Does the Shar-pei Make a Good Pet?

The Shar-pei is a cute, wrinkled all over, blue tongued ancient Chinese fighting dog, that is not bred solely as companion dogs. The extreme wrinkling of these dogs the result of a genetic alteration the Chinese purposely bred in to these dog to help with protection when they fought. It is actually a hereditary disorder. Here is a site with more in-depth info on the disorder .

The Shar-pei is an adorable looking pet whose coat resembles sand in it's fuzzy soft coat and is sometimes referred to as sand skin. Their blue tongue was bred in, supposedly to "ward off evil spirits" and is specific only to this breed. Don't let the sweet looks of this dog be the determining factor in the purchase or adoption of this pet though. Shelters are over crowded with this breed as people don't realize what they are in for.

They make excellent guard dogs but this is because they are naturally aggressive and must be properly socialized as puppies to prevent bitings and other fighting behaviors. So many are abandoned to shelters simply because they were not socialized as very young puppies. While these dogs are indeed loyal they will need a devoted and experienced owner. Also many will need professional trainers as they are very hard to motivate into training.Grooming of their facial wrinkles is an important factor because of their tendency of skin irritations. They are also prone to eye disorders. It is believed that the Shar-peis health problems are a direct result of the genetic alteration for the excessive wrinkles. The wrinkles do fade with age, mainly on the body.They will not disappear altogether though and he or she will always have that super wrinkled face!

A shar-pei owner must be willing to devote regular time to bathing this dog as well as moderate attention to their wrinkles. They will live a fairly long life if taken care of and walked daily. This is not the dog for families with small children. Shar-pei does not do well with children and is better suited to the single person owner or a family of adults. They are adaptable as far as environment,doing well in small or large places.

This breed is at least two thousand years old. The Shar-pei was originated as a fighting dog. It was used to protect the Chinese royalty. The Han dynasty used them as guards and also shepherding. This ancient Chinese breed almost disappeared completely in the 1970's but luckily a Hong Kong breeder sent several to the United States and they soon flourished.

You defiantly need to do some thorough research before taking on this breed but as with anything you give love and devotion to, they can be very rewarding members of the family!