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Tags: dogs, pets, breeds, shar pei
 If ever you would come across a Shar Pei what would your reaction be? Maybe by saying “what an ugly dog!” or “does it even know how to smile?” will definitely be a part of your comments. But do you ever consider why the Shar Pei looks like that? If you would just take another view of it and look it straight in the eyes you would rather say “what a gentle dog this is”.
Shar Pei or Chinese Shar Pei which literally means sand-skin or shark-skin originated from China specifically in Guangdong province. Its characteristics are related to the Chow Chow breeds but with a slight difference in their tongues. The Shar Pei has blue-black while the Chow Chow has a shade of pink.
Thanks to Matgo Law who made efforts to save the breed in the 1960s or it may now be extinct. They brought a small number of them in the US which may be the reason why the breed in China today is very different from what the western country has.
The Shar Pei was registered 1976 and was recognized as a non sporting dog by the American Kennel Club only in 1991. The Shar Pei is considered a well-balanced dog because of its powerful squarely built. It has small, triangular ears and a high set tail which curls upwards and exposes its anus.
It weighs around 40 to 65 pounds and reaches up to 51 centimeters or 20 inches. There are two types of Shar Pei and the first one is heavily wrinkled all over its body while the other one has a tight skin and has wrinkles only on its face. Its coat has three types which are the long bear-coat, smooth brush-coat, and rough horse-coat.
Generally this breed has a rough and prickly coat if touched in the opposite direction. Its fur color ranges from sandy to beige for the lighter tones and blue to chocolate and to black for the darker shades. Way back then they served as palace guard dog for the royals in China because they have that trait of being suspicious to strangers.
However in addition to being guard dogs they are now considered as pets and family dogs. They are aloof and reserved but very independent. They even prefer human companions than other dogs which makes them a great watch dog. Even though it is friendly, loving and affectionate it can still be aggressive if it’s not given proper training especially when it comes to socializing.
They are also considered as smart dogs because they can sense what their owners are thinking. One common health problem is with regards to its eyes and having allergies. A painful eye problem called entropion occurs when the eye lashes curl inwards causing irritations and can lead to blindness. This can be treated by surgically removing the some extra skin.
They have too much skin in the face which gives them that wrinkled look every time so removing a few skin is not a major concern. To keep them away from allergy avoid feeding them with grainy foods such as soy, wheat and corn. Caring for a pet is a serious business so make sure that you know certain characteristics of each breed before adopting a pet.
About the author
Alex De La Cruz is a successful Dog Trainer who has been advising and coaching dog owners for many years. Alex now decided to share his knowledge through this site, Doggyweb.info. You can sign up for his free weekly newsletter and learn how to keep your dog healthy and happy.
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