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The name Shar Pei roughly translates into English as sand-skin. The Shar Pei does have a rough skin and tough coat. Everything about this breed is tough - its personality, its physical strength and especially its history.

For centuries Shar Peis were strictly Chinese. They were not allowed outside of the borders. The first Shar Pei did not reach Western shores until 1966.

There is no consensus among Shar Pei information sources where in China the breed originated. Tradition indicates the small village of Tai Lai in Southern China as the home of the Shar Pei breed. They are most likely mutations from Chow Chow crosses that were line bred or inbred in order to emphasis their mutations, most notably of the loose skin and the abundance of wrinkles. Pottery and statues of wrinkled dogs from the Han dynasty (ca 200 BCE) have been discovered. The first written reference to a wrinkled dog was in a 13th century Chinese manuscript.

Shar Peis were thought to have been originally farm dogs, meant to guard livestock, the farm and the farmer’s family. Even today, Shar Peis are very protective and leery of strangers. But then they were taken off of the farm and put into the spotlight of the dog fighting pits of China. This is probably when the emphasis on loose skin and wrinkles occurred. A Shar Pei is supposed to have enough skin to cover two dogs. Loose skin makes a fighting dog harder to damage.

Sadly, the dog-fighting pit is responsible for the development of many breeds especially bulldog types being developed in England about the same time Shar Peis were being honed to their current look in China. Unlike Shar Peis, the bully breeds in England (including the Old English Bulldog and the much-maligned Staffordshire Bull Terrier) were selected to be aggressive with other dogs but be eager to please any person.

A Hong Kong businessman, Matgo Law, managed to rescue many Shar Pei dogs and get them exported to Western countries through the Hong Kong Kennel Club. In the 1980’s, the cost of a pure bred Shar Pei puppy in America was astronomical.

It is harder, but training a Shar Pei is possible. However, only those experienced in training and living with large, active dogs like Rottweilers or Boxers should attempt to take on a Shar Pei.

The future for the Shar Pei looks grim to those who love to see things unchanged. There’s just not enough of a gene pool in order to assure the future of this unique dog breed. Considering some of the problems many have discovered with keeping Shar Peis, perhaps that’s for the best. Shar Peis are prone to many health problems. The most worrisome (and painful) is inverted eyelids, where the eyelashes constantly rub against the eyeballs. This can be cured with an expensive operation.

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