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| History of the Chinese Shar Pei |
 Shar Pei Early History indicates that over 2,000 years ago the Chinese Shar Pei is believed to have originated in the area around the small village of Tai Li in Kwangtung Province, a southern province of China bordering the South China Sea. The Chinese Shar Pei was prized as the all-purpose, general utility dog kept by peasant farmers. The Shar Pei was used for hunting wild boar, and protecting the livestock from predators, but mostly he served as guardian of his masters home. He was bred for intelligence, for strength, and for the valued "Warrior Scowl" that increased his menacing appearance and helped to frighten the barbarian thieves, against whom the farmers were always at war. Pictures on Pottery and Statues bearing a strong resemblance to the Shar-Pei have been discovered and dated to this period. More recently, a Chinese manuscript of the 13th century has been translated; it refers to a wrinkled dog with characteristics much like those of the Shar Pei. The following excerpt is from the book The Chinese Shar-Pei by Paul Strand and Eve C. Olsen. "During the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220), artistic fired-clay statues and statuettes depicting the life of the era were very popular, and the dog was a favorite subject. Fortunately, many of these Han statuettes have survived to this day and may be seen in such places as the Louvre and the British Museum. One such statuette is on display in the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Avery Brundage Collection, as the "Chinese Tomb Dog." And there are others in private collections. Anyone who harbors a tendency to doubt the antiquity of the Shar Pei has but to examine the Han dog figurines. These dogs portray, unmistakably, the same breed we know today. Although then not quite so wrinkled as now, the rugged, foursquare look, the tail wheeled over the back, and the celebrated warrior scowl are lifelike to an amazing degree. The name "Shar Pei" itself literally means "sand-skin", but translated more loosely as "rough, sandy coat" or "sand-paper-like coat" and refers to the two distinctive qualities of the Shar-Pei coat - roughness and shortness - which make the breed unique in the dog world. The Shar-Pei shares another distinctive characteristic with only one other breed, the Chow-Chow, in having a blue-black tongue, which may indicate an ancestor common to both breeds. However, proof of such a relationship is difficult and any documentation is incomplete. The history of the Chinese Shar Pei in modern times is incomplete. However, it is known that following the establishment of the People's Republic of China as a communist nation, the dog population of China was essentially eliminated. No dogs were seen in the cities, and few dogs remained in the countryside. During this period a few Chinese Shar Pei were bred in Hong Kong, BC and in the Republic of China (Taiwan). During the 1960’s there were very few left and they became the rarest dog in the world. In 1970 a man called Matgo Law began a rescue operation of his native breed. A few specimens found their way to interested parties in the United States. May credit this man in helping insure that the Chinese Shar Pei breed is no longer an endangered species. The breed was recognized by the Hong Kong Kennel Club until about 1968. Subsequently the Hong Kong and Kowloon Kennel Association established a dog registry and registered the Shar-Pei. This organization still registers the breed today as do other registries in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, as well as organizations in Europe, Canada and Great Britain. In the United States, the documented history of the breed goes back to 1966 when a few dogs were imported from stock registered with the Hong Kong Kennel Club. The American Dog Breeders Association registered a Chinese Shar Pei for J.C. Smith on October 8, 1970. Strong interest in the breed increased in 1973 when Matgo Law of Down-Homes Kennels, Hong Kong, appealed to dog fanciers in the United States to "Save the Chinese Shar Pei". The response was enthusiastic, and because of their rarity, a limited number of Shar Pei arrived in the United States in the fall of 1973. The recipients of these dogs corresponded with each other and decided to form a national dog club and registry. The Chinese Shar Pei Club of America, Inc. (CSPCA), held its first organizational meeting in 1974, and the club has been in continuous existence since that time. The first Annual National Specialty Show was held in 1978 and successive national shows have been held each year. The Club's primary purpose was to promote the breed, maintain the stud book registry and to provide a standard for the breed. On May 4, 1988 the Chinese Shar Pei was accepted in to the American Kennel Club (AKC) Miscellaneous Class. The CSPCA continued to represent the breed and operated the registry until the AKC accepted the breed into the Non-Sporting Group on August 1, 1992. The CSPCA continues to promote the best interests of the breed, maintains the Standard and serves as a Member Club of the AKC. History courtesy of the CSPCA and the University of Mississippi An incredibly intriguing and interesting History Lesson on the Chinese Shar Pei can be found on the Operation Scarlet Chinese Shar Pei Rescue web site and can be read by Clicking Here. |
Rescue Organizations:
Noah's Wish Disaster Rescue
North American Shar Pei Rescue
Chinese Shar Pei Rescue of Tennessee
The Chinese Shar Pei Rescue of Michigan
Operation Scarlet Chinese Shar Pei Rescue
APRAN - All Pei Rescue Alliance Network
Dominion Shar Pei Rescue of Virginia
Kentucky Chinese Shar Pei Rescue
Florida Chinese Shar Pei Rescue
R.A.S.P. Rescue a Shar Pei
Dog Ctr.com - Valuable Dog Directory and Info Resource  Rainbow Bridge - by William N. Britton, 1994 Chinese Shar Pei Club of America ( CSPCA ) How to Select a Shar-Pei from eHow.com Top Ten Reasons to Adopt an Older Dog How Could You? - by Jim Willis, 2001 History of the Chinese Shar Pei Guide to the Chinese Shar Pei We-R-Mad Organization The Senior Dog Project ASPCA Web Site |
Provided by the dog ramps store
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