What is it like to own a Shar Pei?

I have owned 4 Pei. They are a wonderful delight. They are very unique. The most obvious “bad” is that some are prone to health issues. Other than that… they stubborn, loyal, very smart and hilarious. They are judgey 😂. They will wrap you around their paw and you will enjoy the ride. For the most part, they are low key, don’t require a lot of exercise and can be lazy and not show a ton of affection. But you are their person so they will love unconditionally. The best day is when they enter your your life and the saddest day is when they leave ♥️😓

Health issues are the number one thing you need to know up front. Eye tacking, allergies, skin problems, ear infections, SPAID, etc. Maybe you'll get lucky and you won't have to deal with all of these, but you'll probably encounter some of them. They are without a doubt one of the most expensive breeds to care for. You can mitigate some things just through diet and routine medications/maintenance, but the upkeep with this kind of stuff is above and beyond the average dog.

Temperament wise, they'll be very loyal and attached to you, but they're not lapdogs. Their method of cuddling is basically sitting in your vicinity with their back to you. But they do enjoy being in the company of their people. And they're probably in the moderate category when it comes to their activity/energy level. They enjoy a lap around the neighborhood but don't need five miles of daily exercise to get tired out.

They’re a wonderful breed, but unlike any other dog. Once you have one, you’ll only want more.

One of my favorite things about these dogs is they don't smother you, they are chill and a short walk is enough. Perfect for my energy levels and personality.

It's a privilege, if they are not aggressive. Their presence can o ly improve your life. They are regal and command respect, a trait that sets them apart from the rest.

Amazing - so different to other dogs - loyal and stubborn. So addictive. Really expensive to keep - definitely need pet insurance and very good quality food. You must train them to let you clean ears every week. You need to join sharpei health education on Facebook . Read up heaps

I’ve had three, they are all purebreds from the same breeder. Each one had some individual quirks and funny parts to their personality. All three made me feel so safe, they are very protective but at the same time they bond to the whole family, which is different, some dogs just bond to one person. I remember watching my dog watch my 4 year old. Just didn’t take his eyes off of her, she went to play in a new area he followed. They want nothing more than praise and positive reinforcement, they want to be the family protector, they seek that loyalty. He barked at the DoorDash guy tonight and It made me feel very secure (I am a single mom). I can say No! And he’ll stop. Very smart, so loyal, so goofy. They love to give kisses and licks. This was brought up this week on this sub. Don’t go too wrinkly! It’s not natural and it’s been done to an unhealthy extreme. They can have eye issues when their faces are heavily wrinkled, on the plus side having a mixed breed just 100% takes care of that issue. My breeder is in North Carolina if your around that area I’ll give you her info.

*Edited for spelling

I didn’t choose this breed it so happened. And honestly I really like the breed, they’re unique and not a dog that you see everyday. Very independent but, clingy enough to wonder what you’re up to. My boy usually lays around me and can be fine. He needs one 20-30min walk and is all out of gas. He can be playful, but again his tank will go empty and it’s nap time. Not a cuddler, I don’t mind he’ll let me pet and snuggle on his time. I would say very cat-dog like. A walking vet bill but, I’m lucky my guy hasn’t really had too many this far, he’s only 2. Stubborn and will have attitude! The amount of times he sighs and huffs at me is astronomical 😭😭 definitely not a breed for everyone!

There are also a lot of Shar Pei rescues too!

My Brodie insists on sleeping practically on top of me every single night, so if you're ok with slightly claustrophobic cuddles all night, they're the dog for you. He's the best boy, he's my best Bro lol, & also very stubborn.

After working with dogs I fell in love with them and got my own. The breed has health problems galore but they're amazing dogs. Goofy as hell dogs that love their owners but are typically not the cuddly type. Mine will sit next to me on the couch or chill in bed in the winter. The thing I love about mine is he is laid back most the time and just willing to chill and hang out. He has his wild moments but they are short. The breed is definitely difficult for first time owners or people wanting an easy dog. I've done a lot of work socializing mine and I do all his grooming needs at home. I've seen a lot of people aggressive pei.

