Shar Pei
Dogs
Shar Pei
Shar Pei |
Adult Shar Pei.
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Alternative names |
Chinese Shar Pei
Chinese Fighting Dog |
Country of origin |
China |
Common nicknames |
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Classification and breed standards |
FCI: |
Group 2 Section 2 #309 |
AKC: |
Nonsporting |
ANKC: |
Group 7 (Non-Sporting) |
CKC: |
Group 6 - Non-Sporting Dogs |
KC (UK): |
Utility |
NZKC: |
Non-sporting |
UKC: |
{{{ukcgroup}}} |
Not recognized by any major kennel club |
This breed of dog is
extinct |
Notes |
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Shar Pei is a
breed of
dog whose distinctive
feature is deep wrinkles. The name (沙皮,
pinyin: shā pí)
itself translates to "Sand Skin," not because of their colors, but because of
their texture. As young puppies, they have lots of wrinkles, but as they mature,
the wrinkles disappear as they "grow into their skin". They were not recognized
by the
American Kennel Club until
1991.
Appearance
The Chinese variety of Shar Pei looks like a
Doberman
Pinscher with small floppy ears, long legs, and a narrow face. Coming in
many colors, it has the same characteristic blue-black tongue of the
Chow Chow.
The wrinkles are seen only on the face and back. Through selective breeding, the
American variety of Shar Pei has very short, stubby legs, many wrinkles covering
all of its body, and a wide "hippo face". The tail curls up and rests on the
back.
Health
A common problem caused by irresponsible
inbreeding
is excessive wrinkling of the skin that causes an eye condition which turns the
eyelashes inward, thus irritating the eye and possibly causing infection. This
condition is called
entropion
and can be fixed by surgery ("tacking" the eyelids up so they won't roll onto
the eyeball). Skin infections are also common in this breed due to the folds and
wrinkles, as is dry, flaky skin which can be remedied by frequent bathing using
a special shampoo. One of the causes of skin problems in the Shar Pei is feeding
the dog too much rich food; Shar Pei were developed in poor areas, and thus
evolved to survive on very poor diets. As a result, the dog has difficulty
coping with high
protein diets. High protein diets also increase the risk of a serious kidney
disease called
amyloidosis. The disease causes short fevers lasting 24 hours, after which
there may be no more recurrence; alternatively they may recur at more frequent
intervals, becoming more serious, and eventually resulting in kidney or liver
failure. Susceptability to this disease is recessive, and surfaces when both of
a dog's parents carry it.
History
The Shar Pei breed comes from the
Guangzhou
province of China where it was well-known as a fighting and
guard dog.
Originally, it was an all-purpose utility dog of poorer farmers and had fewer
wrinkles; when the British introduced
dog
fighting to China in the late
19th
century, it was the breed best suited for this purpose due to its size and
strength. The dogs were then bred with an increased number of wrinkles for their
advantages in fighting; if the dog was bitten on a wrinkle, it could still 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.
Recent
DNA
analysis has concluded that the Shar Pei is one of the most
ancient dog breeds.
The same Shar Pei as a puppy. Note the greater amount of wrinkles.
See also
Home | Up | Saarlooswolfhond | Saluki | Samoyed | Sapsali | Schipperke | Schnauzer | Scottish Terrier | Sealyham Terrier | Seppala Siberian Sleddog | Serbian Hound | Serbian Mountain Hound | Serbian Tricolour Hound | Shar Pei | Shetland Sheepdog | Shiba Inu | Shih Tzu | Shikoku | Shiloh Shepherd Dog | Siberian Husky | Skye Terrier | Sloughi | Small Munsterlander | Smooth Collie | Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier | South Russian Ovtcharka | Spanish Mastiff | Spinone Italiano | Springer Spaniel | St. Bernard | Stabyhoun | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Standard Schnauzer | Swedish Vallhund
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