Many people do not realize that the Shar-Pei comes in different types. The breed is commonly divided into the bone mouth Shar-Pei and the meat mouth Shar-Pei. Today most people mainly keep meat mouth Shar-Pei dogs. Their skin is loose and densely wrinkled, and puppies are almost covered with folds all over the body. As they grow older, some of these wrinkles gradually decrease. The bone mouth Shar-Pei, on the other hand, has very little wrinkling on the body and usually only a few folds on the head, so the two types are relatively easy to distinguish.
Bone mouth Shar-Pei
Characteristics
The bone mouth Shar-Pei originated in China, especially in Dali County of Guangdong Province. People living nearby who want to keep one may naturally look there first. Prices can vary from only a few hundred to several thousand, depending on bloodline and quality. Some people say that truly pure bone mouth Shar-Pei are now very hard to find on the market. In reality, whether a dog is perfectly purebred may matter less than whether you genuinely like it.
Appearance
The bone mouth Shar-Pei is not wrinkled all over. Usually only the head has some folds, while the body is mostly free of wrinkles, though the skin is still unusually loose compared with many other breeds. This is one of the easiest ways to tell it apart.
Meat mouth Shar-Pei
Characteristics
The meat mouth Shar-Pei has been very popular in the market because people often find its look especially striking. However, people who have actually raised this type often discover practical problems. These dogs may develop stronger body odor more easily. Heavily wrinkled Shar-Pei created through foreign crossing and modification may look appealing, but the many folds reduce ventilation to the skin and allow secretions to build up inside the thick wrinkles. They are also said to suffer from many health issues, including poor vision, serious eye disease, frequent skin disease, missing teeth, inward growing eyelashes, and even deafness. Breeders who have tried to preserve the traditional bone mouth Shar-Pei have argued that it was these heavily modified dogs that damaged the breeds reputation.
Appearance
Meat mouth Shar-Pei puppies are extremely wrinkled, and the very cute fully wrinkled dogs often seen in image searches are usually this type.
In fact, the more traditional Shar-Pei from China is the bone mouth type. It generally has less body odor and fewer defects. The meat mouth Shar-Pei was shaped through overseas modification according to popular taste, and over time it became the version most people recognize and associate with the breed.