Shar Pei: Good Family Pet

The Shar Pei is a Chinese bred dog that has very distinctive features including a deeply wrinkled face and a tongue that is blue-black in color, and in Chinese the term Shar Pei refers to sand skin and this breed certainly has a rough and short coat that is coarse and thus gets its name because of this characteristic. Puppies are known to have a lot of wrinkles, though with age, these wrinkles become ironed out. Also, for a while this breed was considered rare and was only recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1991.

You can expect the Shar Pei to come in a variety of colors including rose red, sand as well as blue, black and also cream and it also shares its blue-black tongue color with that of its relative the Chow Chow. Other than that, the Shar Pei is distinguished because of its loose skin and head that is covered by wrinkles in large folds, while some varieties will have tighter skins and wrinkles will only appear on the face and whither.
The Shar Pei is well known to have either one of three types of coats that are called brush, bear and horse. Though as strong as this breed is, it is still prone to suffer from health related problems, and this may be due it not having been bred in a responsible manner, because one of the more common ailments it has been known to suffer is the one known as entropion, which irritates the eyes because of eyelashes that curl inwards.

Still, you can expect that your Shar Pei will be a very independent dog that is aloof by nature and quite reserved in the presence of strangers whom he will not easily take to. A major reason why it is so reserved and aloof is because was originally bred to be a watchdog, which characteristics seemed to have survived since ancient times. Still, you will find it to be very devoted to its master and otherwise is affectionate and loyal to other family members as well.
The Shar Pei, which no doubt is a strong creature, will still suffer from health-related issues and so it does require careful selection before being purchased so that you don't end up with a pet that is not well suited for your home. It would be in your best interest for you to obtain a Shar Pei only from a reputable and responsible breeder, which will ensure a healthy and well-bred puppy. Nevertheless, it has many endearing qualities such as being loving and though possessive, is a great guard dog and also excellent family dog as well and very independent too.

Hailing from the ancient land of China and more particularly from Guangdong province in that country, it is easily a wonderful fighter and even better watchdog, which was its main calling in the early years when it lived in China and served the Royal family as a watchdog. It is also fondly referred to as the "Golden Lion" and has even survived attempts at stopping its breeding altogether.



Melissa Coleman has been around different dog breeds and has many years of experience in handling and caring for them. You will find from available Shar Pei information that this breed is very particular about its cleanliness, and doesn't even need to be housebroken There is plenty of helpful Shar Pei information in this article that should show you the good and not so good sides of the Shar Pei.