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26-453: There are no records indicating the origins of the shar pei, although it closely resembles effigies of an un-wrinkled type of guard dog kept in southern China during the Han dynasty ; some believe the modern breed, along with the chow chow , descends from these dogs. The breed has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th century. The shar pei

52-535: A 24% of Shar-Peis over the age of 2 to suffer from elbow dysplasia . The Shar Pei is one of the more commonly affected breeds for primary open angle glaucoma . An autosomal recessive mutation of the ADAMTS17 gene is responsible for the condition in the breed. A review of hospital records in North America found 4.4% of Shar-Peis to suffer from glaucoma compared to 0.71% for mixed-breeds . The Shar Pei

78-584: A guard dog is then capable of attacking and/or restraining the intruder. Livestock guardian dogs are often large enough—100–200 pounds (45–91 kg)—and strong enough to attack and drive away livestock predators . Some smaller breeds (such as Keeshonden and Tibetan Terriers ) are excellent watchdogs, but not guard dogs, because they bark loudly to alert their masters of intruders, but are physically small and not given to assertive behavior. Guard dogs will bark to alert their master and to warn of an approaching animal or human threat prior to their interception of

104-522: A large, dark-colored dog in a dark house (lights off) would give the dog an advantage over the burglar. It is claimed that female dogs tend to make better personal guardians than males, due to maternal instincts, but males are considered better for guarding property because of their greater territorial instinct. That may be true in general, but all dogs are individuals. Many currently prominent guard dogs started as general purpose farm dogs , but gradually developed into guard breeds. Some dog breeds such as

130-662: A manner typical of spitz-type dogs. A 2024 study in the UK found a life expectancy of 10.6 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds . A review of over 23,000 records from the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Sydney found 7.7% of Shar-peis to have atopic dermatitis , higher than the overall of 3.1%. A review of records from over 600 US hospitals found 4% of Shar-peis under

156-595: A reputation for being very intolerant of strangers and guests to the home and property. Other fierce guard dogs include breeds and landraces of the Ovtcharka type and other farm guard dogs such as the Boerboel . Some breeds who make excellent guards are more commonly having breed specific legislation passed against them, banning them from some communities and whole countries. The laws regarding ownership and usage of guard dogs vary from country to country. In England

182-405: Is a short-coated medium-sized breed of dog, renowned for its excessively wrinkled skin. The breed resembles many dog breeds from the mastiff family; however, it is most closely related to spitz breeds, with the chow chow being its closest relative. This is most clearly seen with the two breeds both possessing unique blue-black tongues. This dog falls within the same genetic group as the chow-chow,

208-492: Is estimated only 50 to 100 examples of this type remain. In the United States, a number of breeders have selectively bred shar peis for a smaller size, creating what they call the "miniature shar pei", much to the opposition of many breeders of traditionally sized shar peis. Standing to a maximum 40 centimetres (16 in), the miniature shar pei is bred for both for its smaller size and increased wrinkles. The shar pei

234-404: Is one of the two most commonly affected breeds for hiatal hernia . Guard dog A guard dog or watchdog (not to be confused with an attack dog ) is a dog used to watch for and guard people or property against unwanted or unexpected human or animal intruders. The use of dogs as guardians is well known since ancient times. The Romans used to put mosaics ( Cave canem mosaics) at

260-461: Is predisposed to several skin conditions including: allergic skin disease , cutaneous mucinosis , intertrigo , otitis externa , and vasculopathy . Shar Pei fever (also called familial Shar Pei fever or FSF ) is a condition seen in Shar Pei characterized by recurring fever and swelling of the hocks . It is similar to familial Mediterranean fever in humans. The cause is unknown, but it

286-417: Is relatively large compared to its body with a broad muzzle that usually darker than the rest of the coat and well padded causing a bulge at its base, the ears are set wide apart and are small and triangular, and the eyes are set very deeply into the folds of skin on the head. The breed has straight, well boned, muscular legs below sloping shoulders and a medium length broad tail that is curled over their back in

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312-418: Is thought to be inherited. Shar Pei fever can result in renal and liver failure through accumulation of amyloid in those organs (amyloidosis). Affected Shar Pei have an elevated level of interleukin 6 , and this leads to an accumulation of acute phase proteins in the body during the fevers. The acute phase proteins are broken down to form type AA amyloid, which deposits in the kidneys and less so in

338-666: The Dobermann and the Dogue Brasileiro were specifically bred to guard. Guard dogs are not restricted to mastiffs. Other dogs, like some shepherd dogs , Spitz dogs, cattle dogs and some catch dogs are also great guard dogs as well as being useful as multifunctional dogs, acting as attack dogs , personal protection dogs, police dogs, sport dogs such as schutzhund dogs, etc. Guard dog breeds tend to be territorial, averse to strangers, dominant, and protective and loyal with family. The Fila Brasileiro for example has

