Everyone always complains about wrinkles...

[TIFFERS]

BUT WHAT IS THERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS! :07:

The odd expression comes from her being sedated. She was getting ready for her spay, but she wouldn't sit still while awake...so, I had to wait to take my pictures. :08:


http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Canine%20Companions/IMG_0191.jpg

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd182/tdyannd/Canine%20Companions/IMG_0194.jpg

[dlaura]

Poor baby! She looks so groggy in that first picture and so peaceful in the second.

[TIFFERS]

She was just so darn excited about her surgery! :p She wouldn't sit still...she really is a very happy dog!

[katiem]

They might not be a favorite of mine, but she sure is darn cute!

[TIFFERS]

Katiem, I would never own one...she smelled like death...even after bathing, sharpee's stink...but, man...she was fun for a few hours!

[katiem]

Me neither...at least until one is dumped on me that is...but they sure are fun as a temporary friend!

[RoxyGirl]

Ohh i love Sharpei dogs! I so want one someday!

Was it just this dog that stank, or is the breed known for smelling bad?

[krazy4birds]

Our daughter had one when she lived at home we called Ginger. We kept her
in the house and she was housebroke in 3 days. Smart as anything, she never ever smelled......
So....I would like to have one if I was up to it but we got Ozzie the cat
and that is a handful there besides my birds LOL

[TIFFERS]

They have horrid skin issues almost always...and it's their skin that stinks. I wouldn't say they 'all' do...but, all the one's I've ever met have smelled awful.

[krazy4birds]

That is probably because the ones you get to see are already sick and or stinky LOL
I have a friend who has a black one and I have never smelled him stinking either.
They are a breed all their own.....if they are like the one we had then they make a
wonderful companion pet. Ginger was very loyal and protective of her home. When
our first granddaughter was born, we would lay a quilt down on the floor for her to play
on and Ginger would go way out of her way to not step on the quilt but she would lay
right at the edge and make sure no one else stepped on the quilt either. I found that
very touching too because we were almost afraid Ginger would be jealous.........
Nothing to fear there though...

[squashynose]

You get two types of Shar pei, brush coat and horse coat (well there's also bear coat, long haired, less common). The horse-coated dogs don't have the wrinkles all over their bodies, only on the face, so they have less problems with their skin. Tho' they all seem to need face and eye lifts.
I've never met a bear-coated before, saw one from a distance, and everyone was all like "can you get long haired Shar peis?"
Anyway, yeah, they're cute, but I'd never have one, grumpy, territorial gits :biggrin: And I got bitten badly by one a long time ago.

[MollyGroove]

Awww... that is such a sweet face! I've only ever met one sharpei, and she didn't stink... I LOVE the wrinkles! I think they are so adorable!

[LuvPets]

Awwww, she does look really sweet. Poor thing, I bet she's feeling better these days. She looks like a purebred. DH and I rescued one a few years back. It was a puppy, she was a mix and had the wrinkles on her face but not on her body. She had skin issues, too. We thought she had fleas really bad because our hands and arms would itch after handling her. The tech at the vet's office told me that was common with shar pei's, it was something in their hair. She said it usually went away after a few weeks and she was right. I never noticed her being smelly though. Maybe thats more common to the purebreds? Of course when I had her I had to do some online research about them. They were originally bred to be guard dogs in China and the loose fur helps prevent them from serious injury when fighting with other dogs. I thought that was interesting, always wondered what that loose fur was for. Anyway, just had to tell you how sweet she looks all sleepy and wrinkly.

[katiem]

I've got to agree with Tiffers here, the Shar Peis I know all stink!

and LuvPets, they make me itch too!

[krazy4birds]

I have to agree with the hair.....it is itchy. Thanks Emily with the info of two different
types of Shar-pei's. I think Ginger must have been the horse coated. I did know that
the breed was originally
bred to fight. They were Chinese fighting dogs. Their coat was to their advantage because
when they got bit, whatever was biting got a mouthful of sticky hair and it was all prickly like
and that was not good because it
hurt. I hope they do not practice that in today's time.

[katiem]

the breed was originally
bred to fight. They were Chinese fighting dogs. Their coat was to their advantage because
when they got bit, whatever was biting got a mouthful of sticky hair and it was all prickly like
and that was not good because it
hurt.

That was also part of the advantage to the loose skin. They could be grabbed by the neck and still be able to move around and fight, where as a tight skinned dog wouldn't be able to move.

[squashynose]

Aaaand when one refuses to come in from the compound, it makes them harder to grab!! :grumpy:

[katiem]

You can still grab them easily, they can just whip around and bite you easily too!