Shar pei

Stubborn and obedient, effusive and full of reserve – shar pei presents extremely different behaviors and requires patience and consistency in upbringing. The brave, incorruptible and distrustful representative of this breed works great as a guardian.

Nature

Shar pei is an individualist with a unique appearance and character. Sometimes he is stubborn and obedient, effusive and full of the reserve. He has a moderate temperament. Close contact with the owner determines his well-being. He is one master’s dog, although he also gets attached to the whole family. He gets along well with children, is gentle and willing to play. It is recommended rather for older children, children need to be taught to handle it properly.

The brave, incorruptible and distrustful representative of this breed works great as a guardian. At the same time, it is not very noisy, and it shows concern by humming, i.e. rapidly blowing air through the nose.

Shar pei can live with other dogs (he prefers the company of representatives of his own breed), but because he has a strong personality, he will not comply with them. Due to the strong territorial instinct, he fiercely guards his piece of lawn, so it happens that he falls into conflict with foreign brethren. Sometimes fun or ordinary scuffles turn into a fight. He is very memorable, he remains his enemy for life.

The representative of this breed likes walking and an active lifestyle, but he also does not mind lounging all day on the couch. It can accompany the owner while jogging or cycling, but you must remember not to force such effort on animals during development.

Skills

Originally, shar pei was a working dog. It was used to hunt wild boars and antelopes, as a guard dog on farms and as a shepherd to guard herds. Shar pei crosswords also took part in illegal dog fights. Currently, a representative of this breed is mainly a family companion.

Shar pei. Training and education

Shar pei likes to walk his own ways like a cat and is not very susceptible to training. This is an independent and independent dog. We will be able to bring him up well, provided that we start school at an early age (e.g. in a dog kindergarten), show consistency, firmness and patience. It is important to teach your pet how to get back on command.

Shar pei is happy to follow orders if he sees their meaning. Repeated repetition of the same exercises quickly bored him, and then he stops paying attention to the owner. The representative of this breed does not tolerate harsh treatment, so training should be based on prizes and praises.

Although puppies look like stuffed mascots, they can stand up to their own. They require gentle treatment, but you can’t let them do everything. The correct socialization of the toddler is important – new challenges should be set for him, taking him to different places, enabling contact with people and brothers. However, due to the joints, he should not be allowed to move too intensively, jumps, run upstairs or on slippery surfaces.

Shar pei likes to chase after a cat or birds, so it’s better not to let him loose in the city. In a foreign place, in turn, he can be over-stimulated and not respond to a call. So if we want him to enjoy free movement, let’s go with him to a safe and familiar area.

Who is this race for?

Shar pei is a sensitive and dedicated family dog. It easily adapts to all conditions, but requires patience and consistency in upbringing. People who did not have a quadruped before could be recommended a bitch of this breed. The male has a stronger personality and needs an experienced owner.

Shar pei. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• stubborn
• will not work on standard training
• males may be in conflict with same-sex kinsmen

Advantages

• attached to the family
• sensitive
• gets along well with children
• watchful watchman
• barely barks
• easy to care for
• suitable for housing

Shar pei. Health

Shar pei doesn’t like hot weather. In the summer, do not expose it to excessive sun exposure. He also doesn’t like rain, humidity and strong wind. It better tolerates dry, cold winter. As a short-haired dog, it is not suitable for keeping outside all the time, but winter walks will not hurt him.

Quadrupeds with shorter, so-called It is worth putting on clothes during heavy frosts. The dog of this breed feels best in a moderate climate, without extreme weather phenomena, but will adapt to all conditions.

Contrary to popular belief, shar pei is not overly sickly. Health problems largely result from the negligence and ignorance of the owners, as well as dishonesty of some breeders.

It happens so-called shar pei fever (Familial Shar Pei Fever – FSF), a genetically conditioned disease immunologically manifested by high temperature, swelling, pain in the muzzle and joints. The fever passes after 12-36 hours and the dog returns to its former form. Sometimes FSF leads to complications and the appearance of amyloidosis, during which protein builds up – usually in the kidneys, liver or spleen.

Sometimes the syndrome of tight lip occurs – the lower lip presses on the teeth (sometimes overlaps), which can result in overshot bite and problems with crushing food. There are tendencies to hip dysplasia (rarely elbows) and entropy (eyelid curl). The constant irritation of the eyeball by the lower eyelashes can lead to corneal damage and, as a result, to blindness.

Cutaneous mucinosis is a condition where the body produces too much jelly-like substance called mucin. It accumulates in various parts of the body, creating small blisters or folds on the skin surface. In the case of shar peia, increased mucin production gives it a distinctive appearance and is not a problem. It happens, however, that the skin on the blisters is damaged, which may result in bacterial infections.

There are also allergies of various causes, inflammation of the ears, and cancer in old age.

