Shar-Pei

Other names: Sharpei, Chinese Shar-Pei, Chinese Fighting Dog

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Hair type	Short
Origin	China
Template	Average
Head shape	Square

Weight and size
Sex	Weight	Cut
Female	From 18 kg to 25 kg	From 44 cm to 51 cm
Male	From 18 kg to 25 kg	From 44 cm to 51 cm

History of the breed

The Shar-Pei was then trained for combat, but other more powerful and more aggressive breeds gradually took its place. This lack of interest in the breed almost made it disappear, but a handful of individuals remained with breeders in neighboring countries (Hong Kong, Taiwan). American and British breeders were able to import some Shar-Peis in order to ensure reproduction.

Shar-Pei Pictures

View All Shar-Pei Photos from Woopets Members

Physical features

His hair : hard, very short and bristly, it is straight (except on the limbs) and devoid of undercoat.
Its color : solid, with possibly lighter shades on the hair of the tail and the posterior part of the thighs. With the exception of white, all colors are accepted as long as the dress is solid (black, brown, blue, beige, fawn, and cream).
His head : large in relation to the body. The skull is flat, broad and the stop sign is medium. The wrinkles marking the forehead and cheeks extend to form the dewlap. Its characteristic muzzle is reminiscent of that of the hippopotamus.
His ears : in the form of very small triangles whose ends are slightly rounded. They are thick and should not be erect.
His eyes : almond-shaped and dark in color, they are distinguished by their gathered expression.
His body : the topline descends slightly behind the withers and rises on the kidney. The latter is short, as is the back, while the rump is flat. The chest is rather wide and the bottom line goes up towards the flank.
Its tail : thick at its base, it becomes thinner as you get closer to its end. It is tied and worn high, curved, wrapped in a tight loop or curled above the back, or even to the side.

Behavior and character

Behavior with others

Besides its unique appearance, the Shar-Pei is also known for its particularly calm temperament . Its softness and kindness make it an excellent pet , especially for children. However, this does not prevent him from being a good guardian , guided by his fairly strong sense of ownership and his protective instinct . He is not easily approached by strangers to whom he may be shy, but he is not aggressive either. He can endure loneliness as long as it doesn’t last for days. He asks for affection .

The Shar-Pei
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Education

The Shar-Pei has a good character . His education requires a minimum of firmness , but he cannot stand injustices: scolded excessively, he will make you understand his indignation by sulking for a while. The Shar-Pei is a very easy to educate dog, he is eager to please his owner . He is not stubborn and never balks at a required exercise. As long as he understood it. If he does not respond positively, it is because he has not assimilated the actions to be done or the orders to be executed. Finally, he needs to be socialized early on .

Living conditions

Quiet and independent, the Shar-Pei is quite capable of staying home alone without messing around . However, he must have been used to it from an early age in order to avoid unpleasant surprises. Indoor life is preferable because of the skin problems that threaten it.

Health

Rather rustic dog, the Shar-Pei is nevertheless subject to various skin problems due to the folds that characterize it. Irritations, infections and parasites can indeed occur. Irritations also favored by sudden climatic changes . Both sun and low temperatures are not well tolerated by the Shar-Pei. The breed can also present a certain fragility at the level of the eye , because the risk of ectropion (eversion of the free edge of the eyelid, exposing the conjunctiva) is quite marked.

To protect yourself from these risks and insure your companion in the event of health problems, Woopets recommends a Shar-Pei dog insurance .

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Life expectancy

Maintenance and hygiene

Although the coat is short, the Shar-Pei’s coat requires special attention due to the folds and skin problems they tend to promote. The interview is also not very complicated.

The Shar-Pei’s coat should be inspected on a regular basis to prevent irritation and infection . Rather than a regular brush, you can use a rubber glove and a trimming comb for grooming. It needs to be brushed at least once a week . Baths should not be frequent at the risk of irritating the skin. After a bath, its folds should be dried properly to avoid any infection.

For their part, eye care essentially consists of passing, once a day , a cotton ball soaked in lukewarm water around the eye. His ears should also be checked regularly and cleaned with a neutral pH ear cleaner. His teeth need to be brushed in order to eliminate the build-up of tartar and the proliferation of bacteria. Finally, if they do not wear out naturally, his nails need to be cut. If you are new to this, it is best to seek advice from a veterinarian.

Price and budget

Name ideas for a Shar-Pei

None of these proposals suit you? Use our tool to find your Shar-Pei’s name!

Food

The Shar-Pei must eat in a balanced way according to its build and morphology . You should never give him leftovers . Human food is too fatty for him. Thus, it should be fed with high quality kibble , which will be perfect for this dog who does not spend more than that and who could therefore be overweight. Its food is to be divided into 2 meals per day .

Physical activity

Like all dogs, the Shar-Pei need daily leash outings to exercise and stretch their paws. The Shar-Pei’s physical activity is moderate.

Famous Shar-Pei Dogs

Paddington : This is the name of one of the most famous Shar-Peis on the Internet. Paddington is owned by Australian Annie Jacob , who regularly posts photos of her dog and cat Butler on her Instagram account. The 2 animals, which appreciate each other enormously, are the delight of nearly 95,000 subscribers .

Competitions

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FCI Information