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Chinese Shar Pei Dog:

The Chinese shar pei dog is a variety that hails from the Guandong province of China.

It is one of the few dog breeds in the world that is not artificially bred though there is a distinction between the Western varieties of shar-pei and the Traditional ones. The difference between the two goes back to the days of the Chinese Revolution when a large number of these dogs were shunned as being a sign of decadence and elitism. During this time, these dogs were purposely smuggled into America to save the breed.

Here, breeding practices actually ended up creating a slightly different variety of the dog.

Chinese shar pei puppies are probably one of the most unique looking puppies in the dog world. One of the main features of the dog itself is the profusion of wrinkled skin on its body, which is at its most when the dog is a puppy and reduces as the dog literally grows into its over grown skin. The wrinkles of the dog have a unique purpose that served it well in the days of old China.

The skin folds actually allow the dog to turn completely around when it is caught giving it an edge as a fighting dog. There are several Chinese shar pei mix breeds that comprise the bear coat, horse coat, and the brush coat. All of these three varieties have some similar behavioral traits but differ in some ways as well. One of the interesting aspects of this dog is its coat, which when ruffled in the wrong direction is so coarse that it can actually cause a skin rash. Additionally, the dog does not shed or molt. The dog has a very specific temperament that it gains from its ancestry as a guard dog, fighting dog, and a hunter as well. The dog’s temperament is one of suspicion of strangers, though some varieties will rarely bark unless there is some stranger in the vicinity or the dog is distressed. The dog also needs to be acquainted with family members and other pets from very early on. This is because the dog is very territorial and protective of its immediate family members. This is also the reason why it takes time for strangers to be accepted by the dog.

This breed is not very susceptible to major diseases though kidney failure and allergic reactions that are caused by gluten intake are a problem.

Submitted on November 24, 2009