What Do I Need to Know When I Bring My New Shar-Pei Puppy Home?

Temperament and Training

• Originally bred as guard dogs, Shar-Peis tend to become very territorial once they are established in a home and family. If your Shar-Pei shows signs of area aggression, Dr. Jeff Vidt of West Suburban Veterinary Specialists in Westmont, Illinois, recommends controlling your dog around guests by crating him or having him on a leash. Some dogs will guard your door and Dr. Vidt, who specializes in the breed, suggests using baby gates or a water-filled spray bottle to curtail this activity.

  Specifically, "Shar-Peis display a behavior known as 'sharking,'" states Dr. Vidt. They will circle and stare at their "prey" when they are nervous or unsure, characteristic of fighting dogs. They often "bury" their water and/or food when crated and show uneasiness when patted on the top of their head. Your Shar-Pei may exhibit dog aggression and you need to maintain control at all times when around other animals.

  This breed needs obedience training as early as possible to avoid any aggression issues. Crate training your dog from the beginning defines you, the owner, as "pack leader" and your Shar-Pei as the subordinate. Because of their intense musculature and low center of gravity, manhandling your extremely strong Shar-Pei can result in aggressiveness against you and is discouraged, warns Dr. Vidt.

Grooming

• According to the North American Shar-Pei Resue (NASPR), the Shar-Pei skin resembles the skin of the cat more than it does other dogs. The large amounts of mucin, a cellular protein, in its skin allow for the development of the large wrinkles characteristic of this breed. The NASPR states that your healthy Shar-Pei needs regular bathing and brushing with a good shampoo and towel drying; anything out of the ordinary is not necessary. This breed sheds seasonally (usually in the spring and fall) and brushing the coat during these intervals with a currycomb will get rid of the old, dead hair.

Health Issues

• The Shar-Pei is the only dog breed that develops cutaneous mucinosis--a condition that entails the mucin in the skin rising to the top layer and causing clear blisters. Usually found under the neck, on the hock and/or the flanks, the blisters break and leak a clear, sticky fluid. Mucinosis rarely requires veterinary treatment unless the lesions become infected.

  Fleabites cause allergies in many Shar-Peis. The saliva of even one flea can irritate the skin of allergic dogs, causing itching, scratching and hair loss. Fleabite preventive will sterilize the adult flea so it can't reproduce, but you will need to treat your animal's environment to totally get rid of them if fleas are a problem for your dog.

  This breed is predisposed to food and inhalant allergies. Allergies present as intensely itching skin and infected ears with the infection sometimes spreading beyond the ears onto the skin of the head and neck. Your dog's eyes may water and swell shut. Some allergic Shar-Peis show alopecia (hair loss) and swollen and inflamed toes, and may need treatment with veterinary corticosteroids.

  Your Shar-Pei's deep-set eyes and massive eyelid folds may lead to a condition called entropion--the eyelids roll in and the eyelashes scratch the cornea. Constant irritation causes corneal ulcerations and infections that will eventually blind your pet. Your veterinarian will probably recommend surgery as the only way to correct this problem.