1.

What type of colors do shar-pei's have?

Western Shar-Pei's come in many different colors such as fawn, red, sand, cream, black, lilac, and blue. They resemble the Chow Chow due to having the same blue-black tongue. There are over sixteen recognized colors in AKC. The coat must be solid in color and any Shar-Pei with a "flowered coat" (spotted) or black and tan in coloration (i.e. German Shepherd) is a disqualification Colors include black, cream, fawn, red-fawn, red, sable, apricot, chocolate, Isabella, and blue. The nose may be black or brick (pink with black), with or without a black mask.A Shar-Pei can also have what is called a "dilute" coloration. Meaning the nose, nails and anus of the dog is the same color as the coat, (i.e. chocolate coat with chocolate nose, nails and anus). All of these color variations are acceptable and beautiful, but the coat color must be solid and well blended throughout the whole body of the dog. Here are more colors:  five point red,  black silver sables, black bronze sables,  blue, cream dilute, apricot dilute,  chocolate dilute, lilac, isabella (silver shading on a dilute colored dog).

 
Only solid colors and sable are acceptable and are to be judged on an equal basis. A solid color dog may have shading, primarily darker, down the back and on the ears. The shading must be variations of the same body color and may include darker hairs throughout the coat. The following colors are disqualifications: Albino; Not a solid color, i.e.: Brindle; Parti-colored; Spotted; Patterned in any combination of colors.

Apricot Dilute                  Black Sable                  Black

Blue Dilute                       Cream Sable                 Blue

Chocolate Dilute              Fawn Sable                  Brown

Cream Dilute                    Red Sable                     Cream

Five Point Red Dilute     Blue Sable                    Fawn

Isabella Dilute                Brown Sable                 Red

Lilac Dilute                                                         White

2.

What about their  coats?

There is three different coat types found in this breed. There is the horse-coat, brush-coat, and the rare bear-coat. The bear-coat is not recognized under the American Kennel Club. The brush-coat can have a coat that is not to exceed 1" anywhere on the body. If over 1" in length, the dog's coat is classified as a bear-coat. The horse-coat has a coat that is stiff and stands straight off of the body. The difference between the brush-coat and horse-coat is in the tail. The appearance of a "snake-tail" is a horse-coat. The appearance of a "brush tail" is a brush-coat. The horse-coat is quite unusual. It is rough to the touch, quite prickly, and off-standing. The brush-coat is longer and has a smoother feel to it.

Western Shar-Pei's comes in three different coat types; horse, brush and bear coat. The unusual horse-coat is rough to the touch, extremely prickly and off-standing and is closer to the original traditional Shar-Pei breed in appearance and coat type than the Brush or Bear Coat. This coat is fairly prickly, and can be rough or irritating when petting in the opposite direction of the fur. The Horse Coat is generally thought to be more active and predisposed to dominant behavior than the Brush Coat. The brush-coated variety have slightly longer hair and a smoother feel to them. The Brush Coat is generally considered to be more of a 'couch potato' than the Horse Coat.

Unlike the two coat types above, the Bear Coat does not meet breed standards and therefore cannot be shown. The coat is much longer than the Brush and Horse Coat, so much so, in most cases you can't see the famous wrinkles. A Bear Coat can occur in any litter.

This breed has little to no shedding

The Chinese Shar-Pei is a unique and intelligent dog most often recognized for its wrinkles. Initially developed as a Chinese fighting dog, the breed does well today in obedience, agility, herding and tracking, with skills that would have been needed on the farm. Because the name "Shar-Pei" means "sand coat", harshness is a distinctive feature in its two accepted coat types, either horse (short) or brush (up to an inch long). Other unique qualities include black mouth pigment, a slightly "hippo-like" head shape, small ears, deep set eyes and rising top-line.

All Shar-Pei's, but especially the horse-coat need early socialization with children, strangers, and other animals. Like other fighting breeds they can be stubborn, strong willed and very territorial. Early training can help control these traits before they become problem behaviors. Some people may experience a sensitivity to the harshness of the coat of either length. This is a mild, short lived rash, that can develop on the skin that has been in contact with the coat, most commonly on the forearms.

