Miniature Shar Pei or Mini Shar Pei
Hello!!
I am a Miniature Shar Pei, also known as a Mini Shar Pei. I am a purebred Chinese Shar Pei and I come from the exact same lines that every other Shar Pei comes from. I am not the runt from a litter of standard sized Shar Pei puppies. Selective breeding of small Shar Pei over generations produces lines that are consistently small.
I do not conform to the AKC standard, which states the height of the Chinese Shar Pei to be 18 to 20 inches when measured at the withers and weight to be 45 to 60 pounds. A Miniature Shar Pei is 17 inches or under when measured at the shoulder. Weight will depend on my height and build. A 15 inch stocky built Miniature Shar Pei can weigh the same as a 17 inch slender built Mini Shar Pei. My weight can range from 25 pounds to about 40 pounds. I can be registered with the AKC just like my larger relatives as a Chinese Shar Pei. But the AKC does not recognize my size and you will hear a lot of Shar Pei breeders claim that we don't exist because of this. There are a lot of AKC champion Shar Pei that are 17 inches tall or under. Some of the top ranked Chinese Shar Pei over the years have been 17 inches or under in size.
I am no more or less healthy than any other Shar Pei. It all depends on which lines I come from. So be sure to work with a reputable Shar Pei breeder.
This breed is being developed to provide a small, unique, intelligent family companion. Its sturdy, compact size makes this a versatile pet suited to a wide variety of lifestyles.
General Appearance
The Miniature Shar Pei shall be short, broad, almost square in proportion of body length to height. The most notable characteristic is the abundant, tight wrinkling about the head and body.
Size
Height will not exceed 17 inches at the withers excluding the wrinkles. Over 17 inches in height is a disqualification.
Head
The head should be slightly large in proportion to the body. Eyes should be dark, clear, and almond shaped being neither sunken nor protruding. In dilute dogs, the eye color may be lighter. Ears should be small, triangular, thick, lying close to the head and preferably curled back at the edge. They should set wide apart and forward on the skull and angle toward the eye. They may show a slight degree of mobility. Prick ears are a disqualification. The skull should be flat and broad with a moderate stop, with the plane of the forehead and top of the muzzle parallel. The muzzle should have adequate bone with enough padding to give a square appearance to the head with no hint of snippiness. The flews should be slightly flared. The nose is large and wide and may be darkly pigmented or conform to the general color of the dog. On lighter colored dogs, a brick nose id acceptable. Tongue and inside of the mouth is preferably bluish-black. The tongue may be gray, purple or lavender. Some degree of pink on the tongue is allowed, but not desirable. The tongue may lighten some what due to heat stress. Teeth a scissor bite is preferred. Deviation is a fault.
Neck, Topline and Body
The neck is of medium length, muscular, set well into the shoulders with abundant dewlap. Topline dips slightly behind the withers and rises somewhat over the loin. The chest is broad, deep, with the brisket extending to the elbow, rising somewhat under the loin. The back is short coupled and broad. The croup curves slightly downward to the high set tail.
Tail
The tail is thick at the base tapering to a point and should curl. Tail carriage should be up and over the back. The absence of a complete tail is a disqualifying fault.
