History of Chinese Shar-Pei

THE CHINESE SHAR-PEI IS AN INCREDIBLE BREED.  I FIND THEM TO BE MORE AND MORE INTRIGUING AS I KEEP DELVING INTO THEIR HISTORY.

AS MOST OF US KNOW THE SHAR-PEI ALMOST BECAME EXTINCT AND IF IT WERE NOT FOR A CONCERNED GENTLEMAN IN THE ORIENT BY THE NAME OF MATGO LAW, THE BREED WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SAVED THUS WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE DELIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE OF SHARING OUR HOME WITH THEM AND RECEIVING THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THEY ARE FAMOUS FOR GIVING.

ONE VERY INTERESTING FACT THAT I LIKE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE IS THAT THE SHAR-PEI APPEARED IN THE GUINEss BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS AS THE RAREST DOG IN THE WORLD FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN THE VERY EARLY 1970’S .

BY COMBINING  MATGO LAW’S INFORMATION AND BY DOING A LOT OF MY OWN RESEARCH, READING EVERY BOOK I COULD FIND ON SHAR-PEI,  I WAS ABLE TO COMPILE PRETTY EXTENSIVE INFO ON THE BREED.  I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE YOU BACK IN TIME AND TRAVEL THROUGH THE CENTURIES SO THAT YOU CAN BETTER APPRECIATE THIS FINE BREED OF DOG.

FIRST OF ALL IN DISCUSSING THE HISTORY, I MUST TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE NO CLEAR CUT FACTS ABOUT THE BREED'S EVOLUTION THROUGH THE CENTURIES.  LITTLE HAS BEEN AUTHENTICALLY DOCUMENTED.  IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY TO SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION.

THE SHAR-PEI IN THE ORIENT WERE ORIGINALLY USED FOR HUNTING AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE OFTEN USED TO PROVIDE MEAT, PELTS AND LEATHER.

A GREAT DEAL OF MATERIAL ON THE BREED REGARDING THE ORIGIN WAS DESTROYED BY THE EMPEROR CH’IN SHIH AROUND 255 B.C.  MORE INFO BECAME MORE SPECIFIC IN THE FIRST CENTURY A.D.  THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIFFERS FROM OURS SO MUCH THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO BE SURE OF PRECISE INTERPRETATIONS.

IT IS SAID THAT THE HISTORY CAN BE TRACED BACK AS FAR AS THE HAN DYNASTY IN CHINA WHICH LASTED FROM 206 B.C. TO 220 A.D.  THERE  ARE STATUETTES OF “TOMB DOGS” FROM THIS TIME THAT DO INDEED BEAR A MARKED RESEMBLANCE TO THE CHINESE SHAR-PEI.

THERE WERE ETCHINGS ON THE WALLS OF PALACES, CLAY FIGURINES AND ON VASES A STURDILY BUILT DOG WAS DEPICTED WITH SHORT LEGS, SQUARE BODIES AND CURLING TAIL ALONG WITH A SCOWLING EXPRESSION.

THE BREEDS FROM WHICH THE SHAR-PEI IS DESCENDED ARE ALSO A MATTER OF CONJECTURE, BUT IT SEEMS CERTAIN THAT THE CHOW CHOW IS IN THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE OF ITS BLUE BLACK TONGUE.  ANOTHER BREED THAT IS IN THE SHAR-PEI’S BACKGROUND IS THE TIBETAN MASTIFF.

THERE IS A THEORY THAT THE PROFUSION OF SKIN CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE DOG WAS BRED DOWN IN SIZE.  TO SUBSTANTIATE THAT THEORY THE ORTHOPEDIC FOUNDATION FOR ANIMALS CLASSIFIES THE SHAR-PEI AS A GIANT BREED DUE TO THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE SHAR-PEI FROM PUPPYHOOD TO ADULT.

IT APPEARS THAT DURING THE HAN DYNASTY THE SHAR-PEI WAS USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF FIGHTING.  WITH POWERFUL JAWS AND A STIFF COAT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ANOTHER DOG TO HOLD IN ITS MOUTH.  THE SHAR-PEI WOULD HAVE HAD ADVANTAGES.  THE SHAR-PEI ACTUALLY HAS THE ABILITY TO USE ITS COAT AS A DEFENSE MECHANISM, STIFFENING IT STILL FURTHER WHEN REQUIRED.  THE AMOUNT AND FLEXIBILITY OF THE SKIN WOULD ALSO GIVE THE ABILITY TO TURN AND MANEUVRE BREAKING THE OPPONENTS HOLD.  THE THICK AND SPONGY SKIN WOULD HAVE PREVENTED DAMAGE TO UNDERLYNG TISSUE.  EVEN THE SMALLNESS OF THE EAR WAS AN ASSET.  IN SOME OF THE ORIGINAL SHAR-PEI THE EAR WAS ONLY AS LARGE AS A THUMBNAIL.  SUCH AN EAR PROVIDED AN ATTACKER WITH LITTLE TO GRASP.

HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH BRED FOR THE SPORT OF FIGHTING THE SHAR-PEI PROVIDED NO MATCH FOR SOME OF THE HEAVIER BREEDS.  IT IS SAID THEY WERE GIVEN STIMULANTS TO IMPROVE THE FIGHTING PERFORMANCE AND STARVED, DRUGGED AND PRODDED WITH POLES TO ANGER THEM INTO ATTACKING.

THEREFORE BECAUSE THEY REALLY WERE NOT GOOD IN THE FIGHTING RING, THEY WERE USED MORE AND MORE FOR HUNTING WILD PIG AND FOR GUARDING THE HOME.