The brush-coat matures early to be a stocky strong dog, therefore early socialization and training are essential in order to have a dog that is a good family member as well as a welcome member of society. The brush-coat is not always as active as the horse-coat and are often more content to laze around the house. Like their horse-coat brothers they are strong willed, stubborn and territorial but, these are often exhibited to a lesser degree. Both coat types, brush and horse, are true Shar-Pei.

There is another length of coat that a Shar-Pei can have. When both the male and female carry the recessive gene for this coat type, it can occur. It is any coat that is longer than 1 inch at the withers. This coat length is commonly called a "Bear Coat." This coat length resembles the coat on a breed of dog called a "Chow Chow." The personality of the bear coat is very much like that of a brush coat.

The extremely harsh coat is one of the distinguishing features of the breed. The coat is absolutely straight and off standing on the main trunk of the body but generally lies somewhat flatter on the limbs. The coat appears healthy without being shiny or lustrous. Acceptable coat lengths may range from extremely short "horse coat" up to the "brush coat," not to exceed one inch in length at the withers. A soft coat, a wavy coat, a coat in excess of one inch at the withers or a coat that has been trimmed is a major fault. The Shar-Pei is shown in its natural state.

3.

What about their wrinkles?

Shar-Pei's usually come in two varieties: one is covered in large folds of wrinkles, even into adulthood (the Western type and mainly Brush Coat). The other variation has skin that appears tighter on its body, with wrinkles just on the face and at the withers (the original type and Horse Coat).

4.

What about their temperament?

The Shar-Pei is often suspicious of strangers, which pertains to their origin as a guard dog. In general the breed has proved itself to be a loving, devoted family dog. They are also a very independent and reserved breed. Nevertheless, the Shar-Pei is extremely devoted, loyal and affectionate to its family, and is amenable to accepting strangers given time and proper introduction at a young age. If poorly socialized or trained, it can become especially territorial and aggressive. Even friendly and well-socialized individuals will retain the breeds watch dog proclivities (such as barking at strangers). It is a largely silent breed, barking only when playing or when worried. The Shar-Pei's were originally bred as palace guards in China. While this breed is adorable it is also very protective of its home and family, a powerful dog that is willing to guard its family members. 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 very protective and independent.

The Chinese Shar-Pei can be described as highly intelligent, independent, dignified, and snobbish. They can be standoffish with strangers but will remain devoted and dedicated to their family. Due to their history as herders and guard dogs, they are very alert and have a calm and confident stature. Despite its scowling and frowning expression, the dog is very easy going and calm.

The Shar-Pei is considered to be an excellent family dog. It is devoted to its family and owners and makes an excellent watch dog. Their standoffish will minimize with regular visitors. They generally do well with children and other pets when they are socialized around them as a very young puppy. Although they are standoffish around strangers they are not considered to be unfriendly. The Shar-Pei has an extremely dominant and independent nature and therefore it is pertinent that they have a handler who can show the dog who is boss. If the handler is uncertain or wavers in their commands and training, the Shar-Pei will take over as boss and become very dominant. It is suggested that Shar-Pei's are for experienced dog owners. They will refuse commands from family members who have not established a level of dominance with them.

The Shar-Pei has a high dislike of water. They will avoid water for baths, but have been known to enter ponds, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. of their own accord. Consequently, the Shar-Pei should be trained from an early age to accept being bathed. However, they are excellent house pets because they are considered to be extremely clean. In fact, the Shar-Pei will basically house break itself. This will make having a puppy in the home a little easier. Despite their desire for cleanliness, they do shed some and tend to slobber and drool especially when in pain.

It is important for this breed to be socialized around other dogs from a very young age. They have a history of being involved in the dog fight pits and therefore can be aggressive towards other dogs. It is important when buying a Shar-Pei to be very cautious of their breeding lines. This dog was carelessly over-bred during the 1980's and therefore the personality and health of the dog depends on the genetics of the dog. When looking into the history of the breeding lines, it can usually be determined if that line of dogs is aggressive or not towards other dogs.

 
Regal, alert, intelligent, dignified, lordly, scowling, sober and snobbish essentially independent and somewhat standoffish with strangers, but extreme in his devotion to his family. The Shar-Pei stands firmly on the ground with a calm, confident stature.

5.

