Chinese Shar-pei Temperament
Notes from Tina Wissen:
Temperament can be one of the most frustrating areas in
Chinese Shar-pei. Unless the breeder is thorough in evaluating
compatible personalities, the buyer could possibly be getting
the wrong puppy for their family or lifestyle. People with soft
personalities and social lifestyles are recommended to think
twice about this breed. Shar-pei can be very stubborn and difficult
to train without determination and commitment to your dog on
every social outing possible. Even then, some may turn out
either dog aggressive, protective, or afraid of being around strangers, hence continuing
a lifetime of training. Temperament is genetically encoded, so we all need to learn to respect
each animal's limitations for training capabilities, and to breed and/or choose the most compatible
personality for your lifestyle and expectations.
Buyers and adopters beware, while
some adult dogs will become better managed with obedience and behavior modification,
nobody can completely change or remove their natural / genetic tendencies
for aggression or submission. Even the best home environment
cannot solve everything, so it's very important to know what issues
you can and cannot handle, especially with young puppies who won't
show the potential problems until they mature between 10-18 months of age.
Chinese Shar-pei are not for everyone, so all prospective homes are forewarned to use logic and objectivity when determining whether or not they can honestly handle owning one. The severity of temperament issues will vary according to evaluator knowledge and the adopter/buyer expectations and past experiences with the breed. Personal perspective can also influence your outlook on a dog's potential. There's definitely no black and white decision guidelines to determine adoptability and/or compatibility with your family. What one person believes is a good dog, another may not. This is a very personal choice that must be made objective as possible, for the dog and family's sake.
Choosing the right Shar-pei can be difficult, but if you know what kind of
personality you want, that's half the battle. There are basically three
types of Shar-pei: dominant, submissive, and independent. Some dogs
may display overlapping traits at some time in their life, but normally have
a distinctive trend of one particular behavior. Personality traits are
usually consistent unless they are going through one of their puberty
fearful stages. It's recommended to test between the ages of 6-8 weeks
for the most accurate behavior patterns. For the dog's sake, please do not buy or adopt a Shar-pei if they are not for you. It's only a family / rescue heartache waiting to happen when chosen breeds are not suitable for their new homes. Please learn before you own!
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 adults, 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 the type that are shy but
wanting to please their human companion. 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 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 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 problems
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 are not actively social
animals, the independent dog does not depend on its owner's approval or
find any satisfaction in a human relationship. This type of dog is
better for those owners that aren't interested in a cuddly, lap dog, or one that
requires lots of physical or psychological attention. Independent are
definitely the most difficult to train because there is no 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 .
Click here to read more about training!
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