of meat.
They have chicken bodies lightly boiled one night and other meats especially mutton off cuts and bones the following night.
Always ensure there is a bowl of water available at all times and if you add a little Cider Vinegar to the water it will be of benefit and also reduce any doggy smells.
Other foods can include cooked or raw vegetables, rice, scraps from the table, scrambled eggs etc.
I like to do boil ups for the dogs, cheap cuts of meat or mince with rice and pasta cooked together.
Vegetables can be added such as silverbeet etc cut up.
Milk and cheese, on there own, can be given at times, but not too much.
Milk tends to loosen bowl movements where cheese will firm them.
Liver and kidneys may produce loose stools till their systems adapt to these stronger meats..
An excellent supplement to the diet is can fish such as sardines or tinned mackerel , the oil from the fish is great for skin and coats.
Another thing is the natural Yogurt with acidophilus such as the one from Bio Farm. This can be given in small amounts such as a couple of tablespoons full every other day. It is great for their immune system and can help prevent ear infections.
Note when changing diets you may notice a very loose toilet movements for a few days while your dog is adjusting.
I can recommend dog food in grains but only without wheat , corn and GMO products!
Shar-Pei can suffer skin problems if on an incorrect diet.
Another health aspect for the young Shar Pei puppy and while it is growing up is to elevate the puppys food bowl. This helps greatly in the swallowing and digestion of food.
When a puppy has to bend their head down to eat and as they often gulp their food, they are having to use the muscles in their throat to move the food up before it becomes level with the stomach.
If they are eating with their head up then the strain is taken off the throat and food is easily moved from mouth to stomach.

Ears:

The monthly cleaning of your puppies ears is important as the flaps do not allow air circulation and wax can build up. If you notice your puppy shaking its head for no reason then likely he is having problems with wax in his ears. Also runny eyes maybe an aspect of dirty ears.
From your vet you can get ear cleaning solutions, use either directly into the ear and then massaged in or onto a cotton ball to wipe the inside of the ear.
Cotton buds are used to carefully clean the ear afterwards.
I seldom use the cleaning solution but just clean with cotton balls followed by cotton buds.
Your puppy will accept this procedure without too much complaint if it is regularly done.
If the puppy develops a lot of wax and a little bleeding is noticed (possible infection state) then use Dexoryl into the ear and massage. If problem persists see your Vet.

Nails:

Occasionally you may need to trim back your puppies nails, if so be careful not to cut back into the quick and cause bleeding.
If the puppy is able to run on concrete when exercising then this will help keep the nails trimmed back naturally.
It can be a bit of a hassle to trim the nails as they do not like their feet touched or held. Do it when they are resting next to you on a sofa if you have difficulties.

Baths:

Shar-Pei do not like water as you will quickly find out.
I used to bath mine regularly but found that is better for their natural oils to be present and only bath them when they are dirty or become a bit too doggy in their smell.
If you wish to bath puppy regularly I would suggest once a week or a greater duration.
Use only Baby Shampoo or special Dog Shampoo. Beware of some adult human shampoos. (Though some dandruff human Shampoo is very good especially if they are having flakey skin.)
I stand mine on a non slip mat in the bath and use a hand held shower sprayer with warm water.
Wet the pup thoroughly while holding him in with the other hand.
Then apply the Shampoo and lather up. Wash out thoroughly afterwards.
Towel off the puppy well and ensure that there is no moisture left under the legs or in between the wrinkles.

Keep warm till completely dry.. I have used hair dryers on a mild temperature to assist drying.
The dogs do not like them that much but will get used to it.
Wiping of face after eating and drinking will help keep your puppy cleaner and reduce smells.
After bath and drying give your puppy a treat.
Adult Shar Pei need only be bathed about every 1 to 2 months. Or as need be.
Toilet Training:

Your puppy is basically toilet trained, he will go out side once he knows the way and there is not a door to block his passage.
I suggest that you take him outside as soon as he wakes up and after each meal.
They may cry or run to the door if he/she wants a toilet.
If you do not take notice then an accident will occur.
I have found that they toilet train easy and are often good up to about 6 to 8 months old then some go through a lazy period where they may revert to accidents.
They should be suitably disciplined if caught but it is pointless to try to discipline after the event.
Your puppy will not know then, what hes done wrong.
The puppy has been inclined also to toilet on newspaper and if left alone this can be used.
You may find that your puppy goes in the same place, often at the doorway to outside, so newspaper in this area at these times will be a help.
Later on as your Shar-Pei is able to control their bowls better you should not have a problem as they will wait for an opportunity to go outside.
They hate rain and wet grass and at these times it is very difficult to get them to toilet outdoors.
Persistence is needed and I have stood outside in the rain for 15 minutes or longer stopping the puppy from getting back indoors that is refusing to go to the toilet even though it is busting.
By saying Toilet, or quick now while the puppy is having a toilet will assist in training.
After the job is done praise the puppy.. They soon get the picture.

