i like shar-peis, but i have dealt with 2 aggressive ones. but then ive dealt with lots aggressive dogs over many breeds.

ive never been aware that shar-peis have a bad rep or heard people lump them in with staffies, rotties, etc.

The problem is, people who dont know the breed see them as fighting dogs, nothing more, nothing less and this simply isnt true, its a real shame as they are a lovely breed

Is that really how people have come across to you? Blimey. Most people i know would have no idea what a "wrinkly" was even called let alone see them as a fighting or aggressive dog. Most people seem to think they must be like a little old man otherwise why would they have wrinkles?! LOL!

kinda my impression as well

Sadly, yes. As the post i quoted proves. I hear "thats one of those fighting dogs" far more often than "thats a Shar pei" remember they are not as wrinkly as adults and dont look as cute (except to me ) so this can confuse people to what breed they are.

I just dont like to hear people saying they were bred for fighting as this is not the case and is why alot of people react in the way they do. I think they are an aquired taste (looks wise), you either love em or hate em, a bit like marmite

Mine couldnt fight their way out of a paper bag

Because such restrictions prevent the dog from rehearsing socially appropriate behaviours.



http://www.dogownershiptest.co.uk/

Well i am really sorry that people have been like that to you and that you have to put up with their misconceptions. I love wrinklies But then i love marmite too

The Shar Pei breed comes from the Guangdong province of China. The original Shar-pei from China looked very different from the breed now popular in the West. People in southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau differentiate the Western type and the original type by calling them respectively "meat-mouth" and "bone-mouth" Shar-pei.


Traditional Shar-Pei.The ancestry of the Shar-Pei is uncertain. It may be a descendant of the Chow Chow, however, the only clear link between these are the purple tongue. However, pictures on pottery suggest the breed was present even in the Han Dynasty (206bc). For many years the Shar-Pei was kept as a general-purpose farm dog in the Chinese countryside, used for hunting, protecting and herding stock, and guarding the home and family. During that time the Shar-Pei was bred for intelligence, strength and scowling face.

Later, it was used in dog fighting. The loose skin and extremely prickly coat were developed originally to help the pei fend off wild boar, as they were used to hunt. Dog Fighters used these enhanced traits to make the Shar-Pei difficult for the opponent to grab and hold on to, and so that if it did manage to hold on, the Shar-Pei would still have room to maneuver and bite back. The Shar-Pei's most intriguing feature to this fact is that if you grab them by any loose wrinkle they can actually twist in their skin and face in your direction. This was used in fighting as a means for them to fight back, they would be bitten and twist in their skin to bite back at the offender. During the Communist Revolution, when the Shar Pei population dwindled dramatically, dogs were rescued by a Hong Kong business man named Matgo Law, who appealed to Americans in 1973 through a dog magazine to save the breed. Around 200 Shar-Peis were smuggled into America. The current American Shar Pei population stems mainly from these original 200.

DNA analysis has concluded that the Shar Pei is one of the most ancient dog breeds[2]

that information came from the shar pei wiki page, now it doesn't mention dogs being starved or beaten to fight but it does mention a point relevant in discussing whether pitbulls are dangerous and that point is that it was some of the characteristics of the breed that were enhanced originally for hunting that were advantageous when put to fighting NOT the breeds temperament.

same with pits, they weren't picked out to fight because they are naturally aggressive but because of the damage they can inflict through it's size, power and tenacity. its unfortunate that another of their traits, namely their eagerness to please their owners was exploited to make them the top choice for dog fighters

i hope you don't think i'm being funny when i ask this but i'm curious which behaviours you feel would be affected? the reason i ask is because there was a rescue rottie that came to our training classes. he was about a year and a half old and hadn't been socialised as a pup. because of that he used to get carried away when playing and used to bite hold of the other dog once they started to play with him and then he would rag them.

he was a big dog and the only way to have him in the classes with other dogs so that he could be socialised was by wearing a muzzle and as far as i can remember a harness that had 3 connections for control.

to see him now he is a completely different dog, confident in himself but never aggressive and no longer needs the muzzle

not read the dog ownership proposals yet but if its anything like the others i have seen put forward it will be a fantastic idea that just needs some weight behind it and unfortunately that tends to be the hurdle that most falter on

All behaviours associated with being off-lead and un-muzzled.

In the Rottie case you have mentioned the muzzle was used a management device to aid safety while a new behaviour (or series of new behaviours) was being learned.

I didn't see your rottie chap but I would guess that he underwent a programme of socialisation that included the removal of the muzzle. i.e. he wasn't socialised and then told "you can take the muzzle off now" but rather the muzzle came off as part of the socialisation process.

If a dog is never unmuzzled and never off-lead it will never learn how to react appropriately to being unmuzzled and off-lead. I guessing but that may be why the rottie owners worked to overcome their dog's problem rather than just manage it by keeping him muzzled and on-lead.

That is very true. The dog world is woefully divided and, subsequently, cannot punch its weight in political lobbying. A recent GMTV poll gave 73% support for the DOT among the general public - I doubt that figure would be matched among dog owners (although it should!).

Hopefully organisations like The Coalition for Improved Dog Ownership Standards (try googling C-fidos) may offer an opportunity to achieve some unity or improve cohesiveness among owners.