How to Care for a Chinese Shar-Pei

The Chinese shar-pei is intelligent, playful and headstrong with a stubborn streak. These dogs are also dominant and will try to run your house if you let them. Early training is essential to establish your position as head of household.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Electric Dog Clippers
• Dog Balls
• Dog Beds
• Dog Bones
• Dog Bristle Brushes
• Dog Collars
• Dog Conditioner
• Dog Dish Mats
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Flea/tick Control Medication
• Dog Grooming Sprays
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Shampoo
• Dog Tags
• High-quality Dog Food

1. Have your Chinese shar-pei vaccinated when you first get him, and have him get booster vaccinations according to the schedule your veterinarian recommends to maintain the dog's immunity to disease. Consult your veterinarian about flea control products, heartworm preventative treatments and worming your dog.

2. Feed your Chinese shar-pei high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat. Crude protein should be 22 to 26 percent and crude fat no less than 20 percent. Also, the fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less.

3. Socialize your Chinese shar-pei at a very early age to be with children and other pets and dogs. They're very playful with children but can be aggressive with other dogs.

4. Avoid using a sharp voice when training your Chinese shar-pei. This breed does much better with kind words and responds well to positive reinforcement training (usually special treats). However, it's still important to be firm when handling your Chinese shar-pei.

5. Exercise your Chinese shar-pei daily, making sure you keep him on a leash at all times to avoid conflicts with other dogs. Consider taking your Chinese shar-pei pup to puppy kindergarten training classes beginning at about 10 weeks of age.

6. Keep in mind that the Chinese shar-pei is extremely sensitive to heat and must have plenty of shade and water when exercising in hot weather.

7. Brush your dog's coat with a bristle brush at least once a week (he may need to be brushed several times a day while shedding).

8. Bathe your dog as needed. Be careful not to shampoo him too frequently (no more than once every two weeks), as the Chinese shar-pei is susceptible to dry skin.

9. Check your Chinese shar-pei's nails frequently and trim them every two to four weeks. It's best to start nail trimming when the Chinese shar-pei is still a puppy. Also, check and clean your dog's ears often with a cotton swab.

10. Realize that Chinese shar-pei are prone to certain health conditions, such as entropion, familial shar-pei fever, ear problems and allergies. Some Chinese shar-pei with familial shar-pei fever may suffer swollen hock syndrome during fever episodes, and some will go on to develop kidney failure due to anyloidosis.

11. Expect your Chinese shar-pei to live about 10 years as long as he's healthy.

Tips & Warnings

• Chinese shar-pei are subject to cutaneous mucinosis, blisterlike accumulations of mucin under the skin. This is normal in the breed and not, of itself, associated with any particular problems.

• This breed has an avid dislike for water and will avoid it whenever possible.

• Chinese shar-pei lose their wrinkles as they age.

• Chinese shar-pei tend to snore.

• These dogs will drool after eating.