Shar Pei: Clean And Housebroken

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 has three different types of coats including the brush, bear and horse coats. They are also prone to suffering from health problems that may be due to irresponsible breeding. One such malady it is known to suffer from is entropion, which causes the eyelashes to curl inward and thus irritates the Shar Pei’s eyes. To lessen the risk of health problems, manufacturers of dog foods have even created special dry foods for the Chinese Shar Pei that will prevent common skin allergies and also sores from affecting the breed.

The Shar Pei also has an independent mind, while also being very aloof and reserved, and not given to easily making friends with strangers. This could be attributed to the fact that the breed was originally bred to serve as watchdogs. However, the Shar Pei will show much devotion to its master and is generally affectionate and also loyal to its family members. However, despite socialization, it will still keep its watchdog proclivities, and it is also very territorial and possessive.
For prospective Shar Pei owners, it is important to bear in mind that even though it has many characteristics common to watchdogs, and despite being somewhat aggressive, it is nevertheless a good learner and thus takes well to being trained, though it will show its boredom if something is repeated too often. The bottom line is that your Shar Pei will show you a lot of love and is possessive and a good guard dog, though certainly an independent creature as well.

The Shar Pei is of Chinese origin and comes from Guangdong province and is well recognized for its ability to fight and also being a good watchdog, and it even was the main watchdog for early Chinese royals. It is a good defender and even though the Chinese Communists attempted to wipe this breed from the face of the earth, it has survived to become a popular breed that is often even called the "Golden Lion".

Medium sized breeds have been handled well by Melissa Coleman who knows their every trait and characteristic and who knows how to keep them under control. It can easily be gathered from available Shar Pei information that the Shar Pei is a very clean animal that may, in fact, even be able to housebreak themselves. Though they have a hatred for water, which they avoid at all costs. 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.