(Chinese fighting dog)
The Chinese
Shar-Pei, an ancient and unique breed, is thought to have originated in
the area around the small village of Tai Li in Kwangtung Province, and has
existed for centuries in the southern provinces of China, apparently since the
Han Dynasty (c. 200 B.C.). 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 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.
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).
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.