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Notes from Tina Wissen: Chinese Shar-pei are not for everyone!!! It's very important to identify what type of dog is best for your family and what your needs and expectations are BEFORE you bring a dog home. Young puppies are alot of work -- not only housetraining, but you can plan on several years of potentially stressful moments when they "push your buttons" with all their adolescent ups and downs. Puppies don't always blatently display their potential for temperament problems until they are around 1-2 years of age, so if you're starting off with a puppy, plan ahead and learn now, before it's too late and you're stuck in a bad situation. You have to be prepared for both everything a dog will bring to your life, and also what other changes you will bring to your life as well. Are you planning to move, get married, have a baby?? While it's convenient now to have dog, how convenient will it be in a year, 5 years, or 10 years?? If you aren't really ready to commit to having this dog in your life the next 10-15 years, then either wait until you are definitely ready, or possibly adopt an adult dog that's already been verified to have the personality and health expecations you are looking for. What one person believes is a good dog, another may not. This is a very personal decision that we cannot totally help you with - when is the right time to get a dog and what type of dog is best for your family, but we can at least help you to identify the 3 most basic personality traits of Chinese Shar-pei:
| Dominant: these are typically the most outgoing puppies of the litter, a dominant dog will be the one pulling on your shoelaces, barking at things, jumping its litter mates, and wanting all the attention. While dominant dogs are attractive because they exhibit the macho, confident temperament desired in the breed, as adults they can become potentially harmful to strangers, young children, or other pets if they choose to prove their dominance. This personality is more commonly successful with a single dog owner of strong character that has the learning capacity or experience in dog handling skills. Dog owners in general have to be aware of the potentially personal liablity of owning a dominant dog, as with other breeds that have already suffered from irresponsible temperament breeding and ownership. For tips on establishing pack leadership, please visit our dominance link or go directly to the Cesar Millan website. |
| Submissive: these puppies can vary with human response, depending on how much they have been socialized. Some will squeal when touched, cowering away from human contact, while others may be a shy shadow but still wanting to please their human leader. Submissive dogs may seem easier to care for because of their generally laid back personality, but in fact, can end up harder to train because of their lack of self confidence and unwillingness to try new things or go new places. A submissive adult dog will usually blend better in a multi-dog situation, but it depends on the other personalities of the pack to know for sure. Submissive adult dogs can be provoked to bite out of fear or defensive protection, so continued socializing is still very important. Please visit this link if your dog is having submissive problems such as urinating when afraid or frightened. |
| Independent: the hardest to explain and sometimes the most frustrating. While most Shar-pei exhibit independent behavior and loyalty to limited amounts of people, which means they may not be notably social or interactive, even with their immediate family. The independent adult dog does not highly depend on its owner's approval or find much psychological satisfaction in a human bond. This type of dog is better for those owners that aren't interested in a cuddly lap dog or one that requires alot of attention, but independent Shar-pei can be the most difficult to train because there is little motivation to please its master. Some trainers believe that training aids such as clickers help to improve communicating with more independents dogs and other animals. Please visit the Karen Pryor site for more info. |
If you would like more information on how to determine drives, behaviors, and personalities, please read my article on general canine behavior or click here to read more about training!
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