Shar Pei: The Pros and Cons Nobody Tells You

The Shar Pei looks like no other dog on the planet: deep folds of skin, a scowling face, a blue-black tongue. Underneath that wrinkled exterior is a breed whose genetics produce some of the most specific health challenges in the dog world. Here’s what it gives you, and what it asks in return.

A short history

The Shar Pei traces back more than 2,000 years to Guangdong Province in southern China, where farmers used it to guard property, herd livestock and hunt. The loose skin was functional, letting the dog twist and bite back if a predator or rival grabbed hold, a trait that also made it useful in dog fighting and partly explains its wariness of other dogs today. In 1947, a heavy Chinese tax on dog ownership nearly wiped the breed out; it survived in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Breeder Matgo Law brought it to the US in the early 1970s, and the AKC recognized it in 1992.

The pros

• Loyal and calm: bonds tightly with its people and stays reserved indoors.
• Quiet protector: when a Shar Pei alerts, something is usually actually happening.
• Smart: with consistent handling, a fairly quick learner.
• Easy coat: short, coarse and needing only a weekly brush.
• Modest exercise: a couple of short walks and some play, so it adapts well to apartments.

The cons

Stubborn, and needs socialization

Shar Peis need firm, consistent leadership and early socialization, or they can become fearful, anxious or aggressive toward unfamiliar people and dogs. This isn’t a breed for a first-time owner unready to put in the work.

Heat

A shortened muzzle and skin folds that trap heat make them overheat fast in humid summers. Limit exercise in peak heat and watch for heavy panting, snoring or labored breathing.

Entropion

The best-known issue: the eyelid rolls inward and the lashes rub the cornea, leading to pain, ulcers and potential blindness if untreated. Many puppies need temporary eyelid tacking, then permanent surgery around six months. Recurrence is more common than in most breeds because of the extra skin around the eyes.

Skin

Shar Peis make unusually high levels of hyaluronic acid in the skin, which causes the wrinkles. It can also cause cutaneous mucinosis, fluid-filled blisters around the neck, shoulders and hocks, which can interfere with breathing if they form near the mouth or throat. The folds trap moisture and bacteria and need regular cleaning to prevent fold dermatitis.

Shar Pei fever

The most serious concern is familial Shar Pei fever, an inherited autoinflammatory condition found only in this breed, estimated to affect 20 to 28 percent of Shar Peis. Episodes bring fevers of 103 to 107°F and painful swelling of the hocks. The real danger is renal amyloidosis, a protein buildup that progressively destroys kidney function, sometimes fatally in dogs as young as eight months, though more commonly at three to five years. There’s no cure; colchicine can reduce fever frequency and may delay amyloidosis.