The Shar Pei Character
The Shar Pei is regal, aloof, dignified and essentially a very independent dog that is stand-offish to strangers. However, some Shar Pei love everyone!! Generalization as to temperament is difficult as each is an individual, molded by it's own heritage and environment, much as humans are.
In general the breed has proved itself to be a loving, devoted family dog. Shar Pei are often described as "people dogs", preferring human companionship to that of other dogs. Their quick intelligence may play a part in this. Perhaps they sense our own intelligence and prefer the inventiveness and creativity we bring to situations. Or maybe they just prefer their master's love and attention!
Most often the Shar Pei owner will find his dog by his side - wherever he may be. Shar Pei seem to be "in tune" with their owners - sometimes sensing our innermost thoughts. The breed is quite capable to use this gift to the point of manipulation!! With this in mind Shar Pei owners must be at least a little more intelligent than their dogs.
Once the proper hierarchy is established, there is no better canine companion. A mutual understanding matures into a loving relationship in which verbal communication seems unnecessary.
Those who have lived with and loved a Shar Pei know that they are indeed very special dogs. They are super-intelligent, intuitive and deserving of the opportunity to take their rightful place in the canine society.
One of the best qualities of the Shar Pei is that they are very easy to housetrain. By nature they are very clean and will prefer to "go" outside in a private place, leaving your garden and lawn "mine" free!
Shar Pei Dominance
Shar Pei are very dominant and protective and may get along only with other dogs who will not challenge their dominance. Females seem to be even more dominant than males and the ideal is to have one male and one female. Three or more dogs tend to gang up in fights. Like many fighting breeds Shar Pei lock their jaws making it very difficult to separate them if and when they fight.
Mixing Shar Pei with other breeds can be difficult and should only be done by owners that have a good knowledge of dominance, pack order and general canine behavior. It is of the utmost importance to socialize Shar Pei - not only with people, but also with other dog breeds. If socialization and training is neglected a Shar Pei may become over-protective of their owners and property.
I received a phone call from a gentleman recently who had just purchased a Shar Pei puppy. He took it to the vet for it's first vaccination and was told by the vet to take it back to the breeder as they were vicious dogs and not trustworthy around children. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but I don't think we should guess at a dog's disposition. Most Shar Pei are loyal family members and make excellent pets. I hope that I reassured the gentleman who called, that with early socialization and letting the dog know who the pack leaders are, he will have a faithful and loving companion for many years to come. My children walk both of my dogs and I trust my dogs explicitly with them.
Please do your research before purchasing any breed of dog. Or ask several different breeders for their advice, most will be happy to talk to you about the breeds that they love. If you require any information about Shar Pei, I will be happy to help if I can.
Shar Pei History
Differences of opinion or lack of concrete evidence often complicates the recording of the history and development of many breeds. But, in the case of the Shar Pei everyone agrees that this breed has existed in China for centuries. More than 2000 years ago the Shar Pei was the all-purpose, general utility dog kept by the peasant farmers of the Southern provinces bordering the South China Sea.
Although the Shar Pei mainly served as guardian of his master's home they were also used to protect livestock from predators and to hunt animals such as the wild boar. Selectively bred for intelligence, strength and his valued "warrior scowl", the Shar Pei's menacing appearance also helped to intimidate barbarian thieves against whom the farmers were always at war.
The village of Dai Lek, near Canton in Southern China's Kwantung Province, was at one time known as a gambler's haven. Betting on dogfights was a popular pass time and the Shar Pei became a favorite contestant. Although they had strength, stamina and determination they were given alcohol and other stimulants before a contest.
Fortunately for our breed some fight promoters and gamblers brought in Mastiffs, Bulldogs and other similar breeds from the West. These dogs were selected for vicious temperaments and crossbred to produce bigger, stronger and more ferocious dogs. The native Shar Pei proved no match for these fierce fighters. No longer in demand, breeding was neglected with the result that the number of Shar Pei decreased rapidly.
The Chinese Communists dealt the near fatal blow to the Shar Pei in the 1940's. They imposed such heavy taxes on dogs that only the extremely wealthy could afford the luxury of canine companionship. Dogs were declared a "decadent, bourgeois luxury" and dog breeding was banned.
