Contrary to popular opinion, the key to success is that wrinkled, rumpled, "just-got-out-of-bed" look. At least that has been the case for the Chinese shar-pei, who shot like a corrugated comet from obscurity to the heights of popularity.
Fueled by a constant craving for the new, hip and unique, the unusual-looking shar-pei achieved celebrity status in the ’80s and early ’90s. How big was the shar-pei craze? Consider this: Upscale department store and mail order catalog Neiman-Marcus featured Chinese shar-pei puppies in its 1983 Christmas catalog.
Priced at $2,000 each, the puppies were so popular the store had to hire two full-time secretaries to take orders and answer queries. Some considered the department store’s price tag a bargain — top show dogs sold for as much as $3,500. Celebrity owners included Burt Reynolds, William Shatner, Yul Brynner, Wayne Newton, Andy Gibb, Joanna Carson and the king of Morocco. Shar-pei appeared in Town & Country and Vogue magazines, on television talks shows, and were featured in an advertising campaign for Aramis men’s cologne.
What makes the shar-pei’s meteoric rise all the more remarkable is that the dog was virtually unknown in America until the early 1970s and was near extinction in its home country of China. The Guinness Book of Records had listed the shar-pei as "The Rarest Breed of Dog in the World."
Laying Down the Law
Although shar-pei used to be common in various regions of mainland China, the dog had not fared well under the rule of Mao Tse Tung and the Communist regime. The Communist viewpoint precluded the wasting of food on dogs. A heavy tax was levied so that only the wealthy could afford to keep a dog as a companion animal. Dog breeding was banned completely, and by 1950 there were few specimens of the shar-pei left.
Hong Kong breeder Matgo Law appealed to Americans to help save the dying breed in a 1973 article. Although a few shar-pei had already been imported to the United States from Hong Kong in the late 1960s, Law’s plea captured the imagination of many American dog lovers. The response was remarkable – there were immediately more than 200 replies from anxious buyers. Law was caught off guard by the enthusiastic response, but he eventually was able to fill many of the requests. The dogs exported by Law carry the kennel name "Down Homes," and many shar-pei pedigrees in America can be traced back to Down Homes dogs.
A Wrinkle in Time
Archeologists in China have discovered paintings and statuettes of dogs bearing remarkable resemblance to the modern Shar-Pei, including the unique blunt muzzle and other distinctive facial characteristics, dating to China’s Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to A.D. 220).
The origin of such an ancient dog is difficult to trace. The blue-black tongue and other characteristics of the Chinese shar-pei point to the chow-chow as either an ancestor or a distant relative. Some experts believe both dogs may be descended from the Tibetan mastiff, which is often recognized as one of the most ancient dog breeds.
One early British author studying dogs in the Orient described the native dogs she found in China as being mixed with mastiff, chow, bulldog and common street dogs. Although the shar-pei already existed as a distinct breed by the time this comment was made, it’s as good an explanation as exists for the dog’s origin. A bulldog ancestry is seen in some short necks that are low-set on the shoulders, thick bodies and certain shared genetic problems.
Whatever its origin, the shar-pei was a common fixture on Chinese farms for hundreds of years.
Dogs were a practical part of Chinese peasant life: Those not smart enough to perform their duties were used for food and clothing. Shar-pei were bred for intelligence, strength and an intimidating scowl, which was thought to give a menacing appearance that helped deter bandits and thieves. The shar-pei also served spiritual guard duty — its blue-black tongue was thought to ward off evil spirits.
In central China, where farming and herding were predominant, the shar-pei developed a herding instinct and an almost terrier-type ratting instinct. The legs of the shar-pei in central China were shorter than their relatives to the south, while their coats were not as thick as the shar-pei of northern China. The shar-pei still exhibits these herding and ratting instincts. Interestingly, the shar-pei does not bark like western herding dogs, nor does it dig and chew like terriers, raising the possibility that these characteristics are present in terriers and herding dogs not because they are necessary, but because many of the dogs in those American Kennel Club (AKC) groups came from the same European root stock, while the shar-pei has its root stock on the other side of the world.
In northern China, where small communities live through the long, cold winters in remote villages, the shar-pei was prized for its calmness and quiet demeanor — crucial characteristics for an animal that spends long hours in the same small space as its family.
In southern China — a region with a cultural love of wagering — the shar-pei was used as a fighting dog. As a result, breeders developed the dog’s bristly coat and loose skin to improve the breed’s fighting ability — opponents found the prickly coat painful to bite while the loose skin made it possible for a shar-pei under attack to turn and defend itself more easily. Also advantageous were the dog’s tiny ears and deep-set eyes, which were less vulnerable to attack. The shar-pei lacked the size and aggressiveness to fight larger mastiffs and bulldogs — eventually their careers as fighters ended.
Ancient Chinese Secrets
The ancient lineage of the shar-pei continues in modern times, for the dog continues to exhibit the traits – good and bad – of its ancestors. Today’s shar-pei is a self-assured, independent dog. Although not a demonstrative breed, it is devoted to and protective of its family, often exhibiting reserve and even suspicion toward strangers. At times shar-pei can be very sensitive, responding accordingly to the moods of the household. Some shar-pei even seem to possess a sense of humor and will act silly to make their owners smile.
