How sharpei dogs are - with photos

Shar pei are dogs of Chinese and Tibetan origin and are estimated to be one of the oldest breeds in Asia. They are well known for their peculiar appearance and their ability to adapt to different activities thanks to their intelligence. Although formerly they were used both to hunt, to be guardians and even to fight, nowadays they are perfect companions to live with us, either in the country or in a flat in the city, provided that we provide the minimum daily activity to maintain a good health.

If you are thinking of hosting a dog in your home and you are wondering which breed may be the most appropriate, pay attention to this article and discover how shar pei dogs are, this may be the one for you.

Physical characteristics of the shar pei dog breed

The shar pei are medium-sized dogs, compact and robust that adults usually measure between 45 and 50 cm at the withers and weigh from 18 to 30 kg, the males are always larger than the females. What most characterizes this race physically are the wrinkles on the skin of its entire body, but also attract attention to their ears, because they are very small and bent forward, its nose is wide and its tail is usually thick and, a Sometimes, they are twisted at the base of the back. His eyes are always dark and his coat can be many colors like cream, chocolate, bluish gray, white, black, etc.

As one of the oldest breeds in Asia, it is officially recognized and belongs to group II of the FCI (Federación Cinológica Internacional), that is to say, it is considered a dog breed of molossoid type bulldog . Today, the best known breeding lines are traditional, Chinese, and American.

Types of shar pei race according to their hair

There are several lines of this breed, mainly Chinese and American, but there are also some that differ according to their coat:

Horse coat shar pei

It is the race with the shortest and hardest hair and its skin is much more wrinkled than adult, when the skin is thin and smooth. In addition, it is thinner, thinner and more active than other types.

Brush coat shar pei

This other type is very calm and has a coat slightly longer than the brush coat, but less than the bear coat . It has more wrinkles than the previous described and is more robust, with the head and snout wider and larger.

Bear coat shar pei

It is known as "bear hair" because it has a long hair, about 2 or 3 cm long, and very soft. However, in terms of character, temperament and constitution, it is very similar to the aforementioned type. It is the least common variety, since it is a recessive gene, which comes from the chow chow, and both parents must have it so that shar pei puppies come out with this fur.

How to know if a shar pei dog is pure

If you are interested in knowing if your can or the one you are going to choose is really pure, that is, without crosses of other races or even of other lines of this same race, you will be interested to know that the only forms are the following:

• That he has a pedigree since his birth (official paper confirming his lineage).
• That you take it before a jury of a contest about this race so that they observe it and see if it fits in the official description. If so, they can give you a pedigree document. If it does not fit, officially it will not be accepted as of this breed, which means that it does not serve to breed shar pei pure dogs nor to compete, but nothing else.

The fact that your shar pei is pure or not should only matter in case you are an official breeder of the race or for competitions, for everything else it does not really matter if you have mixed or not, because it will continue to be your great friend and companion.

The character of the shar pei race

Taking into account that each individual has its own character, the shar pei is a race highly valued for its loyalty, obedience, intelligence and calm and serene temperament, qualities that make it be considered a balanced race . This dog takes great care of his relatives to whom he shows great affection but, at the same time, he is independent so he also needs his space and that they are not always aware of him, due to this there is someone who compares the character of a shar pei with the one of a cat. As in any other dog, in this Asian breed a difference of character between the first years of life and adulthood is noticed, when they are puppies they are much more moved, curious and mischievous and as they grow they calm down.

How sharpei dogs are with children

These dogs are very patient, playful and affectionate with the youngest of the house, provided that the dog has been well socialized since childhood and has not had bad relations with people, since in such a case he could be afraid and bad reactions, both with children as with adults. In addition, he is an excellent guardian, so that a dog of this race well socialized and taught will be able to care for and watch both the little ones and the house.

However, it is vital to teach children to respect and care for a dog, regardless of race. If the children, or other people in the household, do not respect him and suffer from a bad relationship, then he can react to defend himself and an accident can easily be avoided.

How to care for a shar pei dog - basic care

In addition to the basic care that any dog ​​should receive, shar pei have some characteristics that make some specific care necessary. It is the case of your skin, which is very wrinkled and oily, this makes it sensitive and prone to conditions such as dermatitis. They require a bath at most once a month and a half, but not more often since we can cause alterations in the skin. The folds of the skin should be well dried after wet, so we avoid the appearance of fungi that could proliferate due to accumulated moisture. You can read this article to know better how to care for the wrinkles of a shar pei.

Food is another important aspect to consider, as they have a sensitive stomach and are prone to suffer from food allergies that manifest themselves in the skin and in digestion. To ensure that our shar pei receives all the necessary nutrients while taking care of your stomach and skin, it is advisable to offer fish and rice based feed, which is much easier to digest. Each dog has its own characteristics, so maybe a shar pei in particular feels just as well a normal feed as a fish and rice, you can play it safe or you can try what type of feed is best suited to your dog, but it is always better to do it under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Education and training of shar pei

This breed, like any other dog, needs to start with the basic education and training from puppies to be balanced and happy dogs, thus avoiding many behavioral problems that could arise due to bad habits. This does not mean that it will be impossible to educate a shar pei if he starts later to learn basic things in the education of a dog, as long as we take into account the particular situation of each and some patience, there will be no problem .

To accustom him to do his necessities at home, to walk on a leash, to interact calmly with other dogs and even learn some tricks, are things that will not be very difficult to learn for a shar pei, especially if we do it with positive reinforcement and we leave aside the cries and the negative energies. We advise you to read this article so that you know every detail about how to train a shar pei.

Names for shar pei dogs

If you have decided to host a dog of this breed or one mixed with this, you will be interested in knowing some of the best names for shar pei dogs, although in the end it is you who must decide which is the best for your new furry companion :

• Akiko
• Aslan
• Bear
• Beautiful
• Coconut
• Chibi
• Cho
• Haru
• Hiro
• Lola
• Momo
• Nigiri
• Ryu
• Shiro
• Yuzu

If you have liked to know how Shar Pei dogs are, you may also want to know more about breeds besides this curious Asian dog, so, we invite you to read this article about how a German Shepherd is and if you are still undecided about what dog is better for you, we recommend you read this other article to know how to choose the dog breed.