The Shar Pei breed originates from China and is probably best known for its abundance of wrinkled skin. This wrinkled effect is far more pronounced on puppies than it is in adult dogs.

Chinese Shar Pei are available in a range of colours including: sable, black, fawn, cream, apricot and red. Some dogs have heavy wrinkled large heads while others have smaller heads with tighter wrinkles.

In addition to colour and head size there are also two types of coat to choose from, Horse Coats, which are rough to the touch and prickly or Brush Coats, which have longer hair that is much smoother to touch.

Both males and females are normally about 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) tall and typically weigh anywhere between 40 to 55 pounds (18 to 25 kg).

As with most breeds, they require regular exercise to keep them fit and healthy (regular walks with opportunities to run should give them all the activity they need).

Chinese Shar Pei dogs are believed to be at about 2,000 years old but their ancestry remains a bit unsure. Some people suspect they descended from Chow Chows but no one is quite certain.

Whatever their origin may be, they have been used as working dogs in their native land, China, for years where they are used to hunt, protect livestock and as guard dogs.