Should you get a Chinese Shar Pei?
The Chinese Shar Pei is a wrinkly breed of dog that originated in China. They are described as alert, observant, independent and intelligent. While they may look intimidating with their wrinkles and “hippopotamus” appearance, they make great family dogs when given proper care and attention.
The Shar Pei is an ancient breed
and is known to have existed over 2000 years ago. They are still babies when compared to the Basenji who has been around for 6000 years!
The Shar Pei is one of only
6 basal breeds. These are ancient dog breeds who have very little mixed DNA, meaning they developed naturally and were not bred for a purpose by man. The other 5 basil breeds are: Basenji, Akita Inu, Finnish Spitz and the Eurasier.
In ancient China
only the well-to-do people could afford this breed as they were kept as status symbols. They were rare, even in their native country, and it wasn’t until the 1960’s that they became popular as house pets instead of being used as guarding or fighting dogs.
In Landmark Research on Modern Dog Breed
development, the Sharpei has been shown to share the most DNA with an ancestor of the following breeds:
Boxer
Chow Chow
Studies of dog DNA
has shown the Chinese Shar Pei to have one of the closest genetic relationships to wolves.
According to FCI Breed Standard
the Sharpei can reach up to 20 inches in height and up to 60 pounds in weight. Accepted coat colors are:
“All solid colours acceptable except white. Tail and rear part of thighs frequently of a lighter colour. Darker shading down the back and on the ears permissible.”
The word Shar Pei literally
means “sand skin”. When you touch a Sharpei, the texture of their skin is rough and can be described as sandpaper-like. While the FCI only describes one coat variety-“short and bristly” the AKC allows for both “horse coat” and the “brush coat” which can be up to an inch long.
Growing Up Sharpei
Have pictures of your dog as a puppy and an adult? We give-away free random videos of dogs growing up every month. You can enter pictures here!
The AKC Conducts Dog Racing Trials
each December in Orlando, FL. called the Fast CAT Invitational. This is a 100 yard race where dogs run individually chasing a lure. The average running speed by Sharpei is almost 22 mph. The fastest recorded speed by a Sharpei was by a dog named Biscuit at 26.49 mph!
The Chinese Shar Pei
is not meant to live outdoors as their wrinkly face easily clogs up with dirt, mites and debris which can lead to infections of the skin. The wrinkles are caused by a genetic mutation in the (HAS2) gene. They may look cute, but actually serve a more important purpose. They provide protection from serious injury when bitten-attacked by other animals.
The CBARQ Dog Temperament Research
study, conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, is a giant study of over 300 dog breeds and 60,000 individual dogs. In this study, the Sharpei ranks 9 out of 124 breeds in aggression towards strangers. Aggression is defined s the dog’s reaction when a stranger approaches their personal space. This could be by barking, growling, bearing teeth or, in extreme cases, lunging or biting.
In this Same Research
the Sharpei ranks very high (7 out of 124 breeds) in touch sensitivity. Essentially, this means many Sharpei generally do not like grooming, nail clippings, examinations etc.
Sharpei Humor!
In the Landmark Book
entitled, “The Intelligence of Dogs”, professor Stanley Coren researched and documented the intelligence of over 130 different dog breeds. In his book, the Sharpei ranks 51 out of 138 breeds in working/obedience intelligence. Essentially this means they will learn new commands in 25 to 40 repetitions and obey first commands more than 50% of the time. This puts them in the “average working and obedience intelligence” category. In contrast, the most intelligent breeds will learn the same command in 5 repetitions or less!
Sharpei Have an Average
lifespan of 8-12 years. The oldest Sharpei on record was named Manchee and lived to be over 15 years. They are a tough breed, but there are some health concerns to be aware of :
Shar-Pei Recurrent Fever Syndrome
Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Shar Pei AutoInflammatory Disease
There are two varieties
of Shar Pei-the meat mouth and the bone mouth. These terms refer to the muzzle of the dogs with the meat mouths basically having more skin and wrinkles on their face.
The Chinese Shar Pei has
a black-blue-purple tongue. The only other dog with this color tongue is the Chow Chow. No known genetic link exists between these two breeds.
Take a Fun Sharpei Quiz!
