The wrinkled skin along with their bristly coat was an intentional characteristic to give them an advantage in fights as their opponent would find it hard to get a good grip on them or cause serious injury.
The fighting career of the Shar Pei ended when organisers were able to import larger stronger dogs, and the breed became virtually extinct when Communist leaders who felt owning dogs was a Western decadence, slaughtered any they could find.
By 1978, they found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the rarest dog in the world before a group of breed enthusiasts used the few that were left to recreate the breed. Now their numbers have risen and their future is secure – although responsible breeders are still working hard to breed for both temperament and health.
