The Chinese Shar Pei is a powerful dog who comes from the southern provinces of Guangzhou in China. Well-known as the 'Chinese Fighting Dog' he's name means 'sand skin' and he's coat were developed to aid him in fighting.
The ancestry of the Shar-Pei is uncertain, perhaps related to the smooth-coated Chow Chow and the Tibetan Mastiff. Kept as a general-purpose farm dog, the Shar-Pei was also used for hunting, protecting stock, and guarding the household.