It's great, but It's a breed with health issues. My guys had his eyes tacked twice by us and once by the breeder. We have to travel to a special vet for the 'shar pei' stuff, like his eyes. He's very smart but also more stubborn than any other dog I've had. I'd recommend the breed, but be prepared to spend more than you think at the vet and more time than most breeds for socializing training. I would not recommend if it's your first dog

I got lucky, my pei doesn't have too much excess skin for eye problems but ears and allergies I have to stay on top of or the skin infections are bad. Temperament, personality and cuteness she is the greatest dog. Very mild mannered, obedient, polite of other dogs and other people. Doesn't bark unless unknown people are in her territory, easy to potty train, and so great with my birds

Have served four shar peis over thirty years. Not a good choice as a first dog, not a good choice if you are deterred by spending hundreds of dollars per each month in vet bills, training, medications, day care. Peis do not gladly tolerate fools, and may not adapt well to boarding facilities or daycare services. They are stubborn, intelligent, and inner directed, not always motivated by food or owners approval, so they are challenging to train. But all those qualities identified by my fellow shar pei servants are true: they are loyal, sensitive and charming pets.

Other than the obvious things others have mentioned like health related topics, I really really enjoy the aspect of them being independent dogs. There are some breeds that are very very very attached to people and need to be with them 24/7. Which I’m sure there are sharpeis that are like that as well, but from my experience of owning 2 and fostering 2 others as well, they like to do their own thing most of the time! It’s nice that they will be next to you but not up in your face a lot. They definitely have moments of affection and love towards you, it’s just not ALL the time. That might be a personal preference thing though. I just enjoy dogs who aren’t insanely clingy. But there’s nothing wrong with it.

They are also (like others have mentioned) stubborn as hell. My dogs are aware of certain commands and what they mean. They do them everyday and if I tell them to sit and they don’t want to..they won’t. They just kinda stare at you like “ummm, that wasn’t on my to do list today🙄”They can be very sassy in that sense!

I also like that they are low energy dogs. I’ve grown up with breeds that had tons of energy and it seems to never end! So it’s nice to have a breed that sleeps most of the day, hangs out outside/guards the house, and is overall pretty chill. Of course they have their moments like all dogs, but the majority of the time they are pretty calm. This kind of translates into behavior while outside/on guard. I’ve noticed with my two, that after we moved and they adjusted to the sounds outside, that they didn’t bark at everything all the time. Our neighbors are always on there patio, talking, playing music, singing, partying etc. and my dogs don’t carry on. Even my fosters were pretty good about it!

That being said, we used to live in an apartment complex and had to take them on multiple walks every day. We adopted both of them (one at around 5yo and the other when he was 4 months old) They are both incredibly reactive dogs when it comes to other animals if they SEE them. I do think this was partially our fault as we commonly took our puppy to daycare/dog parks. This is where he picked up that behavior. Our older girl was a stray so I cannot speak on her past/background. I think the breed does have a lot of reactivity issues but that is just from my experience (which again could have been my fault anyway, so I understand not all of them behave like this). My boy who is a little over 2yo now, is not a fan of strangers making sudden movements, eye contact, or anything like that until they let him warm up to them. Once he warms up to you and feels comfortable, he is usually fine with you after that. He is not a fan of when stranger try to play with him though as sometimes he perceives it as a threat. My other girl who is 5yo loves people! She lets eveyone pet her and is considered very friendly. So not all of them are like that. Only place she hates is the vet!

I’d say overall that each sharpei is always a little different from the last! Out of the 2 I have permanently and the 2 I fostered they have all had a different personality. But overall they are pretty stubborn and independent (I wanted a therapy dog and needless to say I did not get that lol!) but also can be quite loving and affectionate when they choose to be! I think like all dogs they need good training at a young age, but I also think in order to avoid the stereotypes of them being not so friendly with other animals or strange people/situations, they need to be socialized pretty well.

I hope this helps, message me if you have any other questions! Not sure where you are located but pei people is the rescue I foster for. They are in the Southwest part of the USA. They are a sharpei specific rescue, so if you are looking for this breed please consider adopting via rescue and not buying from a breeder! There are so many out there who need good homes❤️

In the end owning a shar pei is a joy in your life you never knew you could have or actually needed with a dog. All the money you may spend will be worth it. Some dogs like humans take a little more care than others. You will probably never want to own another dog again with the personality that all have. Each one has its own. They make a lot of great noises.

