The Shar Peï belongs to the second group in this classification: Pinscher and Schnauzer type dogs – Molossoids and Swiss mountain and cattle dogs. It is obviously part of the section of Molossoids type Mastiff. Members of this group are guard and defense dogs. They have a powerful, muscular and deterrent physique accompanied by a strong temperament.

The Shar Peï is a very old Chinese breed; it already existed before our era, in the provinces which bordered the South China Sea. Its exact place of origin would be the town of “Dah Let”, in the province of Kwun Tung. Used as a temple guardian, fighting dog, wild boar hunter, the Shar Peï was also entrusted with the surveillance of herds. But in 1947 , dogs are banned in China. It was from Hong Kong that a few subjects of this breed were exported first to the United States then to Europe in the 70s and 80s. The Shar Pei, with its unusual face, has enjoyed considerable appeal as a companion dog for a long time now.

The Shar Peï is one of the medium breeds; it measures between 40 and 51 cm and weighs around 20 kg. There is also a miniature version of this breed: the Mini Peï, which measures 35 cm and weighs approximately 15 kg, but it is not recognized by the F.C.I. The Shar Peï is a dog with a compact, compact, solid and square appearance. It is well planted and has the particularity of having abundantly wrinkled skin. His body is powerful, muscular. Its neck is strong, thick, with a dewlap. Its back is short, its chest broad and deep. The topline rises towards the rump. Its limbs have strong bones and its feet are compact. Its tail is moderately long. He carries it raised, straight or tightly wound on his back. His head is characterized by a flat and broad skull. A profusion of fine wrinkles covering the forehead and cheeks extend downward and form heavy dewlaps. Its muzzle is broad and its nose is large. Its tongue is bluish-black in color and its gums are also colored black. Its small almond-shaped eyes are deep-set and dark in color. Its ears are small but quite thick and triangular. They are set very high and pressed against the head. The Shar Peï's coat is always solid in color, black, tan, brown, beige or cream. His hair is short and bristly. It has an unusual hardness to the touch, which gives full meaning to the meaning of the name of this breed: “Shar Peï” means “sand dog”.

The Shar Pei is a fairly fragile dog. That said, its longevity is still estimated according to some sources at 13 years. The most common condition encountered in the Shar Peï is entropion. This means that the upper eyelid falls on the eye and the eyelashes enter it, which can cause inflammatory reactions due to irritation of the cornea of varying severity. As with many breeds, there are hereditary genetic diseases to which some are more likely than others. In the case of Shar Peï, there are essentially three: congenital idiopathic megaesophagus, familial Shar Peï fever and coxofemoral or elbow dysplasia. Congenital idiopathic megaesophagus is a pathology affecting the digestive system, which is characterized by an almost permanent dilation of the esophagus whose motor capacity is also reduced. The first symptoms can appear at the end of weaning with regurgitation of undigested food directly after eating a meal or even difficulty swallowing, which is observed by a lengthening movement of the neck in the dog. Clinical signs and auscultation guide the diagnosis, confirmed by an x-ray showing dilatation of the esophagus. A fluoroscopy makes it possible to observe the loss of motility of the esophagus and an endoscopy reveals the possible degree of impairment of stomach functions. It is a fatal disease. Lung problems due to regurgitation are often the cause of the animal's death. Treatments, whether nutritional or medicinal, aim only to ensure the comfort of the animal as the disease progresses. Familial Shar Pei fever is a disease characterized by the onset of sudden fevers before the age of 18 months and sometimes still in adulthood, even if their frequency decreases with age. They last 24 to 36 hours and are often linked to joint or abdominal inflammation. The diagnosis is made using clinical signs. The major risk of complications concerns kidney damage, more precisely renal failure caused by kidney amyloidosis. There is no treatment to cure this disease; only antipyretics to shorten and control attacks, anti-inflammatories to relieve inflammation and colchicine to treat amyloidosis can help the dog. Finally, the Shar Pei also has a predisposition to hip and elbow dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is a malformation occurring during the growth of the dog and which causes early osteoarthritis which can eventually lead to paralysis of the front or rear part of the animal. The symptoms are more or less visible and detectable more or less early, ranging from a change in the dog's behavior, fearing going up and down stairs, jumping, intense exercise sessions or showing a fault in its sitting position, for example. 'to lameness and pain. A palpation can be carried out at the veterinarian from the age of 6 months. Radiological confirmation can be considered at the age of one year. The treatments are medicinal (painkillers and anti-inflammatories, administered in conjunction with a diet recommended for joint health) and, ultimately, surgical (replacement of the femoral head, triple osteotomy of the pelvis or excision of the head of the femur depending on the case). . This risk should never be ruled out and it is therefore essential to go through a responsible breeder, who carries out adequate DNA tests for this genetic and hereditary pathology and who only breeds among themselves those individuals whose descendants present the least possible risks of being affected. Concretely, reproduction must be considered according to the diagnosed stage: individuals of stages A, B and C can be reproduced, but C only with an individual A. The following stages simply cannot be reproduced under any circumstances. Elbow dysplasia obviously concerns the animal's elbow joints and is comparable to hip dysplasia in all respects, except that the first clinical signs of elbow dysplasia appear very early, around old age. five or eight months. For its maintenance, the Shar Peï being a very clean dog, weekly brushing is sufficient. However, the folds of his skin must be monitored closely and regularly because they require special care to avoid possible skin conditions.

The Shar Pei is a dog with a dominant character, often aggressive towards its peers. But this does not prevent him from being a balanced, calm and affectionate dog with his master. He also loves children. His training must be firm but gentle. The Shar Peï adapts very well to life in an apartment provided that he can exercise daily.