Tell me about sharpei's please

hulkamaniac · 07-02-2009, 05:50 PM

I've been talking to a sharpei breeder. I saw one at the local Humane Society a few days ago, but decided against adopting him because he immediately relieved himself all over the visiting room we were in. I decided that I really did not want to deal with a dog that had been kept outside 24/7 his entire life and wasn't housebroken at all.

Now I'm talking to this sharpei breeder who swears that sharpei's are usually housebroken at 8 weeks where they are and she's never had one relieve themselves in the house. Is it possible that this guy simply saw his kennel in the back as his house and seized the first opportunity to relieve himself once he got out of there? Or am I kidding myself?

She also tells me they're very, very easy to train and that all of hers follow her around her property without a leash and with no issues. Is this also true or is she just trying to sell me a dog?

Marsh Muppet · 07-02-2009, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hulkamaniac

Now I'm talking to this sharpei breeder who swears that sharpei's are usually housebroken at 8 weeks where they are and she's never had one relieve themselves in the house.

She also tells me they're very, very easy to train and that all of hers follow her around her property without a leash and with no issues. Is this also true or is she just trying to sell me a dog?

Sounds like you may be farting smoke for a few days.

I've heard they can be quite pugnacious, but the couple I've met were very friendly. Going only by what one of the owners told me--no 1st hand knowledge to draw upon--they can be a bit of a challenge to train. Kind of Chow-like, but not that bad.

Pai · 07-02-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hulkamaniac

She also tells me they're very, very easy to train and that all of hers follow her around her property without a leash and with no issues. Is this also true or is she just trying to sell me a dog?

You could always visit her place to find out if she's telling the truth.

hulkamaniac · 07-02-2009, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pai

You could always visit her place to find out if she's telling the truth.

True, but she's 40 miles away and I'm now getting an e-mail from her discouraging me from adopting the sharpei at the Humane Society because "in many cases, they're (strays) real nightmares." She's also advising me to adopt one of her puppies instead because it's much easier to get a puppy and train them the way you want. I've not had experience with puppies, I've just seen all the "My puppy won't stop chewing XYZ" or "My puppy won't stop......" posts. They're cute and sharpei pups are among the cutest, but man what a pain.

briteday · 07-02-2009, 06:38 PM

They have some health issues. The one across the street from us had very common skin problems, he really stunk the house up to the point that they started keeping him outside. They also have problems with the excess skin around their eyes, problems with both the skin and the effects on the eyeball (scratches). They are also high n the list for swollen hock syndrome, hypothyroidism, and many cancers.

Do a google search on "shar pei health problems" and I'm sure you'll get a boatload of answers.

Temperment...sweet dog, not the brightest bulb in the box but trainable.

FilleBelle · 07-02-2009, 06:56 PM

Alvin is a confirmed Lab/Shar Pei mix. He looks like a Lab (with tiny ears), but man does he have the Shar Pei temperament!

While the breed standard says that Shar Peis are "aloof," they can, frankly, be downright hostile if not properly socialized. They are naturally suspicious of strangers and don't generally put up with a lot of BS, which means they aren't always great with kids. They have a high prey drive and are often dog aggressive.

That's the bad end of the spectrum, of course. At the good end of the spectrum, you have a dog that is genuinely aloof. I call Alvin my Aspergers dog because he seems to be missing whatever it is that normally allows dog to connect to strangers...and he doesn't care about that deficiency in the least. Sometimes his behavior with strangers is downright embarrassing. They'll ask if he's friendly, I say he's polite, so they get down on the ground and offer a hand and he stares off into the space just over their shoulder. Doesn't wag, doesn't make eye contact. He's exceptionally well-behaved, but he freaks people out because he is so difficult to read. He has a completely flat affect around people he doesn't know. The groomer I go to cuts his nails once a month...and every time we go in she looks at him askance and asks if he's going to be okay without a muzzle.

