When sharpeis first arrived in the US during the seventies, thousands of dog fanciers were won over by the wrinkled and clown-faced dogs. Overtime however, many would become familiar of its guarding, hunting and fighting tendencies.

This temperament issue is important to get across now, just as then. Here are some behavior facts that pertain to the sharpei which need to be made clear so as to help dog owners effectively and safely control this otherwise regal breed:

1. They are independent-minded, assertive and sometimes stubborn dogs.

2. They are smart, brainy and intuitive.

3. They may be easily provoked without the proper socialization.

4. Some sharpeis may have a hard time tolerating nail trimming, ear cleaning and physical restraint.

The following guidelines in restraint should be followed:

1. Sharpeis undoubtedly has a strong physique and low center of gravity. A healthy sharpei can grow into a very strong and powerful dog, but it may also lead to a dangerous level of aggressiveness by the dog if there is too much use of force in restraint.

2. Some sharpeis will protest if their feet are handled or their nails are cut (the reason could partly be due to incorrect cutting of the nail). In case of blood drawing (e.g. for tests), drawing from the jugular vein is more preferable than from the cephalic vein or front leg vein. An alternative also is the lateral saphenous vein.

3. The dog's head wrinkles and small ears can actually help loosen buckle muzzles, so a gauze muzzle is more recommendable.

4. In the end, early use of dominance exercises and socialization (like Puppy Kindergarten Training and basic obedience classes) will greatly help the breed.

5. Readers may also be curious if the Shar Pei's shyness when it is petted from behind or approached too quickly may be a temperament issue. It depends, but we know at least that the breed's eyes are hooded by skin, which is no help at all in its vision. The sudden appearance of people within its line of sight naturally frightens the dog, which makes them seem shy. What's interesting is that the dog does not seem to react this way when approached from the front.

In that case, how is the dog to be dealt with? The dog must be allowed to take a whiff of anybody's hand and allowed to familiarize itself with that person. Sniffing is of course, the dog's own way of reaching out to a would-be friend. Young children ought not to approach any dog alone for that matter, and on the contrary, need to be always supervised.