Description

The wrinkly Shar pei has small, floppy triangular ears, and a head that some people say resembles that of a hippopotamus. The eyes are somewhat sunken, and the dog has a grumpy expression that disguises its loyal, intelligent character. The Sharpei has a compact body, with muscular shoulders and a deep chest. The Shar pei’s tail is high-set and tapered, curling up over the dog’s back. The Shar pei’s skin is always wrinkled, especially on the head, neck, and body. Younger dogs are more wrinkled, and as the dog ages they become less wrinkly (unlike human beings!).

Origin: China

Look

The Shar pei’s wrinkly skin is covered with a very harsh coat. The coat can be one of several different varieties: horse-coat, brush-coat, and bear-coat. The horse-coat is very prickly, and feels smooth in one direction but rough in the other. The brush-coat is longer and feels smoother. The bear-coat is longer than 2.5 cm at the whithers; dogs with this type of coat are not recognised by the AKC. Sharpeis usually shed twice a year.

The Shar pei’s coat come in a wide variety of different solid colours: black, blue, cream, fawn, red-fawn, red, sable, apricot, chocolate, and Isabella; but dogs with spotted, patchy, or black and tan markings are disqualified from showing. Shar peis often have a dark mask marking, and may have a black or brick coloured nose. The tongue is usually a bluish colour, similar to that of the Chow Chow.

Health

While the Sharpei breed is generally healthy, they are prone to a few health conditions:

• Familial Sharpei Fever (FSF)
• Amyloidosis
• Atopic dermatitis
• Increased risk of demodicosis
• Hypothryoidism
• Cancer
• Elbow dysplasia
• Hip dysplasia
• Seborrhea
• Pyoderma
• Patellar luxation
• Chronic yeast infections of the ears
• Entropion
• Glaucoma
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Gastric torsion
• Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)
• Cutaneous Mucinosis

At Newdoggy.com we promote puppies from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines. Newdoggy.com’s Health Guarantee certifies that all promoted puppies are in good health.

Learning

The shar pei breed is intelligent and strong-willed, perhaps even stubborn. This combination of traits can make it challenging to train these dogs. The Sharpei tends to respond well to firm but fair treatment, where good behaviour is rewarded. Repetition is the key to making sure that your Shar pei understands what you are asking for, and ensuring that they are able to heed your instructions.

Temperament

Intelligent and independent, the Shar pei is very loyal and affectionate with their humans, but more aloof with strangers. This is probably because the Shar pei was bred as a guard dog; a skill which the breed still possess.

They love the company of their humans, and seem to prefer human company over canine company; this may be because the Sharpei was originally bred for pit-fighting. This fighting ancestry also means that Shar peis can be aggressive towards other dogs, so early and socialisation is important to prevent fights and accidents. A poorly socialised Shar pei may become aggressive and very territorial

Living with

The Shar pei is fairly calm, and adapts well to living in most environments. They can even live comfortably in an apartment. They are usually quiet and rarely bark, which will surely endear your neighbours to your Sharpei. The Sharpei will do fine with gentle exercise. As the Sharpei sometimes has a short muzzle, do not let them overheat, and try to keep them cool on hot days.

Although the Sharpei is easy to groom, should you need to wash them, be sure to dry between their wrinkles to prevent skin problems. A gentle brush once or twice a week is usually enough to keep your Sharpei’s coat in good condition.