Meet Bear
Shar Pei, 7 years old
My favourite thing about Bear is...
What a Scooby Doo he really is. He may look like a big tough boy but he is the opposite. We have 2 female pugs who boss him around all the time. He never argues with them and if we don't protect him, these 2 girls will take his dinner from him without a complaint from him.
The biggest challenge with Bear is...
He had been very badly treated by his previous owners - we suspect he may have been used as a bait dog. When we bought him, he was wearing a nylon collar which had been completely covered by his growing neck, he had scars on his lower & upper legs - he was pitiful. Consequently, he is to this day cautious of strangers, particularly men.
The most surprising thing about owning a Shar Pei is...
Bear is the traditional Chinese Shar Pei which means he doesn't have the wrinkles that the westernised Shar Peis have. Probably the most surprising thing about him is that he's so timid outside the house & will hide behind us if someone stops to talk.
What I wish I’d known about Shar Peis is...
There is nothing really - he's such a good boy, big & clumsy but loving & silly - perfect.
Did you know?
If you read his original breed standard, you can discover why this dog looks as unique as he does. It says the Shar Pei should have a head shaped like a melon, a mouth like a mother frog, clam-shaped ears, a face like a grandmother, a neck like a water buffalo, a body like a fish, a back like a shrimp, all coupled with horses’ buttocks on dragon’s legs with feet like garlic!