What about their health problems?

Because of its fame after being introduced to North America in the 1970s, the breed suffered much inexperienced or rushed breeding. Many genetic problems arose as a result. Allergy-induced skin infections can be a problem in this breed caused by poorly selected breeding stock. This actually has become more and more rare over the years with responsible breeders and lines. Familial Shar-Pei fever(FSF), and swollen hock syndrome, (SHS), are also a serious problems for the breed. The FSF disease causes short fevers lasting up to 24 hours, after which there may be no recurrence or they may recur at more frequent intervals and become more serious. A possibly related disease is called amyloidosis, and is caused by unprocessed amyloid proteins depositing in the organs, most often in the kidneys or liver, leading to renal failure. At this time there is no test for these seemingly prevalent diseases.

A common problem is a painful eye condition, entropion, in which the eyelashes curl inward, irritating the eye. Untreated, it can cause blindness. This condition can be fixed by surgery ("tacking" the eyelids up so they will not roll onto the eyeball for puppies or surgically removing extra skin in adolescent and older Shar-Pei).

Chinese Shar-Pei can be notoriously allergic to food products that contain soy, corn, wheat's, gluten's and sugars (or can develop these allergies without proper care early on). It is recommended in the breed now to use a completely grain-free food to offset and try to prevent these allergies. Often the consumption of these types of poor quality foods result in allergic skin reactions. Shar-Pei whose food intake is restricted to better quality foods free of corn/soy/wheat's and gluten's, will enjoy much healthier lives with little or no skin irritation, itching, or sores.

Responsible breeders work to reduce the frequence of these genetic problems, and so finding an experienced, well-established Shar-Pei breeder is important. Some problems (ie, the need for eye-tacking) can be virtually eliminated from experienced breeders' litters. The breeder will also give the best and most detailed diet information specific to their Shar-Pei.

• Entropion: The eyelid will roll inwards towards the eye and cause irritation of the cornea. Surgical repair is required.
• Hypothyroidism: Inadequate hormone levels force the body to function at a lower metabolic level. This causes extreme weight gain even on a regular Diet, skin irritation problems, and a sluggish disposition.
• Swollen Hock Syndrome: This causes swelling of the hock joint, reluctance to move, abdominal pain, Vomiting, Diarrhea, and sometimes a painful swelling of the muzzle.
• Cancer: There are several forms of cancer that have a high incidence rate and currently research is being done to pinpoint which are most prevalent.

6.

What type of grooming do they need?

• The grooming level of the Chinese Shar-Pei is considered to be low or minimal. They do need to be brushed regularly to remove dead hair and then brushed daily during shedding season to reduce the amount of shedding. Despite the low maintenance of the Shar-Pei there are some special considerations. Special attention needs to be given to the ears of the Shar-Pei. It is essential that you never wash the Shar-Pei's head. Getting water in the ears of the Shar-Pei can cause serious problems for them that do not appear in other breeds. They have very tiny ear canals and water in the ears can cause serious ear infections. Some tend to collect more dirt and wax than others and this should be cleaned our prior to bathing. A waterless dog shampoo can be used on the head and then wiped with a damp cloth. An ear drying solution can be used after the bath just in case some water did get into the ears.

• Bathing should be done about once a month. During the bath, it may be useful to use a rubber brush to get rid of some of the shed. A specialty dog shampoo should be used because human shampoos and liquid soap can cause skin irritation. This is exceptionally important with this dog because skin irritation and skin problems are prevalent. Take extra care to make sure all the soap residue has been rinsed and make sure that special attention is given to in between all the folds in the skin.
  
  Drying after the bath is essential for this dog as well. Again it is important to make sure that the skin between all the folds is given extra attention and dried thoroughly. The Shar-Pei should be dried with a drier on moderate heat. A light amount of baby powder or specialty grooming powder can be used for in the folds to ensure that the dampness is gone to prevent skin irritation. Professional grooming may be recommended for the bathing process because of the Shar-Pei's hatred for the water. It may be difficult for the owner to bathe them at home.

7.

What type of exercise do they need?