IN CHINA ANY DOG USED TO PROTECT PROPERTY IS CALLED A FIGHTING DOG.  IN THE UNITED STATES WE REFER TO OUR DOGS AS GUARD DOGS, BUT IN THE INTERPRETATION BETWEEN THE CHINESE LANGUAGE AND OURS, THE MEANING IS CLEARLY GUARD DOG.  i FIND IT TO BE VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT DUE TO THE MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERPRETATION, THIS TERM HAS GIVEN THE BREED SOMEWHAT OF A BAD NAME.

DOG OWNERSHIP HAD BEEN AT ITS HEIGHT DURING THE HAN DYNASTY, BUT THE CENTURIES PASSED AND THE RAVEGES OF WAR AND FAMINE TOOK THEIR TOLL.  DURING THESE TROUBLED TIMES THERE WAS STILL MORE DESTRUCTION OF RECORDS.

DURING THE MING DYNASTY WHICH RAN FROM 1368 UNTIL 1644, DISINTEREST IN DOGS LEAD TO A STEEP DECLINE IN NUMBERS.

THE COMMUNISTS TOOK OVER CHINA IN THE 1940S AND UNDER THE COMMUNIST REGIME PET DOGS WERE CONSIDERED A LUXURY.  HEAVY TAXES WERE IMPOSED FOR PEOPLE KEEPING DOGS.  MAO TSE-TUNG SET OUT A DECREE THAT PETS WERE SYMBOLS OF THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES AND ORDERED A MASS EXTERMINATION.  BY THE 1950S JUST A FEW SHAR-PEI STILL EXISTED.

IT WAS IN THE EARLY 1970’S THAT A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE INTENT ON PRESERVING THE BREED SEARCHED FOR SURVIVORS.  TWO OF THE GROUP WERE MR C.M. CHANG WHO WAS BREEDING SP AND THE YOUNG MR MATGO LAW WHO HAD RECENTLY BECOME INVOLVED WITH SP.  THE FEW THAT WERE FOUND WERE TAKEN TO HONG KONG SO THAT THE BREED COULD START TO BE SAVED FOR THEY WERE THEN CONSIDERED ENDANGERED.

MATGO LAW IS OF THE OPINION THAT THE SP WERE KEPT ONLY BY THE LOWER RANKS OF SOCIETY, FARMERS AND THOSE OUT OF WORK.  MATGO REMEMBERS AS A CHILD THE STREET TRADERS LINING THE PAVEMENTS OF HONG KONG WITH MANY BASKETS OF LIVING THINGS.  IT WAS IN ONE OF THOSE BASKETS THAT HE FIRST SAW A LITTER OF PEI PUPPIES AND BOUGHT ONE.  MR. LAW DOES NOT CONSIDER THE SP TO BE GOOD AT HERDING, BUT RATHER ONE WITH A STRONG HUNTING INSTINCT AS WELL AS BEING A GOOD GUARD DOG.

IT IS CLEAR THAT THE LOOK OF THE SHAR-PEI IN THE EARLY DAYS IN HONG KONG DIFFERS FROM THE DOGS IN THE U.S. TODAY.  SOME PEOPLE GO AS FAR AS SAYING THAT THE MEAT MOUTH DOGS DID NOT EXIST BEFORE THE 1960'S.  THE DOG THAT WAS PREFERRED BY THE CHINESE WAS LIGHTER IN BONE AND LONGER IN LEG THAN THE ONES WHICH TAKE RIBBONS IN THE RING TODAY.  PREFERENCE IN CHINA WAS LIGHTER FRAME, BONE NOSE, ONLY SLIGHT WRINKLING ALONG WITH A VERY HARSH PRICKLY COAT.  IN FACT, THE NAME SHAR-PEI MEANS HARSH OR SANDY COAT.

BIT OF TRIVIA
THE FIRST SHAR-PEI TO ARRIVE IN THE U.S. WAS KUNG FU AND ARRIVED IN THE U.S. JULY 6, 1973 AND WAS IMPORTED BY MATGO LAW.  KUNG FU LIVED IN THE STATE OF OHIO.

UPON THEIR ARRIVAL IN U.S.,  OVER BREEDING CREATED PROBLEMS FOR THEM BUT NOW THAT THE FAD HAS PASSED BREEDERS ARE BECOMING MORE SELECTIVE WITH WHAT IS BEING BRED AND THE MORE RECENT GENERATIONS HAVE IMPROVED IN BOTH HEALTH AND TEMPERAMENT.

NOT ANYWHERE NEAR EXTINCTION TODAY.  THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SHAR-PEI IN THE U.S.  IN FACT MANY MORE THAN ARE IN THE ORIENT TODAY.

I HAD THE EXTREME HONOR TO HAVE A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH MATGO LAW.  HE IS AN EXTREMELY HUMBLE AND CARING INDIVIDUAL.  UPON REQUEST HE SENT ME THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION.

SHAR-PEI WERE IN DANGER OF EXTINCTION IN 1960’S AND NEEDED TO BE REVIVED.  AFTER 30 YEARS OF RE-ESTABLISHMENT THE BREED IS FOUND OVERBRED AND SOME ARE UNWANTED, ABANDONED, HOMELESS, AND NEED TO BE RESCUED. I WITNESSED ALL THIS HAPPENING AND GET EMOTIONAL AND MY FEELINGS ARE MIXED.  I AM GRATEFUL TO PEOPLE LIKE DAWN AND ALL THE HARD WORKING MEMBERS OF OPERATION SCARLET.  WE NEED THESE PEOPLE TO MAKE THIS WORLD MORE LOVELY.  PLEASE SUPPORT THE FUND RAISING AND MAKE SURE THEIR DOOR CAN BE KEPT OPEN FOR THE NOBODY’S SHAR-PEI. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MATGO LAW
HONG KONG