Feeding

Shar pei can be quite picky. For an adult dog, it is best to give good quality food with an average protein content (approx. 20%), because too much of it can cause skin problems.

Puppies should get food for medium or large breeds with the addition of substances supporting the development of articular cartilage (glucosamine and chondroitin). Shar pei grows quickly, so it is important to maintain the correct weight so that it does not overload the joints.

If we want to prepare meals ourselves, we must remember to supplement them with calcium, vitamin and mineral preparations. It is worth sticking to a proven diet. The menu should contain one source of protein and one carbohydrate.

Additional portions of meat or serving leftovers from the table is the shortest way to health problems. It is worth regularly using preparations containing unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and -6), which have a good effect on coat and skin.

The daily portion for an adult dog is best divided into two meals, which are served at fixed times.

Care

Shorthair shar pei does not require complicated care. Usually changes hair in spring and autumn. In the spring, the shorter horse coat, which is usually denser in winter than the brush coat, falls more intensely. Dogs spending most of their time indoors with central heating molt moderately, but small amounts of hair may fall out all the time.

We comb the shar peia from time to time with a bristle brush or a rubber glove. You can also wipe it with a damp towel to get rid of dust and small particles. During molting, comb your pet more often (preferably with a furminator) to get rid of dead hair faster.

Ears are susceptible to inflammation, but we clean them only when necessary. Too frequent care weakens their natural protective barrier. Incorrect feeding may contribute to excessive production of secretions irritating to the ear canal, and sometimes it is enough to change the feed for the symptoms to disappear. If a pet has wrinkled skin around the eyes, it may suffer from excessive tearing. You also need to systematically remove tartar and shorten claws that are too long.

We bathe a representative of this breed in shampoos for short-haired dogs. Anti-seborrheic cosmetics can be used if the skin is oily or moisturizing in the case of dry and matte hair.

Shar pei does not require special preparation for the exhibition. All you need is a bath in a shampoo for rough-haired breeds (do not use hair-softening preparations) and basic care treatments. This breed of dog is usually presented on a ring, which is put just below the lower jaw.

Accessories

Dogs of this breed are best taken for walks in braces or half-clamp collars – they can easily free themselves from the usual ones. Long lines or automatic lanyards work well.

At home shar peia will take different toys (you can also give him natural teethers), but do not count on it on a walk. Shar pei is not made for retrieving and will not be chasing a ball or frisbee.

Shar pei. History

Shar peia lovers say that it existed already 2000 years ago during the reign of the Chinese Han dynasty. Evidence of this are to be found by archaeologists drawings and clay statues depicting quadrupeds similar to modern representatives of the breed.

Among the ancestors of shar peia were chow chow (both have a bluish tongue), a Tibetan mastiff and perhaps a mountain dog from the Pyrenees. In ancient China, the blue tongue of barking shar peia was believed to scare away the devil. The name of the breed means shark skin or sand skin in Chinese.

Shar pei probably comes from the city of Dialak in the province of Kwun Tung on the South China Sea. In ancient China, there were two types of these quadrupeds. Strong, muscular, short-haired from the south and slightly smaller, stocky from the central provinces. Only the strongest and most intelligent animals were chosen for work and breeding. Those that did not meet the requirements were killed and … eaten.

In communist China, shar peia was considered a luxury and taxes were imposed on the owners that almost led to the extinction of the breed. In the 1950s, few dogs survived in the out-of-the-way villages of southern China, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong. In 1960, a Hong Kong breeder Matgo Law founded the Hong Kong and Kowloon Kennel Association – an association that restored genealogy and developed a breed standard.

In 1971, the American Dogs magazine published an article about shar peiu illustrated with a photograph of one of the last living representatives of the breed. He came to Matgo Law, who through the editorial made an appeal to save shar peia. Over 200 people responded to him, and kennels were founded in California, Oregon, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Ernest Albright became the first president of the race club founded in 1974 in the United States. In the 1970s, shar pei was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the least numerous breed in the world (only 45 representatives were registered at that time). In 1981, the breed was recognized by the FCI (International Kennel Club).

Template

Shar pei – g rupa II FCI, section 2.1, reference number 309

• Country of Origin: China; FCI patronage
• Size: height at withers 44-51 cm
• Coat: typical breed hair – short, rough, bristly, straight and raised, rather close-fitting on the limbs, 1-2.5 cm long, no undercoat; there are two types of hair – horse coat and brush coat; FCI does not recognize bear coat
• Ointment: any uniform color except white is allowed; the back of the thighs and tail may be brighter; darker shade on the back and ears allowed; flowered ointment (pied, tan and saddle pad) also not recognized by FCI
• Maturity: one year
• Lifespan:  10-12 years
• Weather resistance: medium

Interesting facts

In the past, only the strongest and most intelligent shar peie were selected for work and breeding. Those that did not meet the requirements were killed and … eaten.