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LargeNon-Sporting Group

Chinese Shar-Pei

The Chinese Shar-Pei is a southern Chinese general-purpose working breed documented back 2,000 years, nearly extinct by 1978 when Hong Kong breeder Matgo Law appealed to US breeders for preservation.

Calculate Chinese Shar-Pei age
Lifespan10.6 yrrange 10–11
SizeLargeNon-Sporting Group
Weight45–60 lb20.4–27.2 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Chinese Shar-Pei

The Chinese Shar-Pei is a southern Chinese general-purpose working breed documented back 2,000 years, nearly extinct by 1978 when Hong Kong breeder Matgo Law appealed to US breeders for preservation. The breed recovered; AKC recognition dates to 1988.

Aging

How Chinese Shar-Peis age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 10.6 years (n=6,354). Shar-Pei familial fever (hereditary autoinflammatory syndrome linked to hyaluronic acid accumulation) is the defining late-life concern, with secondary amyloidosis causing kidney failure.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 10.6 yr · range 10–11Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues6 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
45–60 lb(20.4–27.2 kg)
Height
18–20 in(45.7–50.8 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
Apricot DiluteBlackBlue DiluteLilac DiluteCreamCream DiluteBrownChocolate DiluteRedFive Point Red DiluteRed FawnFawn
Temperament

Temperament

How Chinese Shar-Peis tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

loyalcalmindependentdevoted
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Chinese Shar-Peis are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.