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Shar Pei

The Shar-Pei is a type of dog breed known for its deep wrinkles and blue-black tongue. The breed originates from southern China. The English name "Shar-Pei" derives from the British spelling of the older Cantonese shā pèih (沙皮, Mandarin: shā pí), which translates to "sandy skin" and refers to the texture of the breed's short, rough coat. As puppies, Shar-Pei have numerous wrinkles, but as they mature, these loosen and spread out as they "grow into their skin". The Shar-Pei was named in 1978 as one of the world's rarest dog breeds by TIME magazine and Guinness World Records. Although the Shar-Pei has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th century, the American Kennel Club recognized it as their 134th breed only in 1992.

Fact About Shar Pei's

  1. Scientists from the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle, announced in January 2010 that they had analysed the genetic code of 10 different pedigree dog breeds. In the Shar-Pei, they discovered four small differences located in the gene HAS2, which is responsible for making hyaluronic acid synthase 2. That enzyme makes hyaluronic acid, which is one of the key components of the skin. There have been rare cases in which a mutation of the same gene has caused severe wrinkling in humans as well: see Excess skin.
  2. Compared to other breeds, Shar-Pei have an increased risk of developing atopic dermatitis, a chronic allergic skin disease. Dogs with allergic skin disease often get allergy-induced skin infections. Shar-Pei are also at an increased risk of demodicosis, a disease which happens when Demodexcanis mites proliferate and cause skin irritation, inflammation and infection.
  3. The Shar-Pei's loose skin and extremely prickly coat were originally developed to help the dogs fend off wild boar, as they were used to hunt. Later, the breed was used for dog fighting; these enhanced traits made the Shar-Pei difficult for its opponent to grab and hold on to, and so that if it did manage to hold on, the Shar-Pei would still have room to maneuver and bite back; when grabbed by any loose wrinkle, a Shar-Pei can actually twist in their skin and face in their opponent's direction. In fighting, they would twist in their skin to bite the assailant back.