A little helpful information to help you better take care of your new wrinkled family member.
*composed by Kwang Tung Temple Dogs.
PLEASE read these two pages before adopting one of our puppies. They contain some of the most valuable information you will need to know!
1. We feed ONLY soy free dog food to our Shar-Pei.
2. Do not take your puppy anywhere except to the vet until it recevies it's 4th and final dhppc vaccination. When visiting the vet, do not place your puppy on the floor or any area where other pups could have touched. PARVO is extremely contagious and most times fatal.
Also limit visitors to your home (human or pet) who may unknowingly bring the Parvo virus to your home and puppy.
3. Bathe your Pei not more than twice a month, especially in the winter. Frequent bathing destoys the oils needed for a healthy Pei coat. These oils also give Pei that unique "musky odor". When you do bathe, place cotton in the ears to limit water intake. Wet ears increase risk of infection. Pei ears can be as wrinkled as the pei itself, and ear infections can be a problem. Clean the ears after a bath with cotton balls and swabs. Your vet should be more than happy to show you how to do this. Contact your vet if you notice a strange, sour smell coming from the ears; this could be the first sign of infection.Be sure to rinse ALL shampoo from the Pei coat to prevent rash.
4. Contrary to popular rumor, Shar-Pei folds do not get mold, and do not require specialized cleaning. However, after a messy meal, clean the face folds to prevent possible infection.
5. Your puppy may experience loose stools when she first arrives. This is due to stress form the trip and new environment. This should clear up within a couple of days.
6. Feed the food your Pei is used to eating to avoid upsetting it's stomach. If you do decide to switch foods, do so by gradually introducing new food to the food your Pei is accustomed to eating.
8. When walking your Pei, use a snug fitting harness. This protects against the problems posed by a collar. A harness also gives you more control over your Pei.
9. Pei are not known for being excessive chewers in general. However, all dogs chew to some extent. Invest in a non-chewing spray such as Sour Apple. ALso, spray on deoderant works well to deter chewing. Aluminum pet dishes are best as Pei will chew plastic.
10. Pei have thick muzzles and need larger, open feeding and watering dishes. They won't be comfortable eating or drinking from small dishes.
11. Pei do well if introduced to small animals as young puppies, but be wary of introducing an adult Pei to small animals. Pei are natural hunters and will envision this smaller animal as possible prey.
12. Be wary of rawhide chews. These can get caught in the intestines and cause pain and even death. Soy free dog biscuits are ideal. Also, Nylabone produces a nylon chew rope that they enjoy. ALWAYS buy dog products that are made in the USA. Other countries sometimes do not have the same standards for pets as the USA.
13. As a Pei owner, from the very beginning, YOU must be the "PACK LEADER". Pei are very much "pack" animals and need the dominant alpha leader. You must take the position form the very start and set standards and rules for your Pei. If your Pei becomes the pack leader, it is not a position he/she will relinquish easily.
Genes say Chinese Shar-Pei have a lot in common with wolves. Shar-Pei are among the three closest of dog breeds to their wild wolf ancestors. Two branches of the canine family tree were the earliest to diverge from the wolves, the study found, and
One branch includes the oriental breed the Shar-Pei.The wrinkly Shar-Pei, it turns
out, is much closer to its wolf ancestors than is the German shepherd.
Could the Shar-Pei actually be a Wolf in sheep's clothing?
People often ask us what it is like to live with one or more Shar-Pei?
We tell them "Watch the Wolf documentaries". Watching Wolves will give you the closest idea as to the workings of the mind of the Chinese Shar-Pei.