The result of all this pressure was that the 1950's left only a few scattered specimens of the noble Shar Pei of the Han Dynasty. Fanciers in Macao and Hong Kong were able to rescue and procure the occasional specimen, but the breed was on the brink of extinction.
Just how close the Shar Pei came to losing it's battle for survival is mirrored in the May 1971 issue of the magazine "DOGS" (published in New York). This issue carried an article on rare breeds and included a picture of a Shar Pei, describing it as "possibly the last surviving specimen of the breed".
The article came close to the truth and if a copy of the magazine had not accidentally fallen into the hands of a Mr. Matgo Law in Hong Kong, the Shar Pei might well have been lost forever.
Matgo Law, a young, energetic Hong Kong dog fancier owned several Shar Pei. He and Mr. Chung Ching, another fancier, had already conceived the idea of a rescue operation. They feared that Hong Kong might someday become a part of the People's Republic of China and that the wholesale destruction of dogs would be repeated in Hong Kong. The odds seemed hopeless, but reading the "DOGS" article gave Mr. Law an idea.
With the typical Hong Kong flair for intelligent planning and superior execution, Matgo Law composed a letter to Margaret Fansworth, editor of "DOGS". In his letter Law outlined their plans and enclosed pictures of the few Shar Pei they had been able to rescue. He ended with a plea for help and co-operation from interested American fanciers.
Publication of his letter in the April 1973 issue rocketed the Shar Pei from obscurity and possible oblivion to instant fame and star-status. More than 200 letters poured in - most from buyers anxious to obtain puppies or breeding stock. But, the entire number of Shar Pei known to exist at that time totaled only a dozen or so individuals and it was some months before any orders could be filled.
Matgo Law managed to discover a few more isolated dogs in Macao and Taiwan and eventually American enthusiasts began to receive a trickle of pups from him. Within a couple of years of the Shar Pei's premature obituary, kennels had been established in various parts of America and today the breed is loved and owned worldwide.
Shar Pei Colours and Coat types
Colours
Shar Pei colours are divided into three groups:
Group A: Basic Colours
Basic coloured Shar Pei have black or charcoal pigmentation (i.e skin, nose, tongue, mouth/flews and footpads).
Cream: These Shar Pei usually have a darker shading (apricot) on their dorsal line, ears and hocks and include light and dark cream.
Fawn: Is the most common Shar Pei colour and can include Light Fawn, Dark Fawn and Red Fawn.
Red: Shades of Red may vary from red to mahogany to chestnut red.
Brown: Is often confused with chocolate. Brown Shar Pei will have black pigmentation - chocolates are dilute.
Sable: Sable is one of the most difficult colour classifications in the Shar Pei. A TRUE sable will have a lacing of black hairs over a lighter ground colour (not white). The coat colour is uniform over the body, neck, head and legs. A true sable does not have a lighter butterfly pattern on the chest nor Doberman points on the head. Legs are laced evenly. A saddle pattern is also not a true sable.
Silver: These dogs are a light even silver with a charcoal mask. They cast a platinum shade, light like a cream but without the darker dorsal stripe.
Black: Most black Shar Pei have grey, red, silver, brown or chocolate shadings.
Group B: Dilute Colours
Dilute Shar Pei have no black (charcoal) pigmentation and no black hairs anywhere on their bodies. The skin, nose and nails are self coloured - conforming to the coat colour of the dog (i.e. cream dilute dogs will have pinkish noses and skin, chocolate dogs will have chocolate noses, etc
Apricot: A distinct apricot colour ranging in shade from light to dark apricot.
Blue: Brush coat blues are usually very dark blue and horse coat blues will usually be a light silvery blue.
Chocolate: Often this colour is confused with brown. Chocolate Shar Pei can not have any black pigmentation. Noses, etc. are chocolate coloured and tongues are lavender.
Cream: The same as basic cream colour but without black pigmentation.
Isabella: These Shar Pei have a dusty rose colour coat with pale blue masking and shading and lavender tongues. The ears and dorsal line may be darker.
Lilac: A chocolately blue dilute colour giving the appearance of purple. Again, the colour is darker in brush coats than in horse coats. (Lilac is the same colour as a Weimaraner) Always found in dilute only.