Very high maintenance just at the water bowl! Whenever my kids hear the slurping they know to be ready with the beach towel!!!

Will forever miss my pei, 🐾Polo🐾. He was with me from my college homecoming parade & made the yearbook to knowing I was pregnant before I did! (He was extremely cuddly & never left my side, which started before I knew life was changing.). He was a baby guardian. He let my son pull himself up on him & learned to walk with him. He was gentle & yet, loyal. He didn’t care for a certain race of men - maybe the scent. Never knew where that came from! He lost an eye from cancer & lived like a pirate his last few years. He was my best friend. I’ve had numerous dogs since, but he was / is my fav 🤎🤍🤎

I have had 3 pei mixes, all rescues. The first one was with me for 14 years and was my heart. The other two are my family now, one is 3 and one is 4.

As others have said, they can have health issues, which can be expensive.

They are reserved. If you want a dog that is affectionate with everyone and their friends, this probably isn’t the breed for you. They are very attached to their inner circle, but that’s an exclusive group.

Yeah like others have said, I've had 2 and my current my Shar pei is just like the other, very stubborn, very loyal and very smart, their intelligence can be hard if you're not an experienced dog owner as you need to be quite persistent with their training to get them to listen but once they listen to you and are attached, you could not ask for a better dog, loving and cuddly but she'll also defend you the moment she senses danger.

I was just reading these comments out to my daughter and our girl shook her head and showered her with drool .... so there's that 🤣

My lollie is my princess and she damn well know it lol my wife gets jealous lol, she likes tombe left alone until she wants food,cuddles or play.

Clean the ears,eyes weekly brush weekly wash every month. Make sure to buy good products to wash them for there skin.

Look up shei pei fever and get a good vet that will able to give you a script when needed for antiinflammatory tablets when they get it, and depending how often maybe liver tablets as well but that's for your vet to decide

You will be wiping dog slobber off your walls weekly

I have two boys. One is 10 and one is 4. Polar opposites! The younger one wants love and cuddles all the time the older one will roll his eyes and sigh at you for trying to cuddle. No issues with the older one health wise, the younger one suffers bouts of Shar Pei fever, had eye issues as a pup, and prone to ear infections. Diet is key to maintaining their health. Raw diet and supplements run me about $500 a month.

It's rather easy, they are well behaved, clean, aware of what's going on. They can sometimes be a bit stubborn but if you spend enough time teaching them some basic behavior and rewarding them with treats it's easy.

We have a Shar Pit so I’m sure there are differences in owning a Shar Pei.

Ours has a great temperament , very good with children and people but we socialize him a lot and have since we got him as a puppy. He makes a lot of different growls and cries, it’s very easy to know when we wants anything. Hardly ever barks, hates water, slobber/drools a lot.

He’s been a great addition to our family.

Mutts are the best!!! Adoption is an option. Pure breeds can have a lot of heath issues so due diligence is required when selecting a breeder, but even then still. Lovable dogs that can have issues with socialization so key is to begin early. Such unique personalities

Good is they are loyal and guard the house, they are very clean and super easy to potty train. Bad is they dont get along with statnge dogs usually ans they have health issues that can be complicated.

Yea I have this opportunity to get one but everyone keeps saying that the health bills are crazy expensive. It’s the only thing that stops me. Sigh.

My neighbor has one- Jax has some weird breed-common inflammatory disease where he’ll get a fever that lasts for a day, he gets incredibly fatigued, and frequently has diarrhea. You have to spend a lot of time socializing them from a very early age. I’ve known two and while I’m sure they have devotees I’m not fond of their aggressive demeanor (like chows) and as someone who’s owned lots of guardian-type dogs with their own common health issues (Rottweilers, GSD, Cane Corso, etc) I’d personally never choose one. Ever.

My family breed Pei and I can say train them while they're young otherwise they will think they run the house. They're extremely stubborn but loyal to a fault. My current Pei will literally run over and sit between my legs if I sit down and will watch anyone that walks near me suspiciously. Amazing dogs though from beginning to end it's like having a small child around you and they have plenty of personality