American Mini Pei

		American Mini Pei
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			U.S.A.
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
This breed is also known as			Mini Pei Miniature Shar Pei

The miniature Shar-Pei is being developed as a smaller version of the Shar-Pei. It is a purebred Shar-Pei and the miniature size comes from a recessive gene that these dogs carry in their DNA. Breeders hope that, through selective breeding, the recessive gene will soon become dominant in the breed. The Mini Shar-Pei is recognized by the AKC as a Shar-Pei, but its size is not recognized by them and is considered a fault in the ring. The Shar-Pei's ancestry is uncertain. It may be a descendant of the Chow Chow, however, the only clear link between them is the purple tongue. However, images on pottery suggest that the breed was present even in the Han dynasty (206 BC). For many years, the Shar-Pei was kept as a versatile farm dog in the Chinese countryside, used for hunting, protecting stock, and guarding home and family. During this time, the Shar-Pei was bred for intelligence, strength and a scowling face. Later, it was used in dog fighting. The loose skin and extremely thorny coat were developed to help the dog fight, making the Shar-Pei difficult for opponents to grasp. During the Communist revolution, the dogs were saved by a Hong Kong businessman named Matgo Law, who appealed to the Americans in 1973 through a dog magazine to save the breed. From these few specimens, the Shar-Pei fancy has grown enormously over the last few decades. Now, the Shar-Pei is in the non-sporting group of the AKC with over 70,000 dogs registered as basic stock. When Shar-Pei was first introduced, it was astronomically expensive. Now, they cost about the same as any other purebred dog.

The miniature Shar-Pei should be short, broad and almost square in proportion to body length to height. The most notable feature is the abundant, tight wrinkling on head and body. The head should be slightly large in proportion to the body.
The eyes should be dark, clear and almond-shaped, neither deep-set nor protruding. In dilute dogs, the eye color may be slightly lighter.
Ears should be small, triangular, thick, close to the head and preferably curved at the edge. They should be set wide apart, coming forward on the skull and angled towards the eye. They may show a slight degree of mobility. Pointed ears are a disqualification.
The skull should be flat and broad with a moderate stop, with the plane of the forehead and the top of the muzzle parallel.
The muzzle should have adequate bone with sufficient padding to give a square appearance to the head without any hint of snipiness. The flanks should be slightly flared. The nose is broad and can be dark or conform to the dog's general coat color. On lighter-colored dogs, a brick nose is acceptable.
The tongue and inside of the mouth are preferably blackish-blue. The tongue may lighten slightly due to heat stress. Scissor bite is preferred. Deviation is a fault.
The neck is of medium length, muscular, well set into the shoulders with abundant dewlap. The topline dips slightly behind the withers and rises slightly above the loin. The chest is broad and deep, extending to the elbow and rising slightly below the loin. The croup curves slightly down to the high tail.
The tail is thick at the base, tapering to a point and should curve. The branching of the tail should be at the top and at the back. The absence of a full tail is a disqualifying fault.
Shoulders are muscular, sloping and well laid back. Seen from the front, the forelegs should be straight, moderately spaced, with elbows close to the body. Seen in profile, the front legs are straight and well boned, the pasterns strong and flexible. Feet in proportion to size. Elimination of front dewclaws is preferred.
Thighs are muscular, full and well defined, with moderate angulation. The well let-down hocks are short and perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other when viewed from the rear. Rear dewclaws must be removed.
Acceptable coat length may be a short layer to a brush length of no more than 1 inch at the back of the neck. Texture may vary from moderately harsh to soft, without being wavy or excessively thick. Only solid colors are acceptable. A solid-colored dog may have a darker shade on the back and ears, or darker hairs throughout the coat, as in sand. Not a solid color is a disqualifying fault. The gait is balanced and fluid. Both front and hind legs should tend to converge on a median line with strong forward reach and rear drive.

The Miniature Shar-Pei should be alert, confident, playful, adaptable, affectionate, easily trained and inherently clean and quiet. The Mini Shar-Pei is very loyal to its handler, playful intelligent, active, dominant and courageous. It bonds with its family, but is not hostile to strangers. If the dog encounters cats and children while still young, it will generally have no problems with them. The Miniature Shar-Pei has a frowning expression, but is surprisingly easy-going, calm, independent and devoted. They make delightful companions and good watchdogs. The Miniature Shar-Pei needs a confident handler. If you're uncertain, inconsistent, too soft or gentle, in the dog's eyes, he'll take over as boss. The Shar-Pei needs a firm, yet gentle, extremely consistent authority figure. The dog must be taught that all humans are above him in the pecking order. Those who see themselves as above humans will be stubborn and bold. This breed needs firm obedience training to establish your leadership. They may refuse commands from family members who haven't established leadership over them. They need an owner with the ability to be "Top Dog". The Miniature Shar-Pei generally hates water and tries as hard as possible to avoid it. Mixing other dogs can sometimes be a problem if one of the dogs displays dominant behaviors. Socialization is important. Some miniature Shar-Peis are less dominant than others. Dog temperament depends on how the owner treats the dog. Dogs that are allowed to believe they are the boss of humans will develop behavioral problems. Dogs that are not taken for daily walks will also begin to show a varying degree of problems. Many of this breed's health problems depend on the lines from which it comes. Good Shar-Pei lines will not have skin problems, which is a hereditary disease.

Fevers of unknown origin or swollen hock syndrome can be the first stages of amolydosis (kidney failure). A common misconception is that Mini-Shar-Pei have skin problems because of their wrinkles. Yes, some Miniature Shar-Pei have skin problems, but it's not because the dog has wrinkles, but rather as a hereditary disease. Due to over-popularity in the 1980s, some Shar-Pei have hereditary skin problems. However, if you buy from a reputable breeder, this condition shouldn't be a problem. Make sure you find a breeder who strives for healthy dogs.

The Mini-Shar-Pei will do well in an apartment if sufficiently exercised. It is moderately active indoors and will do well without a yard. Thanks to its padded head, the Miniature Shar-Pei is very sensitive to heat. Shade and water must always be available. Provided it gets enough exercise, it will be very peaceful indoors.

Miniature Shar-Peis need considerable exercise, including a daily walk. When walking, the dog should be heeled beside or behind the person holding the leash, as instinct tells a dog that the leader leads the way, and that leader must be the human. Don't exercise them too much in the heat, as they are sensitive to this.

Miniature Shar-Peis should be brushed regularly. Their coat is never trimmed. This breed has no undercoat. The "bush" coat sheds a little all year round, but the "horse" coat tends to fall out only during molting periods. Molting can leave the dog neglected. Bathing him about once a week and brushing the coat daily during this period will remove old dead hairs and allow the new coat to grow in. Some owners are allergic to rough hair.

Height at withers : 43 cm or less, weight 11-18 kg.