Shar-Pei, whose English name is SharPei, is produced in Dali Town, Nanhai, Guangdong, China. It is one of the world's famous fighting dog breeds. It gets its name because its hair is short and hard and feels rough, like sandpaper for polishing. It is a small and medium-sized mastiff breed dog that was once used as a "fighting dog". In the mid-20th century, Shar-Pei was introduced to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other European countries, and was recognized and registered.

Dog Breed History

Shar-Pei, also known as "Dali Dog", "Fighting Dog" or "Chinese Fighting Dog", is a rare dog breed in the world.

Originating in Dali Township, Nanhai County, Guangdong Province, it is named Shar-Pei because its hair is short and hard, and feels rough like sandpaper for polishing. Some people believe that the origin of this breed is the result of long-term selection and breeding by local residents after the Northern Pug arrived in Nanhai County, Guangdong. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is said that traces of it have been found in calligraphy and paintings of the Han Dynasty. At that time, it may have been mainly used as a hunting dog to attack wild boars.

In the mid-20th century, Shar-Pei was introduced to Japan, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other European countries, and was recognized and registered. After the dog was introduced to the United States, its strange appearance immediately became a popular breed.

Because it is born with loose and wrinkled skin, and it is absolutely thick enough to cover the whole body like "armor", it has the title of "China's No. 1 Fighting Dog" and is also one of the most popular companion dogs.

Dog breed characteristics

Shar-Pei dogs generally come in seven colors: black, earth, white, red, gray, cheese and chocolate.

The hair is short and rough, and the skin is loose, forming a large number of wrinkles. This is the distinctive feature of the Shar-Pei. When you touch it along the hair, it feels like velvet, but when you touch it in the opposite direction, it feels like sandpaper, with a burning and itching feeling. This characteristic of the Shar-Pei makes other animals afraid to bite it.

The Shar-Pei appears to be melancholic, full of sadness and solemnity, but is actually very cheerful, lively, naughty and playful. He is regal, vigilant, intelligent, majestic, aristocratic, frowning, calm and proud, neutral in nature and a bit cold to strangers, but puts all his love into his family. The Shar-Pei stood there, looking calm and confident. Very happy in temperament and docile in nature.

Dog knowledge

Young dogs have wrinkled skin all over the body and limbs, especially the head, neck and trunk, which are covered with a lot of loose skin and wrinkles. As the dog grows, the wrinkles on the limbs gradually decrease.

Likes cold and can adapt to coldCold climate requires frequent grooming, making it difficult to train and get along with other dogs. Shar-Pei dogs are very independent and well-mannered. They prefer to be close to humans and bring endless joy to humans.

Shar-Pei dogs are lively and active and need moderate bathing. They should be bathed twice a week in summer and once a week in autumn. Due to their special physiological structure, Shar-Pei dogs are prone to entropion and rickets, so care should be taken during feeding and management. Shar-Pei dogs should pay attention to skin hygiene. Because they have many wrinkles and are prone to dermatosis, they should bathe frequently.

National treasure dog breed faces survival crisis

The Shar-Pei is an ancient and unique Chinese dog breed. However, due to the genetic modification of the Shar-Pei in the 1960s and 1970s, there are currently 3 types of Shar-Pei with different appearances, but the name is still the same, leading to the standard Inconsistency, germplasm confusion. At present, the situation of the Shar-Pei in its place of origin and across the country is very pessimistic. The entire Shar-Pei breed is extremely small in number and is facing a survival crisis of extinction.

There are often waves of "crazes" in the Chinese pet market. The people behind the scenes create market hot spots, and many owners keep pets with a "fashionable" mentality. A series of problems that followed were over-breeding in kennels. When the hot spot of a certain dog breed faded, a large number of dogs had nowhere to go. However, owners who consume impulsively cannot practice scientific and civilized pet care, and the quality and life span of their dogs will be worrying. This is evident from the "Tibetan Mastiff craze" in the last millennium. Tibetan Mastiffs, which were hyped back then as "magical dogs that can kill wolves," are now facing a situation where thousands of mastiffs are stranded in kennels and can only be fed pig feed.

We hope that owners will not make impulsive purchases, and fully understand the habits and characteristics of dogs before making a decision.

Relevant departments, animal husbandry practitioners and scholars should also standardize the market mechanism and devote their energy to the protection of rare dog breeds.