The Ethical Shar Pei Breeder

One of the most rare dog breeds in the world is the Shar Pei (pronounced Shar-Pay). This ancient Chinese breed's name translates to "sand skin" after its short, coarse coat. The Shar Pei faced extinction and was named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most rare dog in 1978. The breed has gained popularity since that time and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992.

The Shar Pei is easily distinguished from other breeds by its unique wrinkled appearance and blue-black tongue. Shar Pei puppies have wrinkles all over their bodies when born but as adults grow into their wrinkles. The original Chinese Shar Pei grew out of its wrinkles almost completely so that the body was smooth and only the face and neck retained wrinkles. A modern Shar Pei breeder maintains a western version of the Shar Pei, which retains more wrinkles. A Shar Pei comes in many colors including red, tan, white, blue-grey and black. The breed's coat comes in three types, horse, brush and bear. Shar Pei also have high-set, short, curly tails.
Buying from a Shar Pei breeder can be easy if a buyer follows certain steps. Because Shar Pei are rare, it may be more difficult to find readily-available puppies, so a buyer should go into the process with patience. Buyers should also research the breed before buying to ensure they have the tools to raise these dogs in healthy, happy environments. It is important for buyers to know that the breed is prone to certain health problems such as entropion (eyelashes curling into the eye), severe skin infections and renal failure from too much protein build-up in the kidneys.

It is also important that buyers prepare to mesh with the temperament of the Shar Pei, which is loyal and protective but also independent. Shar Pei dogs do not take kindly to strangers and bark at new people. They can become aggressive if not trained properly. The Shar Pei's ancestors were trained to fight and that strong spirit can be unleashed at a detriment to owners and other animals if proper discipline is not taught from birth. Buyers should research breeders and make sure the Shar Pei breeder they buy from can provide advice on raising and training Shar Pei puppies.
Reputable, experienced breeders never sell puppies to pet stores. A qualified Shar Pei breeder will screen prospective buyers because they care about all the puppies they breed. They want to be sure each and every puppy goes to a great home with loving owners giving proper care. Backyard breeders or puppy mills mass produce puppies in unhealthy conditions. The puppies produced by these places are sickly, poorly bred. Then these puppies are shipped to pet stores all over the county to be locked up in display cases with very little exercise and not properly socialized for living with a family.

Good Shar Pei breeders will form relationships with rescue centers, veterinarians, animal control and law enforcement in the neighborhoods in which they live, building networks based on a love of animals. These are the kind of breeders you want to purchase a dog from because you are bound to get a healthy, happy friend for life.

There are many ethical Shar Pei breeders. A buyer should always choose a Shar Pei breeder over a pet store when purchasing a Shar Pei. Shar Pei information and how to find a Shar Pei breeder are covered in this article.

Being Careful To Avoid The Fake Shar Pei Breeder

You have decided on getting a Shar Pei and now the next step is to choose a Shar Pei breeder that you can get your dog from. A Shar Pei breeder is an important decision as this is someone you will be need to stay in contact with for many years to come regarding the health and well being of your pet. So make sure you make the right choice and ask a lot of questions so that you can tell if the Shar Pei breeder you are talking to knows their business or not.

A national breeder registry is an organization that breeders join because they subscribe to the breeding standards of the registry and they want to be identified and being part of a national group. If the breeder you are talking to is not listed with a national registry then ask them why the chose not to be listed and also ask them what breeding standards they do use if they are not using proven ones.
Sometimes people pass up the chance to check in some places that they should check when researching a prospective Shar Pei breeder and one of those sources is local law enforcement. If you are researching a breeder and local law enforcement has a thick file on that breeder then there is probably a really good chance that you do not want to deal with that breeder. A history of run-ins with the law can usually indicate someone that is not very trustworthy and you need to trust your breeder.

Always check out a business with the Better Business Bureau before getting involved in any major purchases like buying a family pet. If a business has a long list of complaints against them then they are probably not the kind of business you want to deal with. Most good businesses belong to the Better Business Bureau and they have a great search engine on the Internet you can use whenever you want.
Sometimes your vet is a great source for more information than you realize and when you are dealing with a search for a Shar Pei breeder your vet may be able to give you guidelines to use in your search and maybe even give you the names of various breeders to avoid based on their reputation. Your vet will know the real Shar Pei breeders and the fake ones and if your vet gives you a recommendation then you probably should take that recommendation.

Talk to the breeder yourself and ask a lot of questions. A good breeder is going to insist that you ask a lot of questions and they want to know as much about you as you want to know about them. A less than reliable breeder will not be one for conversation and they will just want to get on to the transaction. That is exactly the kind of breeder you do not want to deal with.

You can find information on detecting fake Shar Pei breeders in this article. You can find helpful Shar Pei information in this article and others like it.

Finding Out The Facts From A Shar Pei Breeder

You have decided to get a Shar Pei and now the time has come to decide on a Shar Pei breeder. This is a very important decision and you will need to know what questions to ask to find out if you are dealing with a good breeder or not. Many times a good breeder will insist that you ask them a lot of questions so do your homework, don't be shy and be ready to have a nice long talk with each breeder before you make your decision. Deciding on a breeder can affect your relationship with your pet for many years, so be sure before you make up your mind.

Always start off any conversation with a breeder by asking them what national breeding registry they are listed with. A national breeding registry is going to have a set of breeding standards that their members adhere to and you can use that to see if a breeder is for you or not. If a breeder is not listed with a registry then find out what standards for breeding they do use.
With a good Shar Pei breeder the relationship between owner and breeder does not end when the transaction is finished. A reputable breeder will be there for the owner for many years to come to make sure that the owner knows how to give quality care to their new dog and offer any advice that the owner may need on how to care for their new pet. It is important to have this open communication with your breeder and if your breeder is not into communication after the sale then it is time for a new breeder.

When a new owner leaves the property of a reputable Shar Pei breeder they do so with detailed care and feeding instructions and a sample of the dog's food so that the owner knows what to feed their new dog. If your breeder does not indicate they offer this kind of assistance to owners then you may want to move on to a different breeder.
As has been mentioned a Shar Pei breeder is there to help an owner with advice on how to care for their new pet. Sometimes things happen that you cannot foresee and you have to give up your dog. Ask prospective Shar Pei breeders if they have a policy of taking back dogs rather than having the dog end up abandoned or wind up in a shelter. You won't get your money back but at least you know you are dealing with someone that cares as much about your dog as you do.

Choosing a breeder is extremely important and requires a lot of the right questions. Sometimes the more reputable breeders offer free pet insurance to new owners so don't forget to ask about that. Just be ready to ask a lot of questions because choosing a Shar Pei breeder is an important step in buying your dog and you want to choose the right breeder from the very beginning.

If you want good questions to ask your Shar Pei breeder then use this article. This article contains helpful Shar Pei information that you can use when looking for a good breeder.