364-450: The Greek mythology known for guarding Geryon 's red cattle. Some ancient guard dogs in more urban areas, such as the extinct bandogges , were chained during the day and released at night to protect properties, camps and villages. Both guard dogs and watchdogs bark loudly to alert their owners of an intruder's presence and to scare away the intruder. The watchdog's function ends here;

390-594: The akita , the shiba inu , the malamute and the Greenland dog . Adult shar peis typically stand between 44 and 51 centimetres (17 and 20 in) and weigh between 16 and 20 kilograms (35 and 44 lb), they have a short, very harsh coat that can be any solid colour except white, although black, red, fawn and cream are the most common. The Chinese breed standard states they have clam-shell ears, butterfly nose, melon-shaped head, grandmotherly face, water buffalo neck, horse's buttocks and dragon's legs. The breed's head

416-515: The liver , spleen , and gastrointestinal tract . This eventually leads to kidney or liver failure by the age of six years. The symptoms of Shar Pei fever include fever, swelling, and pain in the hocks that usually resolves within two days. The swelling in the hocks is easily recognizable—the hock will resemble a flaccid waterballoon, rather than stiff swelling following a sprain or break. The symptoms can be treated with NSAIDs such as carprofen . Kidney and liver failure cannot be treated except by

442-488: The United States for examples of the breed, and unscrupulous breeders in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan took to crossing their remaining purebred animals with other breeds including the bull terrier , pug and bulldog , and selling the offspring to unwitting American buyers. The results of the crossings led to a dog with a much fleshier mouth than the original breed, these dogs became known as "meat-mouth" shar peis, while

468-482: The age of 2 to suffer from juvenile onset demodicosis compared to just 0.58% overall. A study in the UK found the Shar-pei to have an overall prevalence of 0.9% compared to 0.17% for the general population. For juvenile onset demodicosis (under 2 years) the Shar-pei had a prevalence of 1.8% compared to 0.48%. For adult onset demodicosis (over 4 years) the Shar-pei had a prevalence of 0.6% compared to 0.05%. The Shar-pei

494-427: The best at watchdog barking: If the risk is from human intruders, a suitable dog can be simply trained to be aggressive towards unrecognized humans and then tethered or enclosed unsupervised in an area that the owner wishes to protect when he is not around (such as at night); the stereotypical " junkyard dog" is a common example of this. If the purpose of the dog is to protect against human intruders after nightfall,

520-546: The conventional manner usually used for those diseases. Prevention of amyloidosis is sometimes used in dogs with recurring episodes of Shar Pei fever. Colchicine and dimethyl sulfoxide are most commonly used. The disease is associated with the Western type and it is estimated that 23% of dogs in the US are affected. The Shar-pei is prediposed to hypothyroidism . A common problem is a painful eye condition, entropion , in which

546-406: The entrance of the houses to warn visitors and intruders of the presence of dangerous dogs at the property. One of the first dog types used as guardians were the ancestral Mastiff -type landraces of the group known as Livestock guardian dogs which protected livestock against large predators such as wolves , bears and leopards . Orthrus is a famous example of a livestock guardian dog from

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572-478: The eyelashes curl inward, irritating the eye. If untreated, it can cause blindness. This condition can be fixed by surgery—"tacking" up the eyelids so they will not roll onto the eyeball for puppies, or surgically removing extra skin in adolescent and older shar peis. Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common problem in the Shar Pei and is suspected to be hereditary. A review of over 250,000 elbow scans in North America found

598-480: The main legislation relating to the use of guard dogs on commercial premises are contained within the 1975 Guard Dogs Act. The act specifies the requirements of kennels and the need to display guard dog warning signs at the entrance to sites. Cutaneous mucinosis Mucinoses are a group of cutaneous diseases caused by fibroblasts producing abnormally large amounts of acid mucopolysaccharides (i.e. mucin ), usually hyaluronic acid . Cutaneous mucinosis

624-405: The original dogs are called "bone-mouth" shar peis. The cause of saving the breed was taken up in the United States by enthusiastic breeders using the dogs smuggled there in the 1970s, a breed club was founded and it received American Kennel Club recognition in 1992, with breed standard specifying a meat-mouth type dog. Some breeders in Hong Kong maintain the traditional bone-mouth type, although it

650-583: The trespasser. They are different from the smaller watchdogs in that they do not continue barking; they take action. Specifically, livestock guardian dogs such as the Kangal use loud alarm barks as a first line of defense against presumed threats; if these do not deter a perceived foe (either human or animal predators), other displays such as bluffing and charging are employed. For livestock guardians, proactive forms of defense such as bites are only used if all other forms of deterrence fail. The following breeds are

676-595: Was once very popular, but war and political turmoil in China in the 20th century took its toll on the breed and by the 1970s it was close to extinction. In 1973 a Hong Kong businessman named Matgo Law appealed to the international community, in particular the American Kennel Club , to help save the breed; by 1978 the breed was named by The Guinness Book of Records as the world's rarest breed, with only 60 remaining. The resultant publicity led to great demand in

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