Originally from China, the Shar Pei can easily be distinguished because of its wrinkles and a tongue that is blue-black. This particular breed has a very rough and coarse coat and that is how it got its name, which in the Chinese language means sand skin. When you first get your Shar Pei puppy, you will notice that it has a lot of wrinkles, though once your puppy begins to grow older and matures, many of these wrinkles will have faded away, and its coat will have become smoother.
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 find Shar Pei coats in various colors and it is normal to see black, blue, rose-like red, cream and even sand colors, while it also has the same blue-black tongue that is common to its relative the Chow Chow.
The skin is certainly very wrinkled and is seen mostly in the large folds on its head, though some varieties of Shar Peis are also known to have tight skin with not much wrinkling.
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.
The Shar Pei also has an independent mind, while also being very aloof and reserved, and not given to easily making friends with strangers. This could be attributed to the fact that the breed was originally bred to serve as watchdogs. However, the Shar Pei will show much devotion to its master and is generally affectionate and also loyal to its family members. However, despite socialization, it will still keep its watchdog proclivities, and it is also very territorial and possessive.
For prospective Shar Pei owners, it is important to bear in mind that even though it has many characteristics common to watchdogs, and despite being somewhat aggressive, it is nevertheless a good learner and thus takes well to being trained, though it will show its boredom if something is repeated too often. The bottom line is that your Shar Pei will show you a lot of love and is possessive and a good guard dog, though certainly an independent creature as well.
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.
