Home | Miscellaneous
The name Shar Pei roughly translates into English as sand-skin. The Shar Pei does have a rough skin and tough coat. Everything about this breed is tough - its personality, its physical strength and especially its history. It is also reasonable to assume that the Shar Pei breed descended from the older Chow Chow breed, since they share many physical characteristics. Many reliable Shar Pei information sources have come to the conclusion that the dogs sent to America were particularly inferior. These dogs are thought to have inherited several health problems (such as skin disorders and inverted eyelids) and had some nasty tempers to boot. But they are the only gene pool of Shar Peis available. They will always be a rare breed and need experienced, confident, physically strong owners. Shar Peis were thought to have been originally farm dogs, meant to guard livestock, the farm and the farmer's family. Even today, Shar Peis are very protective and leery of strangers. But then they were taken off of the farm and put into the spotlight of the dog fighting pits of China. This is probably when the emphasis on loose skin and wrinkles occurred. A Shar Pei is supposed to have enough skin to cover two dogs. Loose skin makes a fighting dog harder to damage. Although it was great for China to outlaw dog fighting during the Cultural Revolution, they also outlawed the dogs. It is estimated that most of the genetic pool of Shar Peis were slaughtered. China has recently changed its mind about the necessity of the Cultural Revolution and now allows many Chinese practices once outlawed. Sadly, it is thought that dog fighting has since resumed in China. A Hong Kong businessman, Matgo Law, managed to rescue many Shar Pei dogs and get them exported to Western countries through the Hong Kong Kennel Club. In the 1980's, the cost of a pure bred Shar Pei puppy in America was astronomical. Because of their temper and their large size, they are not found in puppy mills as they once were. Shar Peis are now bred for an improved disposition, as well as for their looks. The future for the Shar Pei looks grim to those who love to see things unchanged. There's just not enough of a gene pool in order to assure the future of this unique dog breed. Considering some of the problems many have discovered with keeping Shar Peis, perhaps that's for the best. Shar Peis are prone to many health problems. The most worrisome (and painful) is inverted eyelids, where the eyelashes constantly rub against the eyeballs. This can be cured with an expensive operation.
Article Source: http://www.rightarticle.com
About the author: Melissa Coleman is a passionate lover of the Shar Pei and has a popular website that can teach you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Shar Pei. Among other topics there, you can also learn all about Shar Pei History plus a whole lot more.
Please Rate this Article
5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
