History

Also known as "Dali Dog", "Fighting Dog" or "Chinese Dog" Fighting dog" is a rare dog breed in the world. There are generally seven colors: black, earth, white, red, gray, cheese and chocolate. It is one of the fewest breeds in the world. The name of the Shar-Pei is because of his strong coat, and the Chinese word for "Shapi" means shark skin or sandpaper. It is the most precious dog breed in the world. Going back to the records of the Shar-Pei, which is about 2000 years old, it is certain that the Shar-Pei was trained and bred as a fighting dog in the past. Around the early 1950s, there was still a fighting field for the Shar Pei in Guangdong. By the 1960s and 1970s, the dog had declined in China, and the descendants of the now extinct large dogs were produced in northern China and Tibet. , these breeds are at risk of extinction. . However, after the introduction of the Shar-Pei into the United States in the 1970s, the United States has set off a Shar-Pei fever. The "China Shar-Pei Club" has spread all over the United States, with more than 10,000 officially registered Shar-Pei dogs.

Origin

Originating in Dali Township, Nanhai County, Guangdong Province, it is named because of its short and hard hair, rough hand feel, like sandpaper used for polishing. The source of this breed is believed to be the result of the long-term selection and cultivation of local residents after the northern pug arrived in Nanhai County, Guangdong, and has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is said that traces of it have been found in the calligraphy and painting of the Han Dynasty, and it may have been mainly used as a hunting dog to attack wild boars. However, some people believe that the ancestor of the dog is still unknown. But some breeders believe that, based on its rare "purple" tongue, it has a close blood relationship with dogs. After the dog was introduced to the United States, the strange appearance immediately became a popular dog breed. Because it has an inherent loose and wrinkled skin, and it is absolutely thick enough to cover the whole body like "armor", when fighting with the enemy on the arena, it will not be bitten and injured by the skin, and it often becomes The winner on the battlefield is therefore deeply loved and welcomed by the Chinese. It has the treasure name of "China's No. 1 Dog Fighting" and is also one of the favorite companion dogs of the public.

Character

With the air of a king, alert, intelligent, majestic, aristocratic, frowning, calm and proud, neutral by nature and a little cold to strangers; but put all his love into the family. The Shar-Pei stood there, looking calm and confident.

The Shar-Pei has a very happy and gentle temperament, very unlike the "Chinese fighting dog". When fighting with other dogs, it is the one who wins, because the skin is loose and it is not easy to be bitten. When this type of dog was used as a Chinese fighting dog, due to the instigation of the breeder, the Shar-Pei was able to do continuous attacks for a long time. The Shar-Pei is very independent, courteous, and prefers to be close to humans, bringing endless joy to humans. It is one of the most precious breeds in the world, and the Shar-Pei attracts much attention wherever it goes.

The Shar-Pei is lively and active, and needs moderate exercise. In addition, the nasal passage is short, and strenuous exercise is prone to hypoxia. Therefore, it is best to take it out for a walk in the morning or evening. The dog's skin has many folds, which are easy to hide dirt and lead to the growth of bacteria, so special attention should be paid to daily cleaning, otherwise the dog is prone to scabies and skin diseases. It is advisable to bathe twice a week in summer and once a week in autumn. The dog should not be fed excessive food, so as not to be overweight and affect health. In addition, due to the special physiological structure of the Shar-Pei, it is very susceptible to entropion and rickets, so it should be paid attention to in feeding and management. Shar-Pei should pay attention to skin hygiene. Because of their wrinkles, they are prone to skin diseases. They should take frequent baths and spray some perfume appropriately to prevent body odor.

The coat is short and rough, which is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Shar Pei. Its body coat is straight and erect, but generally slightly flat on the limbs. The short, rough body hair feels rough to the touch, looks velvety, and does feel velvety when touched down the hair, but feels like sandpaper when touched backwards, with a burning and itchy feeling, and This feeling is especially noticeable when the coat is erect. This characteristic of the Shar-Pei makes other animals afraid to bite it with its mouth.

FCI standard

Body Type:

About 18-20 inches (46-51 cm) at the shoulders. Weight about 45 to 60 pounds (20.25 to 27 kg). Males are usually slightly larger and more square in body than females, but both sexes are very symmetrical. The distance from the withers to the ground is roughly equal to the distance from the front of the sternum to the rear of the buttocks.