Sadly, aggression can be a problem in improperly bred, selected and reared shar-pei, possibly harking back to the dog’s early history as a fighting dog. This aggression is most often in evidence with other dogs or around small animals.
The shar-pei’s intelligence means the dog requires an attentive owner. The dog should be taught the rules of the household and basic obedience at an early age. The well-trained shar-pei is very respectful of the leader of the pack. When paired with proper training, the natural patience and guarding instincts of the shar-pei usually make it suitable for homes with children.
Shar-pei are not an overly active breed but can be very playful and enjoy exercise. The dog’s moderate energy level, coupled with its medium size, makes it a good choice for both house and apartment living. It is happy dividing its time between home and yard. One of the dog’s unique characteristics is its lack of an undercoat, which provides insulation from heat and cold.
The Demands of Distinction
For better or for worse, many characteristics of the shar-pei take a back seat to the wrinkles. Let’s face it, the thing that draws most of us to the shar-pei, at least initially, is its distinctive appearance, particularly when the dog is a puppy. The wrinkles give the shar-pei puppy a look that is half forlorn, half comical and a hundred percent adorable.
This lovable look makes the shar-pei puppy a popular subject for photographers, and this often leads people to a mistaken perception of the size and appearance of the adult dog. In the full-size adult dog, wrinkling is usually limited to the face and four or five rolls on the shoulder.
Although the shar-pei emerges from puppy cuteness as it grows, fans of the breed find the adult to be a handsome, striking dog. The AKC standard describes the shar-pei as "an alert dignified active compact dog of medium size and substance, square in profile, close-coupled, the well proportioned head slightly but not overly large for the body.
The short, harsh coat, the loose skin covering the head and the body, the small ears, the ‘hippopotamus’ muzzle shape and the high set tail impart to the shar-pei a unique look peculiar to the breed alone." The Chinese standard more eloquently describes the shar-pei as possessing "clamshell ears, butterfly nose, melon-shaped head, grandmotherly face, water-buffalo neck, horse’s buttocks and dragon’s legs."
There’s no denying the shar-pei’s appearance is distinctive, and distinction is a quality that is almost always in demand. What at first was an effort to save a dying breed quickly turned into the shar-pei mania of the 1980s. After gaining full AKC recognition in 1991, the shar-pei rose to become the 22nd most popular dog, in terms of new AKC registrations, in 1993. Many breeders and trainers feel the meteoric rise and "celebrity status" was to the detriment of the breed and contributed to some of the breed’s health and temperament problems.
Thankfully, in the eyes of many, this popularity has waned in recent years – the dog ranked 35th among the 146 registered breeds in new AKC registrations in 1998. This popularity means the shar-pei no longer qualifies as "The Rarest Breed of Dog in the World." Many who are already devoted to the shar-pei hope that as the breed continues to establish itself on this side of the Pacific, people will learn that there is much more to the shar-pei than just a cute, wrinkly face.
Health Matters
The shar-pei is a distinctive dog in every way, including its health problems. An area of concern is the breed’s tendency toward skin trouble, which is certainly not illogical given the dog’s wrinkly, loose skin. The source of these skin problems is something of a mystery, although they are often attributed to allergies. A knowledgeable breeder may have some insights on what foods and substances to avoid. In any case, the dog should be kept as clean as possible, particularly in wrinkly areas, to help prevent irritations in the skin folds.
Careful breeding practices have reduced the breed’s previous problem with enropian, a condition in which the edges of eyelids roll inward, thus bringing the lashes into contact with the eyeball. The problem can be corrected by a veterinarian.
Shar-pei are subject to hip and elbow dysplasia and patellar luxation, in which the knee cap (patella) slips in and out of position. Prospective buyers ought to demand to see the results of these tests for the parents of any puppy in which the buyers are interested. The typical lifespan of a shar-pei is 8 to 10 years.
Skin of Sand
The shar-pei’s wrinkles are widely recognized, but many may not realize the dog’s coat is also distinctive for its harsh, bristly texture. The name shar-pei translates literally as "sand skin" and loosely as "sand-paper-like coat." The coat is absolutely straight and off standing on the main trunk of the body but generally lies somewhat flatter on the limbs. Some shar-pei exhibit a longer "bear" coat, called a "Song Ye" coat in China. This is a recessive trait and is less common because of careful breeding. The shar-pei’s coat is typically solid in shades of cream, fawn, red or black. Shar-pei that don’t exhibit solid colors – such as albino, brindle, patches, spotted or tan-pointed patterns – are disqualified from competition by the AKC.
Grooming requirements for this bristly coat are not excessive — consisting primarily of regular brushing and the occasional bath. A great deal of attention must be paid to the skin to ensure that no irritations exist within its folds. Bathing is a necessity that is best taught early because a very strong characteristic of the breed is their dislike of water, even rain. It’s much better to introduce a docile puppy to bath time than to wrestle with an adult shar-pei in a slippery tub.
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