One of the most rare dog breeds in the world is the Shar Pei (pronounced Shar-Pay). This ancient Chinese breeds name translates to "sand skin" after its short, coarse coat. This dog faced extinction and was named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the worlds most rare dog in 1978. The breed has gained popularity since that time and was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1992.
The Shar Pei is easily distinguished from other breeds by its unique wrinkled appearance and blue-black tongue. Puppies have wrinkles all over their bodies when born but as adults grow into their wrinkles. The original Chinese Shar Pei grew out of its wrinkles almost completely so that the body was smooth and only the face and neck retained wrinkles. A modern breeder maintains a western version of the dog, which retains more wrinkles. A Shar Pei comes in many colors including red, tan, white, blue-grey and black. The breeds coat comes in three types, horse, brush and bear. they also have high-set, short, curly tails.
Finding a good Shar Pei breeder may be a daunting task at first because the breed is so rare. Potential buyers can utilize the Internet, the local ASPCA and word of mouth to find a good breeder. Most breeders also run or are at least affiliated with rescue centers that save purebred Shar Pei from abuse and neglect. Buying a rescued dog may be a good option for some buyers.
Some traits to identify a good breeder include maintaining a kennel to whelp and raise healthy puppies, encourage visits to the kennel to see the puppies and mothers, the puppies are friendly, happy, and do not appear afraid of people and they also interview potential buyers to make sure dog and new owner are a good match. Professional breeders are also affiliated with other animal support groups and rescue centers, recognized by the American Kennel Club and are able to provide references of other owners who have bought Shar Pei from them. Before turning over a puppy to a new owner an experienced breeder will have had the puppies evaluated for typical health conditions common to the Shar Pei breed, provide medical records and history of vaccinations and evaluations and provide pedigree information and registration papers
A good breeder will never sell Shar Pei to a pet store. There are several reasons for this. First, pet stores sell animals just like any other merchandise. Puppies are shipped from one place to another and put on display for hours at a time. Second, buyers are not screened, as they would be by a breeder. Anyone with a credit card can buy a puppy. Third, unsold puppies may be shipped to yet another store, sold to a smaller pet store or euthanized. Shar Pei breeders ensure that their puppies remain in a stable environment until they are sold to a good home. Lastly, pet stores do no follow-up on sold puppies.
Breeders, on the other hand, usually keep one out of every litter for themselves and ask for buyers to return dogs to the breeder if owners cannot keep them for any reason. Pet stores cannot offer a real guarantee or warranty on health or pedigree since their merchandise comes from illegitimate backyard breeders. An ethical Shar Pei breeder offers pedigree information, registration papers and a warranty.
Melissa Coleman has published hundreds of articles on dogs, including Shar Peis. The Shar Pei has a sketchy history at best. By learning Shar Pei information, there will be fewer Shar Peis abandoned.
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