Miniature Shar Pei

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Miniature Shar-Pei, as the name suggests, is a smaller version of Standard Chinese Shar-Pei. It is a purebred dog that has been developed by selective breeding of smaller Shar-Pei which have a recessive gene. Selective breeding of small size Shar-Peis makes the recessive gene dominant and the resulting puppies are born as miniature. The standard Shar-Pei has been used as hunting, guarding and protecting dog in the Chinese farms. The breed became almost extinct during communist revolution when one Matgo Law, a Hong Kong businessman, got hold of a few Shar-Peis and rescued them to USA where it has continued to grow.

The Miniature Shar-Pei is almost square, short and broad dog with abundant, tight wrinkling about the head and body. This dog does not stand more than 17 inches in height and weighs any where between 25-40 lbs. It comes with a slightly large head in proportion to the body. Almond shaped eyes should be dark. Wide-set, small ears should be triangular, hang close to the head and preferably curled back at the edge. Large, wide nose is dark or self-coloured. Medium length neck is muscular, set well into the shoulders and has abundant dewlap. The square body has deep and broad chest and topline dips slightly behind withers and rises somewhat over the loin. Thick at the base tail tapers slightly to a point, curls and carried over the back. The dog has short coat that is harsh to touch. It comes in solid colours only.

The Miniature Shar-Pei is NOT recognized by AKC or any other kennel club due to its size which is a minimum 18 inches for standard Shar-Pei.

Color

Only solid colours are acceptable for this breed. A solid color dog may have darker shading down the back and on the ears or darker hairs throughout the coat as in the sable.

Coat

The Miniature Shar-Pei has a harsh, straight and stand-offish coat that is either "Horse-short" or "Brush-short" with length never exceeding one inch.

Personality

The Miniature Shar-Pei is a royal, intelligent, alert, friendly and loving breed. It has an easy going and devoted personality. The dog is very loyal and affectionate with its family and master while not being unfriendly towards strangers. Its independent nature demands a confident and strong owner who can be a firm yet gentle and very consistent packleader of this dog. The dog is vrey playful and funny dog for all the family; one that will not tire until you have had enough. These dogs make excellent watchdogs due to their alert nature and tendency to bark to alarm the signal. Otherwise, this breed is calm and quiet. Its protective instincts and loyalty to its family means the dog will stand any threat with bravery and courage. Early socialization with other dogs, pets and children will help this dog accustomed to its family readily and know its place.

Care

This is an easy to groom breed that will only need occasional brushing to keep the coat clean. Tiny ears should be regularly checked for infection. Bath only when necessary.

Training

This is an intelligent breed that is easy to train with positive reinforcement training methods and a firm and confident trainer.

Activity

This dog needs moderate amount of exercise and playing time. Daily walking will help let off excessive energy as well as satisfy a dog's primal need to walk.