5-Point Red (Red Dilute): The "5 points" are nose, eyes, skin, foodpads and anus. These dogs are a distinct deep red fawn varying to a dark red colour.
Sable (Dilute): A lacing of dark coloured (not black) hair over a lighter coloured ground colour (not white). The coat colour is uniform in the body, neck, head and legs. A true Sable does not have a lighter butterfly pattern on the chest nor Doberman points on the head. Legs are laced evenly. A saddle pattern is also not a true Sable.
Silver (Dilute): Silvers include blue, grey and taupe. Noses are slate and tongues lavender. This is a bluish/silverish smokey colour with very little variation.
Group C: Not a Solid Colour
Shar Pei that are not a solid colour are generally referred to as Flowered Shar Pei. This will include all Shar Pei that have colour markings (i.e. spots, patches, etc.). This does not include the shading often seen on Shar Pei (the darker hairs on the back, lighter under the tails or rustiness/ashy shine on black Shar Pei).
Coats
There is a big variation in Shar Pei coat lengths, but we generally refer to three coat lengths:
- Horse Coat (very short coat)
- Brush Coat (Longer than horse coat but shorter than 2.5 cm)
- Bear Coat (Longer than 2.5 cm)
Shar Pei Health
All breeds have potential health problems, here are a few associated with the Shar pei.
EYE TACKING & ENTROPION
This is were the eyelids roll in on itself rubbing the cornea and irritating the dogs eyes. If left untreated the scarring caused by the rubbing on the cornea can make the dog go blind.
A simple eye tack will sort this out. Do not have a puppy operated on for entropion until it has finished growing as you can cause more harm than good.
Try to use a Shar pei friendly vet who knows about the breed.
EAR INFECTIONS
Due to shar pei having small ears this makes the ear canal very narrow and sometimes causes infections.
Routine cleaning is advised, but never poke things down your dogs ears.
A simple ear cleaning solution either from your pet store or vet will do fine.
Signs of a sore ear are shaking the head, scratching, hot to the touch, redness and sometimes a smell and discharge. At this point take your dog to see your vet as tablets will also be needed for the infection.
MANGE
A common skin complaint. It is caused by a mite that lives on the skin and irritates the dog making him scratch and become sore and moth eaten.
Use a prescribed shampoo from your vet.
SKIN ODOUR
Sometimes a yeast infection can cause your Shar pei to have a bad odour, consult your vet.
LUXATING PATELLAR
This is were the knee cap slips out of place and causes the dog to limp.
The condition can be put right with a opperation, but the dog should not be bred from as this can be a hereditary condition.
SHAR PEI BLOAT
This can kill your dog within half an hour. It is common in deep chested breeds.
The stomach swells from the gasses that are in there then twists on itself cutting of the blood supply.
Signs that you dog has this are he may look distressed and will probably be stood with his back arched. The stomach will be hard to touch.
You must get to the vet ASAP.
Feeding your dog 2-3 times a day instead of one large meal will help this condition, also limit food and water post exercise.
Feed dishes elevated so as dog is not bending down to eat.
FAMILIAR SHAR PEI FEVER
Any dog showing the signs of this ailment should not be bred from.
The dog will appear unwell, have a high temperature, and will not want to move.
Swelling of the hock joints and painful swollen muzzle, there may be vomiting and diarrhea. All this usually starts in dogs less than 24 months but can happen at any time.
The fevers can last up to 36 hours. Keep the dog in a quite place and give something to bring the temperature down, an asprin every 8 hours normally helps.
Amyloid is a stress protein which is normally excreted in the urine, however in some Shar pei it builds up in the spaces around the kidney cells and eventually chokes them to death.
This condition is similar to one in humans called Familial Mediterranean fever.
A low protein diet is advisable to try to eradicate this problem.
Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
The last of the common Shar Pei health problems is hip and elbow dysplasia, common in many breeds of dogs. This is a painful condition where the ball on the femur does not fit into the hip socket properly, making it difficult for dogs to walk and run. While the symptoms are not visible, paying attention to your dog’s behavior will allow you to determine if you puppy has a problem with his or her hips, as they will have trouble running, and are likely to guard their hips and elbows when they feel threatened.
These medical problems can be found in many different breeds of dogs and are not just confined the the Shar Pei
