This Chinese medium-sized breed is known for its distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue, and they are one of the most popular family dogs around the globe.
Origin
The original Shar-Pei breed comes from the Guangdong province of China and it looked quite different from the breed now popular in the US. The breed is believed to be a descendant of the Chow Chow, due to the blue-black tongue these two share.
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Though real ancestry of the Shar-Pei is still uncertain, the pictures of the breed found on pottery suggest that these pooches were present even in the Han Dynasty, which is around 206 BC.
Description
Other than the aforementioned distinctive features, a Shar-Pei should have small, triangle ears, and a high-set tail, while for show standards “the tail is thick and round at the base, tapering to a fine point,” as AKC points out.
An adult Pei should have wrinkles mostly on the face, a few on their shoulder and at the base of the tail.
The average weight is 55 to 65 lb (25 to 29 kg) for males, and 40 to 55 lb (18 to 25 kg) for the ladies, while height goes from 18 to 22 in (46 to 56 cm).
They come in fawn, sand, cream, black, lilac and red color.
All Shar-Pei puppies need early socialization with children, strangers, and other animals. They are often quite suspicious when around strangers, which makes them great guard dogs as well.
Pros
- intelligent
- great watchdog
- adaptable
- trainable
Cons
- require early socialization
- prone to allergy-induced skin infections
- prone to fevers (which sometimes last for 24 hours)
Should I adopt/buy a Shar-Pei?
If you are looking for a funny looking and cute watchdog, but have enough time to invest in his training and behavior, this wrinkly pooch is the one to consider.