Chinese Shar-Pei puppies

About the Chinese Shar-Pei

The Chinese Shar-Pei is a village dog from southern China that hunted, herded, guarded and fought, and they nearly disappeared in the mid twentieth century before being rebuilt from a handful of animals. This is a compact, square dog of 20.4 to 27.2 kg standing 46 to 51 cm, with a harsh bristly short coat, loose skin over a broad head, small sunken eyes and a blue black tongue. They are calm and undemonstrative, devoted at home and distinctly aloof with strangers.

Exercise needs are adaptable, from long daily walks to a couple of short ones plus training games. Grooming is minimal on the coat but not on the dog: folds and ears need checking and drying regularly, and the breed handles heat poorly. They suit a quiet, observant household with an owner willing to do daily skin and eye checks. Love the wrinkles, but budget for the skin, ear and eye problems that come attached to them.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Chinese Shar-Pei puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Entropion, an inward rolling eyelid that rubs the cornea, found on an eye exam and corrected surgically
• Shar-Pei fever and familial amyloidosis, seen as recurrent fever with swollen hocks, diagnosed clinically and monitored by kidney bloodwork
• Glaucoma and retinal dysplasia, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Skin fold dermatitis and demodectic mange, diagnosed by skin scrapes and cytology
• Chronic ear infections caused by very narrow ear canals, found on a vet ear exam
• Hypothyroidism, screened by a thyroid evaluation

Your Chinese Shar-Pei puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Chinese Shar-Pei.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20.4 to 27.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 27.2 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best chew toys for teething puppies, by size, and the chews to skip
• Harness or collar for a puppy? What the neck pressure studies show
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Chinese Shar-Pei

Previous: Chinese Crested · Next: Chinook

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Chinese Shar-Pei breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/chinese-shar-pei/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Johannes Maximilian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.