Now, he's obviously friendly with me and my family, but he will simply never be a Lab or a Golden. He doesn't want to snuggle, he doesn't want to sit by my side night and day. He is very abrupt...sometimes I will be in the middle of Furminating him and he's loving it. Then he decides he's done and he simply gets up and walks away as though I were no longer there. Sometimes he will ASK me to go outside with him and I will...he'll sniff around, maybe chase the ball a bit, but when he's done he will go back in the house without me, leaving me standing alone on the lawn. From my research and personal experiences with other Shar Peis, I believe that all of this is fairly common to the breed, although not to every individual, of course.

I can say that Shar Peis are remarkably fastidious dogs and therefore truly are quite easy to housebreak. They are a great size...small enough to be convenient, big enough to be sturdy. They don't require vast amounts of exercise and, on the whole, they don't bark much. I can't say they're quiet, though...they are full of grunts and snorts and snores. They shed a lot of tiny and extremely prickly little hairs.

Shar Peis come with a ton of medical problems. They have eye problems (entropion and extropion, ulcers), hip and elbow dysplasia, Swollen Hock syndrome (backup of certain proteins in the kidney and liver...there's no cure for this, although it can be managed), tons of skin problems (moldy wrinkles being the most disgusting example), and ear infections.

All in all, I would tend to advise that pretty much anyone get an adult Pei, just because what you see is what you get. A puppy could end up being aggressive or hard to train, but if you meet an adult that isn't these things, it most likely won't end up becoming them.

Why are you considering a Pei?

Dakota Spirit · 07-02-2009, 06:57 PM

Here are some links that might be useful to you. They discuss common breed ailments, traits, issues, etc.

Health Issues Within the Breed
http://www.cspca.com/Health/Breed%20Problems.pdf

Owner's Guide to the Chinese Shar Pei (Discusses in detail the problems listed above as well as other points to owning a Pei)
http://www.cspca.com/PubEd/OwnerGuide.pdf

Shar Pei Club of America (The first two links are also from their website, however if you look under the Breed Information and Health sections there are further articles you might find useful)
http://www.cspca.com/

dakotajo · 07-02-2009, 06:58 PM

When I went for a walk with Dakota there was a guy behind me that had two of those dogs, they weren't behind me for very long. They were pulling the owner like crazy and this guy was very tall with long strides in his walk. Wherever they were going the dogs were gonna get him there fast! They never took notice to Dakota at all though and I'm sure they could get training for the pulling

RonE · 07-02-2009, 07:01 PM

There have been two shar-pei's that I've know well.

Both were lovely with the owners, but the first one (Rudy) was very aloof with everyone else and only really cared for a couple of dogs and people. Rudy died young and suddenly and my impression is that it's not uncommon with shar-peis. It seems like she was always getting shar-pei fever or some such.

The second was one of the most social dogs I've ever met. This is Bella getting mugged by Esther. (Bella, the bowling ball with legs, got her licks in, too.)

I enjoyed both these dogs, but you couldn't give me a shar-pei. I couldn't deal with all the health issues.

tigress · 07-02-2009, 07:07 PM

I'm not a shar pei expert but I've worked at a pet store and a vet clinic for years and in my experience, shar pei's are aloof at best (to downright hostile as some one else said). I've met one or two actually friendly shar peis and it took years to meet them. Before that the friendliest one I met would tolerate me petting him (but as some one else said, he was polite, not friendly). Not really a fan of the breed but I personally like more outgoing dogs.

What their owners have told me is they are good guard dogs caues they are very dedicated to their families (just not all that caring about strangers).

I would really be wary of that one breeder. Sorry, but it sounds like she just wants to sell a dog and to me that doesn't speak well of her (has she even seemed curious what kind of home her dog would go to? Is she curious at all about how you will take care of the dog? Has she been honest about any down sides to the breed to make sure that the breed is one that would fit you and that she isn't selling a dog to some one who might not enjoy the dog?). I mean the fact that not only did she discourage you from the shelter dog but was tryign to sell you one of *her* dogs as the dog you should get. It just seems from what you write that all she is concerned abotu is selling one of her puppies (I've always been told a good breeder already has homes lined up before she even decides to breed the dog).

