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The Shar Pei is a breed of dog that originated in China and has the distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue. The name (沙皮, pinyin: shā pí) translates to "sand skin," and refers to the texture of its short, rough coat. As puppies, Shar Pei have lots of wrinkles, but as they mature, the wrinkles disappear as they "grow into their skin". Shar pei's were once named as one of the world's rarest dog breeds by Time magazine and the Guiness Book of World Records, and the American Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1991.
Shar Pei come in many colors: red (rose), sand, cream, black, and blue, and have the same characteristic blue-black tongue of the Chow Chow. Loose skin and wrinkles cover the head, neck, and body of puppies, but adult Shar Pei most often grow into their skin so that these features are limited to the head, neck and withers. Shar Peis usually come in two varieties: one is covered in large folds of wrinkles, even into adulthood, and the other variation's skin seems tighter on its skin, with wrinkles just on the face and at the whithers. Small, triangular ears, a muzzle shaped like that of a hippopotamus, and a high set tail also give the Shar Pei a unique look.
The Shar-Pei is known for being a naturally independent and reserved breed. Shar-Peis are often suspicious of strangers, which is related to their origins as guard dogs. Nevertheless, the Shar-Pei is extremely devoted, loyal and affectionate to its family, and is amenable to accepting strangers given time and proper introduction. If poorly socialized or trained, it can become especially territorial and aggressive. Even friendly and well-socialized individuals will retain the breed's watch dog proclivities (such as barking at strangers). The breed is amenable to training, but can get bored from repetition. Overall, the Shar-Pei is a dog that is loyal and loving to its family while being independent.
The Shar Pei breed comes from the Guangdong province of China where it was well-known as a fighting and guard dog. Originally, the intense loyalty of the Shar Pei defined its work -- guarding the Chinese royal family. The dogs are ideally suited for defense; the small ears and deep-set eyes are tough to grab and if grabbed on the skin, the wrinkles enable the dog to turn around and bite back. At one point they were close to extinction, and were listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as "The rarest dog in the world". Since then, however, the Shar Pei has begun to thrive in many parts of the world as an excellent family dog, due to their loving and devoted nature, which shows that they were originally a utility and companion breed rather than a fighting breed .Because of this a nickname for the breed is "Golden Lion". The gold refers to dogs who have a light brown coat. DNA analysis has concluded that the Shar Pei is one of the most ancient dog breeds. Wikipedia |
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