Habits:

Your Shar-Pei puppy has several things in mind, the first of these is to live with you and your family as you are his world and pack.
Thus I believe that your puppy should be a house dog and have free range of your home.
He is a member of your family and wishes to be close to you at all times. IF you dont want an indoor dog, DONT BUY A SHAR PEI!

I have seen Shar-Pei that live outdoors and they never have the same loving natures as the indoor dogs.
In saying this you have to determine early in the picture what are the rules.
If for instance you allow your puppy to sleep on your bed or on another bed of a family member then he will deem this his right forever.
If you set up a basket for him to sleep in then he will accept this situation.
Place the basket in the lounge or wherever you are in the evening and maybe move it to your bedroom when you retire. They always like to be close to you.
The worst thing that you can do is lock your puppy in a room such as the laundry, they are detached from you and will perform.
In one instance I know of, the puppy caused a lot of damage as a result.
(A bit older, they can take out doors)
There are cases also where a Shar-Pei has being accidentally locked into a room and they have eaten and clawed their way through a door.
Remember they are like children and require your love and company as much as possible.
Your puppy will get on with all members of the family as they are allowed to, but they will seek out one member to be their Alpha person.
This is often the person that feeds and cares for them most and they will respect this person more than all others.
To discipline your puppy use your voice.
A Loud NO with a growl and if needed, a light slap will usually achieve the desired result if caught doing something wrong..
Like children they will try to find their boundaries and test you now and then.

A bored puppy is a destructive puppy and so ensure that he has a few toys, stuffed toys are excellent and also a beef bone or two to chew on. This will save your furniture.
Your puppy has a program of sleep, toilet, eat, play and back to sleep.
Ensure that he gets his rest periods as like any baby it is needed as he is developing.
When you are able, take your puppy out in the car for drives but do not leave him in a closed car in hot weather as it can quickly kill the pup or cause brain damage.
Also beware that Shar-Pei have being stolen from cars unattended in NZ.
Also to this aspect it is better that your puppy is in the back yard rather than in a fenced off front yard where he can be seen easily from the street.
It is recommended that your puppy should not be associated with other dogs or placed into areas that other dogs have been till such time as his vaccinations are completed.
I never allow my Shar-Pei to associate with strange dogs and either keep them on a leash when walking, or under total control in an area where they may come into contact with other dogs.
Ensure that you train the puppy early to walk on a lead and come to his name when called.
If you have this aspect of control you are unlikely to have difficulties in the future.
Your puppy is likely to grow into a 50 to 60 pound (22 to 25 Kg)powerful animal and it is no fun being dragged around at the wrong end of a lead.
They train easily and I have within a few days taken a reluctant, lead restrained Shar-Pei, that refuses to walk on a lead to show ring performance.
As with all training it is being stern and then rewarding all correct performances.
Shar-Pei relate well to routine and whatever your daily routine is, he will fit in well when included in what ever part of it, you can allow.
I walk my Shar-Pei at a safe place where there are seldom other dogs every evening between 4 pm to 6 pm. For about 15 to 20 minutes. They have their run, do their toilets and enjoy this daily routine.
In fact they will not talk to me all night if they miss out on their daily, 365 days of the year run.
They will even happily run in pouring rain at their special daily place.
If you are working and leave your puppy at home during the day then ideally if you can go home for lunch and let him out for toilets. With a few toys he will spend the time you are away quite happily.
Put a radio on or even better the TV. I have a Girl Mao, who will spend hours in from of a TV watching Animal Plant.
Make sure that the TV is secure and if they get excited seeing other dogs on TV they cant damage the TV or themselves.
If you were to have a holiday and spend a couple of weeks at home with your puppy then you may find that he is not so happy when you go back to the normal routine.
Your puppy as he grows up will soon learn to protect you and your home and let you know if visitors are arriving. They are good watch dogs.
You are likely to find that your puppy is shy of strangers and will be reluctant to approach them until they are ready. Allow this to happen as they resent being patted until they wish to meet the strangers.
If forced by strangers or children then they may become afraid and nip someone in self defense. Also they resent being patted by a hand going over their heads.
Tell people to put their hand in front of the puppy and let the puppy check them out.
Some people have an aspect about themselves which will put up your puppies hackles and he will growl at that person..
If you researched this you are likely to find that they are not such a nice person and your puppy recognizes this fact.
Shar Pei are very home and family orientated. Owners that have had to put their Shar Pei into kennels have often had problems.
The easiest way is to have a house sitter so the pup/dog is in his own environment. He will miss you being away but will feel comfortable in his surroundings.
If you socialize your puppy when young and he meets lots of people you will have a very friendly, sociable, out going dog. Otherwise it will likely be wary of all strangers and friends.
Your Shar-Pei will fit in well to whatever life style that you may have.
They are a placid dog that often behave more like a cat than a dog.
They love to sleep in, hate getting wet, stretch and play like a cat and even at times will tend to purr.
When young they will snore as their wrinkles reduce their nose passages, this will lessen as they mature.
They are a very special breed of dog and are like old Chinese men in their appearance and manner.
They are highly intelligent and can see the stupidity of chasing a ball and fetching it yet they enjoy training and exercise.
Having only one (or two) Shar-Pei will mean that you can leave food out for him and he will soon adjust to eating as and when he wants to, without being a glutton.

