Dali Shar Pei

Dali Shar Pei

　　The Shar Pei originated in the Dali area and is one of the world’s renowned dog breeds.

　　It stands about 46–56 cm tall, weighs between 22–27 kg, has a short back, a head larger than its body, a black nose, a deep blue tongue, wrinkled skin on the face and body, small drooping ears, short and stiff fur, a hippo-like head, a tile-shaped mouth, and triangular eyes. Due to its wrinkled skin, it is called the Shar Pei. “Shar Pei” means shark skin or sandpaper.

　　The Shar Pei is also known as the “Dali Dog” or “Chinese Fighting Dog,” and is a rare dog breed in the world. The Dali Shar Pei has been ranked alongside the Xian Dog and the Tibetan Mastiff as one of China’s three famous dog breeds. It is one of only ten purebred Chinese dog breeds recognized by the international canine community to date and is also among the rarest dog breeds still in existence in the world.

　　The so-called Dali Shar Pei is actually different from the “meat-mouth” Shar Pei that serves as its image representative. The original Shar Pei from the place of origin also had wrinkles all over its body when young, but these gradually disappeared as it grew. Its body developed extremely short and upright single-layer fur, which locals vividly called “horsehair.” They have a lean and agile build, and their mouths resemble “tile jars,” earning them the name “bone-mouth” to distinguish them from the heavily wrinkled “meat-mouth” of foreign Shar Peis. Some Hong Kong dog owners believe that early Shar Peis had lighter bone structure and longer legs, covered in dense horsehair, with only very slight wrinkles on the head. The “bone-mouth” Shar Pei has minimal padding on the muzzle, making the entire muzzle appear thin, and the cheeks look gaunt from the front, as if the dog had gone hungry for days. The “meat-mouth” Shar Pei, on the other hand, has thick padding on the muzzle and heavier bone structure, while the lighter-boned Shar Peis find it structurally difficult to support such a large-headed “meat-mouth.”

　　In the Dali dog market, the demand for Shar Peis gradually rose in the late 1990s. Especially in 1997, many people from Hong Kong bought them, and most hoped to get Shar Peis with the wrinkliest skin possible. As a result, the market for crossbred Shar Peis far outperformed that of purebreds. The Shar Pei market peaked between 1997 and 1999.

　　In Dali, there is Huang Zhuhua, who insists on raising the Dali Shar Pei. On Huang Zhuhua’s business card, he identifies himself as a breeder of the national treasure original “bone-mouth” Shar Pei and as a successor of the Dali Shar Pei. Whenever someone visits his pet market stall, he explains to the public: the Dali Shar Pei is absolutely not like the wrinkled “clumsy foreign dogs.” They are agile, good at fighting, very healthy, and make excellent family pets.

　　Huang Zhuhua believes that to raise a good Shar Pei, it should participate in at least four dog shows during its growth: when the dog is three to six months old, six to twelve months old, one to two years old, and after two years old. Huang Zhuhua says, “It’s really just like raising a child — the earlier you expose the dog to the world, the more unique it will become.”

　　How can the current downturn in the Dali dog market be overcome? Industry insiders believe that to promote the visibility of the Dali Shar Pei and establish it as an international breed as soon as possible, relevant authorities should regulate the Dali Shar Pei market, regularly host large-scale dog shows to introduce the Shar Pei to domestic and international audiences, and expand sales channels. At the same time, regular updates on Shar Pei market trends should be released to provide timely feedback and reduce blind business decisions. Additionally, scientific techniques should be used to improve the breed, purify the Shar Pei lineage, promote the reproduction of purebred Shar Peis, and breed a new generation of miniature Shar Peis based on market demand. These are all crucial steps to help the Dali Shar Pei emerge from its downturn.