Also, it's a bit unfair to judge how well that particular shelter dog (nevermind a whole breed of dogs by one dog you met) will do in housetraining by one incident. I have no idea how they take care of the dogs in that shelter but if he doesn't get much chances to go outside, it's hard for a dog to hold their pee when they are excited and have to go. My dog's almost two and if I don't give her a chance to relieve herslef before my friends come she still does a little bit of excitement peeing. And she's very reliable otherwise. Plus, he might have just been barely holding on to it so the first chance he got he peed.

zimandtakandgrrandmimi · 07-02-2009, 07:13 PM

"wrinkly low key pit bull with health problems minus the super friendly pit bull 'tude."

according to my friend who owns one.

they are on some breed lists though..just so you know..

hulkamaniac · 07-02-2009, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilleBelle

Why are you considering a Pei?

Mainly size and temperament. Plus, they're a Chinese breed and I'm Chinese.

FilleBelle · 07-02-2009, 07:57 PM

They aren't a popular breed around here...extremely rare, in fact, which is why I was asking. Never heard someone actually say, "I want a Shar Pei," lol.

Nargle · 07-02-2009, 08:16 PM

I'd just like to add that the breeder you spoke to sounds like she REALLY wants to make a sale. I'd have a hard time trusting her, especially since she keeps pushing the puppy when it's obviously not what you want, but that's just me.

I personally don't know much about shar peis, but I'm curious, what exactly are you looking for in a dog? Wouldn't hurt to have afew other breeds suggested to you, right?

hulkamaniac · 07-02-2009, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nargle

I'd just like to add that the breeder you spoke to sounds like she REALLY wants to make a sale. I'd have a hard time trusting her, especially since she keeps pushing the puppy when it's obviously not what you want, but that's just me.

I personally don't know much about shar peis, but I'm curious, what exactly are you looking for in a dog? Wouldn't hurt to have afew other breeds suggested to you, right?

Not at all. I'll take any and all suggestions. Mainly looking for another companion for Zero. I know three dogs may end up being a pain, but it'll only be temporary since Brutus has 6-12 months. Looking for a small-medium sized dog (30-40 lbs or less) that will be contained within my 4 ft fence. Low energy, laid back and easily trainable (in another words, no hounds

). That's about it.

Nargle · 07-02-2009, 08:53 PM

Japanese Chin, Shi tsu, Tibetan Terrier, and Miniature Poodle all come to mind, if the grooming isn't too much of a problem for you. And if you can provide lots of sprinting type exercise around the yard, an Italian Greyhound or Whippet might be worth looking into, but I'm not sure if they can jump a 4 ft fence.

Good luck with your search

hulkamaniac · 07-02-2009, 09:17 PM

I should've mentioned that I've basically ruled out toy breeds. They just look like I might step on them and they'd break. Too small. The sharpei breeder did mention that a 50 lb sharpei may play too roughly for a 15 lb spaniel. I hadn't thought of that, but it does seem to be a valid point.

rosemaryninja · 07-02-2009, 09:19 PM

Eh, forget about this breeder. Any breeder who glorifies the ownership of their breed that much, right off the bat, is a huge red flag to me.

FilleBelle · 07-02-2009, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hulkamaniac

I should've mentioned that I've basically ruled out toy breeds. They just look like I might step on them and they'd break. Too small. The sharpei breeder did mention that a 50 lb sharpei may play too roughly for a 15 lb spaniel. I hadn't thought of that, but it does seem to be a valid point.

Any dog might play too roughly for another dog to enjoy, regardless of their respective sizes. I think play styles are completely individual and often based on training, so you have to look for a dog that's compatible with what you already have and you have to teach it how to play at your house.

sheltiemom · 07-02-2009, 11:54 PM

You should pm sillylilykitty...she worked for a sharpei breeder for a while...