Shar Pei is a historical dog breed from China. The breed originated as a working dog on their farm courses more than 2,000 decades ago. This is a valued guardian, herding and hunting puppy for all years.
Unfortunately, the breed almost disappeared in the mid 1900’s and only a few remained to become the founding members of this contemporary Shar Pei breed.
Quick Details
Other Names Cantonese Shar-Pei Coat Horse Coat Brush Fur, Bear Fur Color Black, Brown, Blue, Cream, Apricot Fawn, Blue Fawn, Cream Fawn, Chocolate Fawn, Fawn, Cream Sable, Red Fawn , red sable, brown sable, blue sable, white Breed Type Purebred Group Fighting Dogs Life Expectancy (How Long They Live) 8 to 12 Years Size (How Big They Get) Medium Height Full Grown Shar-Pei Standard: 18 to 22 inches Small: 15 to 18 inches Toy: under 15 inches Weight of a fully grown Shar-Pei 45 to 60 lbs. litter size 4 to 6 litters approx. Behavior Characteristics Loyal, calm, independent, sincere, strong-willed Good with children Preferably older kids Barking tendency Moderately low (only when nervous) Climate compatibility Not adaptable to humid and hot climates Shedding (Shedding them) Moderate, except spring and autumn. Are they hypoallergenic No Competitive Registration Eligibility/Information FCI, ANKC, AKC, CKC, NZKC, KC(UK), UKC Country China
Release Period in Shar-Pei
) They will shed excessively during the breeding season to cope with the environmental changes. The release period can be before summer and winter start.
What does a Shar-Pei’s bear coat look like?
Photo by @willis_the_bearcoat (IG)
In terms of physical appearance, the main feature of the bearcoat Shar-Pei is its coat.
Horsehair
Unlike the Shar Peis brush coat, horsehair will feel rougher to the touch and can actually cause skin irritation in people who pet them and are more prone to allergies. However, although they are a bit more prickly compared to the brush coat, they have many advantages such as their slim appearance and less amount of shedding compared to other Shar Peis.
These dogs maintain a leaner physique due to their shorter coats as well as fewer wrinkles which together make them appear more toned. Also, since their hair is shorter and they don’t develop an undercoat (double coat), they don’t shed nearly as much. However, this prevents them from staying quite as warm in colder weather, so be sure to monitor the amount of time your Shar Pei is in the snow.