The Shar-Pei does have a considerable need for exercise. It is necessary for this breed to get outside and have activity because they will be more peaceful and content indoors when they have had enough outdoor activity. However, the Shar-Pei because of its origin as a fighting dog, does need to always be kept on a leash to avoid confrontation and fighting with other dogs. Because of their padded head they are very sensitive to heat. It is important for Shar-Pei to have access to water and shade when it is outdoors. Over exercise should be avoided when it is really hot outside.

The Shar-Pei is a dog that also hates the water and they have very sensitive ear canals and therefore should not get water in their ears. This dog is not meant to be a dog for the water or for playing fetch or swimming with the family at the lake. They are capable of handling cold weather much better than warm weather. This makes them excellent dogs for moderate to cooler climates.

8.

What type of training do they need?

Training for the Shar-Pei is very important from a young age. It is very important that they be socialized at an early age. They can be quite aggressive towards other dogs and therefore should get used to being around other animals from a young age to reduce this. They are typically playful with children but again will do better if they are socialized around children from a young age. Socialization is also important because the Shar-Pei is known to get attached to only one person. They will protect and defend this person if they feel there is a threat. They will adjust to being a family dog and be loyal to the whole family. Socialization can help to minimize their aggressive nature. If not socialized correctly, they can be aggressive towards other dogs and their standoffish around strangers can turn into shyness or sometimes aggression.

The Shar-Pei can have a very dominant and stubborn nature and therefore training can be quite difficult. It is important for the handler to have a strong, direct, and consistent training. The Shar-Pei needs to have a handler who can be the "Top Dog" so to speak. If the handler is soft, inconsistent, or wavering in their commands and training, the Shar-Pei will take over and become the dominant one in the relationship. Therefore, firm handling is the best method for this dog. However, they can be defiant in a family setting because they may only respond to commands from one person. It is important that if the dog is in a family setting that the dog gets trained to respond to all members of the family in the same way. It can be frustrating for the family if the dog responds to one family member and then acts dominantly towards others. Despite the firm handling that is necessary, there is one thing that the Shar-Pei does not need extensive training on. The Shar-Pei is known to house break itself. So, that makes life a little easier for the owner when the dog is a puppy and being integrated into the home.

9.

Q. How can I become a responsible Shar-Pei owner?

Socialization of your puppy is critical in helping your Shar-Pei develop into a good neighbor. Take your dog on walks, gradually introducing him to a leash and social situations with other people and animals. Never let your dog roam indiscriminately. It not only annoys your neighbors, but puts your dog in danger. Obey the leash laws in your community.

•Breeder Referrals

•Affiliated Clubs

•Veterinary Medical Research

•National & Regional Specialties

•Official Publications

An obedient dog is a happy dog. Train your Shar-Pel at an early age. They are very bright and learn quickly. Many specialty and all-breed clubs offer obedience training. Perhaps your local Shar-Pei Club can help in locating training classes in your area.

10.

Q.Shar-Pei health care?

What do I need to know about Puppies need and deserve regular health care. Choose a veterinarian who is knowledgeable about Shar-Pei. Ask your breeder about local vets or contact members of your local Shar-Pei club. Don't forget routine vaccinations, rabies shots and regular checkups. Crate training is highly recommended for your Shar-Pei. Ifintroduced at an early age, his crate can become a place of comfort and security. Use of a crate is not a substitute for good training, quality exercise and social times for your dog every day. Please identify your puppy with a safe form of identification such as a rolled leather collar and name tag (never leave a collar or choke chain on a puppy that is left unattended). Your vet may recommend a tattoo or one of the new high tech microchip implants. Shar-Pei thrive on high quality dog kibble. Some Shar-Pei havevarious food and other allergies. The CSPCA has developed a Veterinary Guide that is designed for your vet and upon request, will be mailed to your vet at no cost. It covers the special needs of the Shar-Pei. For detailed information regarding recommended feeding and health care regimens, please contact your veterinarian or refer to the CSPCA web site at www.cspca.com. and I participate in together?

11.

Q. What kind of activities can my Shar-Pei

Obedience, exhibiting, tracking, and agility are just a few of the fun activities for you and your Shar-Pei. Junior showmanship is an excellent challenge for youngsters 10 to 18. The CSPCA can help you discover these activities.

Enjoy your new pet as you discover the wonders of sharing your life with a Shar-Pei!