Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The Shar Pei : Yes – That's A Real Dog

Shar Pei puppies look like raisins with legs. They are so ugly that they are cute. Shar Peis became very popular in the 1980's with the yuppie generation in North America. Their popularity has declined due to many factors, one of which is their size. These are big dogs that average fifty pounds when they grow up. They are square and solid with a broad chest and a head that looks a little too big for the body.

It's the wrinkles that are the claim to fame for the Shar Pei. Unlike most other breeds of dog, this one is quite distinctive! The puppies are far more wrinkled than the adults. The Shar Pei breed standard calls for the adult to have loose skin, if not wrinkly skin, but wrinkles are still expected around the face. Because of the heavily wrinkled face, it is normal for these dogs to slobber a lot.
It is thought that Shar Peis descended from Chow Chows, which are more popular around the world than Shar Peis. The two breeds share a lot in common. They are both big, muscular breeds with broad chests and a bull neck. Both are have bodies that resemble furry bricks on legs. And both have a purple, or blue-black tongue. Often blue tongues are the sign of a very sick dog, but not in Chow Chows or Shar Peis. Some Shar Peis are born with pink tongues, but are disqualified from showing.

Other ways Shar Peis can get disqualified from the show ring is by not having a solid colored coat. They often come in a brown and white coat that resembles an English Springer Spaniel's. This is sometimes called a flowered Shar Pei among Shar Pei enthusiasts. Sometimes a small tuft of white is allowed on a show dog. If they have bear coats, in which the hairs are over one inch long, they will also be disqualified.
The breed standard for the Shar Pei is not conducive to everybody's idea of a family pet. Their temperament is very much like a Rottweiler's, only they are even more aggressive with other dogs. They usually are good with kids, but wary of adults. If you need a guard dog or a dog to round up livestock, they are ideal. The breed standard lists Shar Peis as having a "regal, standoffish" nature. They are not as eager to please as other breeds.

They have very strong wills coupled with very strong bodies. If you have never lived with a dog before, the Shar Pei is not for you. If you have physical problems, the Shar Pei is not for you. If you have a timid nature, then the Shar Pei is definitely not for you as they will quickly give commands to you and expect to be obeyed. Research and think carefully before bringing a Shar Pei home.

The Shar Pei is hard to breed properly, as the breeding lines have dwindled. Fewer Shar Peis would be abandoned if people knew more Shar Pei information before they brought a puppy home.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Shar Pei: Clean And Housebroken

The Shar Pei is a Chinese bred dog that has very distinctive features including a deeply wrinkled face and a tongue that is blue-black in color, and in Chinese the term Shar Pei refers to sand skin and this breed certainly has a rough and short coat that is coarse and thus gets its name because of this characteristic. 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 expect the Shar Pei to come in a variety of colors including rose red, sand as well as blue, black and also cream and it also shares its blue-black tongue color with that of its relative the Chow Chow. Other than that, the Shar Pei is distinguished because of its loose skin and head that is covered by wrinkles in large folds, while some varieties will have tighter skins and wrinkles will only appear on the face and whither.
Normally, the Shar Pei has coats that can either be brush coats, bear coats or even horse coats. It is also a breed that is prone to not staying very healthy, which can be attributed in part to irresponsible breeding. Among other ailments that it suffers from, is the one known as entropion that is something that will irritate a Shar Pei’s eyes. However, you can prevent your pet from developing skin allergies and also sores by feeding it specially manufactured dry dog foods that will act to prevent such conditions.

One thing that all owners of Shar Peis notice is the independent nature and also that they are quite reserved in their behavior, often staying aloof and not easily making friends with people they do not know or recognize. Part of the reason for such characteristics could be that it was originally bred to be a watchdog. Nevertheless, it is very devoted to its master and will show affection and also loyalty to other members of the owner’s family.
In any case, despite its aggressive nature, and watchdog attributes, the Shar Pei will still be willing to learn and is thus amenable to being trained, though when things are repeated too often, it will easily get bored. All in all, you can expect great loyalty from your Shar Pei and it is also a very loving animal that will protect you, even though it is very independent by nature.

The breed originates from China’s Guangdong province and was well known from that time for being a fighting dog that also made an excellent watchdog. That is why originally, the Chinese Shar Pei served as a watchdog for the royal family of China, and thus is well suited for defending. And despite being in danger of extinction and being termed a rare breed, it is now thriving in some parts of the world and makes an outstanding family pet, and is often affectionately known as “Golden Lion”.

You will find from available Shar Pei information that this breed is very particular about its cleanliness, and doesn’t even need to be housebroken There is plenty of helpful Shar Pei information in this article that should show you the good and not so good sides of the Shar Pei.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

A Fundamental Guide To The Shar Pei Personality

The Shar Pei dog, native to China, is uniquely identified for its deep wrinkles and blue-black tongue. At a young age the wrinkles are more numerous than at adult age. Time Magazine and the Guinness Book of World Records once identified this dog as one of the most rare dogs in the world. Typically, the Shar Pei dog is a healthy one, but it is susceptible towards a few health hazards like painful eye conditions, allergy-prone skin disorders, fever, and kidney or liver disorders.

In China, it was bred as a fighter dog in earlier times. They are marked by their pleasant and loving personalities with true affection and a genuine loyalty towards their owners. The Shar Pei dog is somewhat sensitive towards strangers and in most of the time the dog needs time to get accustomed to outsiders. Even if you have a great social personality, a great deal of effort is always needed to make one your friend. With a strong defensive personality, however, Shar Pei can be the best guard for your family, safe from any adverse events.
The personality of the Shar Pei dog is a great area of concern, especially for breeders. Breeders must take enough care about researching the personality of a Shar Pei breeding pair otherwise it may lead to extreme frustration. At the time of breeding, it is the duty of the breeder to thoroughly investigate and appraise for dogs similar in personality. If it is not done, the buyers may end up by having a puppy that is wrong for the family. In fact, individuals having an easygoing temperament may not be proven to be a good owner of a Shar Pei in most of cases.

The personality of the Shar Pei can be subdivided under three categories known as dominant, submissive and independent. While the occurrence of a distinctive personality trait is most common, overlapping of personality traits may seem to be apparent in only a few cases. The dominant Shar Pei can be a good choice for people with a tough personality and devoted learning skills for handling dogs. Although a dominant Shar Pei is quite appealing with their macho and confident personality, it could harm people just by being excessively dominant.
The submissive Shar Pei dog is easier to handle. But they lack the proper instinct to be trained easily due to their low self-confidence and reluctant behavior for trying out new things. However, this dog can mingle with other dogs, so it can be effortlessly facilitated into multi-dog environment. But feeling of fear or defensive behavior may lead this type of dog to act violently in some cases, so enduring socialization is always required. The independent Shar Pei dog is most difficult to train since it does not really care about owner's approval and is not very fond of any human companionship.

In general, Shar Pei dogs are sometimes tough to train since they reveal their stubborn attitude. Hence, determination and commitment are the two most important factors of Shar Pei training. Although they are blessed with deterministic attitude, devoted nature and intelligence, they may frequently act violently and become intensely responsive in the presence of outsiders. The personality of the Shar Pei is genetically predisposed towards aggression and genetic makeup can influence the other personality to a great extent, so you must consider these factors when planning to buy the dog.

Shar Pei dogs are featured by deep-wrinkles and blue-black tongue. Whether you are planning to buy a Shar Pei dog or already have one, this article will provide all necessary Shar Pei information in it.

Shar Pei For Sale