Eyes

The Shar-Pei because of their heavy folds above the eyes and along with the problem of all dogs having weak eye lid muscles means that eye lids can catch slightly, causing the pups eyes to water and close down.
If eye lubricant (from the chemist) such as Alcan Duratears in a tube is used, when you notice any weeping or blinking or partial closure of the eye, then this will assist in helping things return to normal.
The worst thing that can happen is for the lids to curl back under and the pup squeezes down his eyes with the pain.
The pup will not be able to see very well in this state and maybe not at all.
He will then likely start banging into things.
If the eye lubricant does not fix the problem within 24 hours then see your vet.
Some eye tacks maybe needed to pull back the skin around the eyes and allow the pup to open his eyes.
If the eyes are left unattended then the puppy is likely to go blind over a period of time.
Brolene eye ointment is also a good product from your chemist and should also be applied to the eyes if needed to clear any eye problems.
Because of the breeding of the Shar-Pei and the often excessive amount of skin around the eyes sometimes an operation called Entropion maybe required.
This operation removes a lot of the skin from around the insides of the eyes and reshapes the eyes if needed.
Its cosmetic surgery to a point but needed in some cases. The operation should not be performed till the pup has fully grown and the head has matured.
This is recognized to be the case at 14 months.
It certainly should not be performed under 9 months (unless strongly recommended by a eye specialist) and if needed, tacks should be used with lubricant till the head to fully formed.
Otherwise you could end up repeating the operation.

Remember that some vets look at Shar Pei and start thinking about the new BMW.
Vets have their place and should be consulted if you are unsure of an aspect but don’t give them an open cheque book.
Your pup maybe one from the litter with heavy folds on the face. If that is the case it may appear that the puppy cant see though the slit on their eyes.
Use eye ointment or lubricant once a day till the head develops enough or more frequently if desired.

SKIN

It is often said that Shar-Pei have skin problems. I have adult Shar-Pei living with me and she have never suffered with skin problems.
There are aspects of skin problems and one of the most common is stress.
Stress can be caused by the dog passing through puberty, change of life style, change of diet, feelings of rejection from his human family, upsets in his human family etc.
If a skin problem starts to happen you need to determine what caused it to take place.
It could be changes in the dogs life, diet etc. Family upsets can be a cause also.
Environmental factors such as new carpet, carpet sprays, pollen from plants, weedkillers or chemical sprays in gardens and lawns, heat of summer, heaters or fireplaces in winter and the dog being too close, wrong bedding such as sheepskins causing sweating etc.
Too much protein in diet can be a cause for some.. Feed chicken and vegetables rather than heavy meats for a while and see if that corrects situation.
Vets will tell you they need one of the expensive foods that the Vet sells, because he is trying to get another BMW!
If you want a sickly dog and a vet with the latest BMW every year go for it.
My classic case was a Vet skin specialist that told me my dog (mentioned above with post operative skin problems) should not be on his diet of meat and chicken but on a special one that they sold at Massey (where she works).
Well I had them do all the tests possible on him and a couple of weeks later I was rung up with the results.
All the tests proved ok and I asked how about the diet tests? The reply was diet tests excellent.
I suppose she forgot he was on a bad diet of natural foods.
Thyroid or low thyroid condition can be an aspect of Shar Pei skin problems because of a low immune system.
A simple blood test may confirm this or even if the tests come back ok you could talk your vet into giving you a couple of months medication for the condition anyway.
Often this can solve the problem.
Another thing that|s good for the condition besides natural Yogurt is a little vegemite or marmite every day or so. Put a dab on the tongue.
If patches of skin become dark to black, without fur and greasy to the touch, then you need to bathe those areas with a rough flannel and Allerseb (from vets) every day and also wash all the paws.
(They scratch the affected areas and then tick their paws, re-cycling the problem) Afterwards or as an alternative wipe Tea Tree oil over the area or use a Tea Tree Shampoo.
I could go on and make this a book but I am sure you too, will be able in the future, be in a similar situation and love this breed as if they were your own flesh and blood.