| Chinese Shar Pei: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Chinese Sharpei personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Chinese Sharpei, including these excerpts:
"This sober, dignified dog with the wrinkled skin, hippopotamus head, and scowling expression stands firmly on the ground with a calm, confident stature.
Naturally clean and easy to housebreak, quiet and mannerly in the home, the Chinese Shar-Pei is an impressive companion if you can establish a relationship of mutual respect, i.e., admiring his independent character while consistently enforcing household rules so that he respects you as well.
He does well with brisk daily walks.
Unless securely fenced, he is not the best choice for a farm or rural setting, for he has strong hunting instincts. He can be predatory with cats and may run deer and molest livestock.
Aloof (but not hostile) with strangers, he should be accustomed to people at an early age so that his territorial instincts are properly discriminatory.
Though he usually minds his own business unless provoked, some can be aggressive with other dogs.
History
The loose skin of this Chinese hunting and fighting dog enabled him to twist and fight even when gripped by an adversary. Shar-pei means "sandpaper-like skin" and indeed, his harsh hairs can irritate your own skin.
Size
18-20 inches and 40-60 lbs |
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Chinese Shar Pei
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is medium-sized and sturdily-built
- Has an unusual appearance: wrinkled skin, hippopotamus head, and scowling expression
- Stands firmly on the ground with a calm, confident, dignified stature
- Is naturally clean and easy to housebreak
- Doesn't bark much
- Needs only moderate exercise
A Chinese Shar Pei may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- Aggression in some lines, or when not socialized properly
- Aggression toward other animals
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Shedding
- Snorting and snoring
- High prices
- Serious health problems
- Legal liabilities (public perception, future breed bans, insurance problems, increased chance of lawsuits)
A Chinese Shar Pei may not be right for you.
| If I were considering a Chinese Sharpei... |
My major concerns would be:
- Aggression toward strangers. Many Chinese Shar Peis have protective instincts toward strangers. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they may be suspicious of everyone, which can lead to biting.
| If you have small children, I do not recommend a Chinese Shar Pei. There are just too many Sharpeis who won't tolerate any nonsense. |
- Animal aggression. Many Chinese Shar Peis are dominant or aggressive toward other dogs, especially of the same sex. Many have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. This is not a good breed to keep with livestock. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.
- The strong temperament. Chinese Shar Pei are not Golden Retrievers. They have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. Many Chinese Sharpeis are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
- Shedding and harsh coat. Chinese Shar-peis come in three coat varieties. The "horse" coat is very short and prickly, and can irritate the skin of sensitive people. The "brush" coat is thicker and about one inch long. The "bear" coat is very heavy, like that of a Chow. All three coats shed, with the brush and bear coats shedding the most.
- Shar-Pei sounds. Many Chinese Sharpeis snort, grunt, and snore loudly. The sounds are endearing to some people; nerve-wracking to others.
- High prices. Though this breed is very common, many breeders are still charging $1000 or more.
- Serious health problems. It's been said that if you feel like supporting your vet with great chunks of money, get a Chinese Sharpei. They suffer from a host of eye problems, skin diseases, kidney disease, and more.
- Legal liabilities. Chinese Shar Pei may be targeted for "banning" in certain areas, or refusal of homeowner insurance policies. In this day and age, the legal liabilities of owning any breed that looks intimidating and has a history as a fighting dog should be seriously considered. People are quicker to sue if such a dog does anything even remotely questionable.
| Frankly, most Chinese Shar Peis are "too much dog" for the average household. Very few people really have the knowledge or skills necessary to manage this breed. |
| Not all Chinese Shar-Peis are alike! |
- There are energetic Shar-peis, and placid Shar-peis.
- Hard-headed Shar-peis, and sweet-natured Shar-peis.
- Serious Shar-peis, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Shar-peis, and Shar-peis who love everyone.
| If you acquire a Chinese Sharpei puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Chinese Shar Pei... |
There are plenty of adult Chinese Sharpei who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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