Head and Skull:

The head is large, slender, but not excessive, held proudly, with a large number of wrinkles covering the forehead and extending from the sides to the face. Eyes: Dark, small, almond-shaped, and sunken, showing a scowling expression. Light-colored dogs may also have light-colored eyes. Ears: Very small, thick, equilateral triangular, slightly rounded at the tips; curled around the edges of the ears. The ears lie flat against the head, set high and wide apart, towards the front of the head, with the tips pointing towards the eyes. Ears can move. Pricked ears are a disqualification. Skull: Flat and broad, with a moderately developed stop. Muzzle: One of the unique characteristics of this breed. Broad and full, not tapering (approximately the same distance from tip to stop as from stop to occiput). Nose: Large, broad, dark in color, preferably black, but generally a color commensurate with the coat is acceptable. Light-colored Shar Pei, the color of the nose is the preferred natural color. In dark cheese-colored Shar-Peis, the nose color may be lighter in the center of the nose, or lighter throughout the nose. The lips and tops of the muzzle are full, which may cause them to be a little higher than the nose. Tongue, upper part of mouth, gums and upper lip, blue-black is preferred (any color except light); the above should be lavender in light-colored Shar Pei. A tongue with pink spots is a serious defect. A pure pink tongue is a disqualification (the tongue may be lightened by heat; care needs to be taken not to make the tongue's pigment pink). Teeth: Strong, scissors bite. Deviating from scissor bites and bites are serious faults.

Neck, Topline, Body:

Neck: Medium length, full, well set with shoulder blades. Slightly heavy folds on neck and throat, loose skin and profuse fat. Topline: Slightly sunken behind the withers and raised slightly at the short, broad loin. A horizontal, arched, or swaying topline is a defect. Chest: Broad and deep, the base of the chest extends at least to the elbows and rises slightly below the waist. Back: Short and tightly bound. Hump: Flat, set very high at the base of the tail, the anus upturned and clearly exposed. Tail: The very high base of the tail is one of the distinctive features of the Shar-Pei. A low tail is a defect. The tail appears thick and rounded at the base, tapered at the tip, tapered, and curled over the back or either side of the back. Lack of a complete tail is a disqualification.

Forequarters:

Shoulders: Muscular, set back. Forelegs: When viewed from the front, straight and slightly wide apart, with elbows close to body. When viewed from the side, the forelegs are straight, with strong and flexible bones. The bone is strong, but not heavy, of medium length. The removal of the forelimb dewclaws is optional. Feet: Medium in size, compact and firm, not open.

HINDQUARTERS:

Muscular, strong and moderately angled. Hock bones (hock joints) short, perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other when viewed from behind. Dewclaws on the hind legs must be removed. The paws are the same as the forelimbs.

Coat:

The extremely coarse coat is one of the characteristics unique to this breed. The coat is absolutely straight and erect on the main body, but generally the hair on the extremities lies flat and slightly flat. Hair appears healthy but not shiny. Coat lengths range from extremely short "horse hair" to slightly longer "bristles", with hair no longer than 1 inch at the withers. Soft coats, wavy coats, coats longer than 1 inch at the withers, or trimmed coats are serious faults. The Shar Pei should show a natural appearance.

Colors:

Only solid and mink are acceptable and all colors are treated the same when judging. Solid-colored dogs may have shades of color, mostly dark, on the underside of the back and on the ears. Shading changes must be consistent with body coat color, including dark hair throughout the coat. The following colors are disqualified: albino variants; non-solid colors such as tabby, variegated, spotted, and any combination of colors.

Gait:

The Shar-Pei's movements are mainly judged by looking at the trot. The gait is stretched and steady, and when he trots quickly, the feet tend to draw in toward the centerline of the body due to gravity. The gait combines good forequarter reach with strong rear drive. Correct gait is essential.

Temperament:

King, vigilant, intelligent, majestic, aristocratic, scowling, calm and proud, neutral by nature and a little indifferent to strangers; but putting all Love goes into the family. The Shar-Pei stood there, looking calm and confident.

Major defects:

Deviated from scissors bite.

Spotted tongue.

Soft coat, wavy coat, coat over 1 inch at withers, or trimmed coat.

Disqualification:

Early.

Pure pink tongue.

Lack of full tail.

Albino variants; non-solid colors such as tabby, variegated, spotted, and any combination of colors.