KGFH's Julekalender 2019
Luke 9

Shar-Pei the Blue Kindom

When God was painting the sky a few drops of his blue color fall to the ground.
Then his dog went to lick that paint that why his dog is having a blue tongue.
This dog by Chinese story was the Shar-pei one of the most ancients breeds in the world not only but stories but also from DNA research.

But how is Shar-Pei as a breed what made me fall in love and dedicate our lives to those dogs?
Is that scowling expression and the rare look? The clown in them? that you do not know what is behind their minds.
Do they want to be naughty? or they look at you try to say I LOVE YOU, Only the owner knows that answers...
They are smart, anthropocentric dogs very flexible to the owner's mood.

When I was asked to write this article I was a little bit confused as Shar-pei is my big love.
I can talk about them for hours but is a different thing when you look at the breed as an owner, different and more specific as a breeder and different more distance from emotions as a judge.

I decide to write it a bit of all but with the main issue Shar-Pei as a family member.

Having a Shar-Pei can be the easiest and the hardest thing. Shar-Pei are emotional, they breathe for you so you must have the balance to your relationship with them as they can be easily spoiled and make your life real hell.
Because when they understand how much you love them they push you in the limits to prove them your love. They can make you please them to eat their food for days .. they want to feel they own you...

The most big problem in the breed is the stress. You must work with the dog from early stage and take it from a responsible breeder what have done the correct life steps.
Never take a puppy under 2 months old for after 3 months. The puppy Shar-Pei must stay with the mother and the littermates, to play with them, to fight with them and the mother must punish them if they do not act correctly.


I believe 60% of the puppy are the parents, especially the grandparents. After is how are going to be raised and is our responsibility to give the tools to be happy balanced dogs.

When you want to have a Shar-Pei in your life first do not look at the color as Shar-Pei is having more than 17 colors.  You must speak and met the breeder (also do not visit only one breeder). Give the breeder your profile and the breeder will help you to find the correct Shar-Pei for you. I say this because many are dominant and dominant dogs need a person that can handle them correctly and they will be the perfect dogs in the future. An amateur owner in a dominant Shar-Pei is not good because the dog is going to rule you.

Very import issues are the health issues of the breed. Be sure that the breeder is having the dogs in good condition. The most common problem is the eyes and skin. Problems in a good breeder have to solve not of course that the breeder is God. The biggest problem in the breed is Fevers that can cause Amyloidosis. Shar-Pei produces more hyaluronan than other breeds this is also the reason that when they hurt/cut they heal very quick.
If they produce a lot of hyaluronan is a problem as step by step this goes around the body and their organs (kidney-liver) and they die. In the last years, two DNA tests exist in the market at a very early stage. One is from Upsala in Sweden and the other is from TIHO in Germany. The tests are not proved yet it needs more research and the safest way for the responsible breeder is to do a Congo red test after the death of the dog. It is hard but this is the only way. Many also believe that fewer wrinkles the dog is having the most healthy it is but this are not true ... it is a different thing and it looks unhealthy when you see Shar-Pei full of wrinkles with huge back legs.
Shar-Pei should have wrinkles at the head, neck and the base of the tail. At the moment the most important helpful test is PLL/POAG that prevent to have blind dogs in the future from glaucoma. Also, X-rays are important as many breeds for dysplasia.

I know from what you read maybe you will get panic to have a Shar-Pei. Do not be is good to know even nothing happens.
As a breeder that started with the breed before 18 years became and the owner trying to convince my husband to have a dog in our lives, I must say that I would never believe in my life that I would be a breeder... I still do not believe it. BUT THEY ARE UNIQUE and when you put a correct Shar-Pei in your life you will always want to have Shar-Pei.
That dog is going to be your soul mate. I have many dogs around us all day and I enjoy almost every moment the hard thing is only when they are gone... and it is usually very quick as they are very tough dogs, they will show they are in pain the last minute nothing before. For me is not easy to get over it after year I came to the conclusion that life can have good and bad moments. The most important is to have love around us and Shar-Pei is one of the most loving loyal... from ancient history...

Lila Leventaki
Shar Pei Precious Hug - Greece
FCI JUDGE
www.sharpei.gr

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