Shar Pei: Sand Skin
Originally from China, the Shar Pei can easily be distinguished because of its wrinkles and a tongue that is blue-black. This particular breed has a very rough and coarse coat and that is how it got its name, which in the Chinese language means sand skin. When you first get your Shar Pei puppy, you will notice that it has a lot of wrinkles, though once your puppy begins to grow older and matures, many of these wrinkles will have faded away, and its coat will have become smoother. This breed only got to be recognized by the American Kennel Club in the year 1991, before which it even figured on the list of rare breeds.
The Shar Pei can have more than one color and among the ones that are common to this breed you will find colors such as red like a rose, blue, sand, black and even cream, and it also shares the blue-black colored tongue with its relative the Chow Chow. It also stands out because of its loose skin and a head that is very wrinkled, though not all varieties of the Shar Pei have wrinkled appearances because some even have tight skins and few wrinkles.
The Shar Pei is well known to have either one of three types of coats that are called brush, bear and horse. Though as strong as this breed is, it is still prone to suffer from health related problems, and this may be due it not having been bred in a responsible manner, because one of the more common ailments it has been known to suffer is the one known as entropion, which irritates the eyes because of eyelashes that curl inwards.
Still, you can expect that your Shar Pei will be a very independent dog that is aloof by nature and quite reserved in the presence of strangers whom he will not easily take to. A major reason why it is so reserved and aloof is because was originally bred to be a watchdog, which characteristics seemed to have survived since ancient times. Still, you will find it to be very devoted to its master and otherwise is affectionate and loyal to other family members as well.
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 don’t really need Shar Pei information to let you know how clean the Shar Pei keeps itself and who often does not even need to be taught 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.