| There are likenesses of the Shar-Pei or Chinese
Fighting Dog dating back to the Han Dynasty
(206 BC-AD 220), and it has been suggested that this
loose-skinned breed may have originated in Tibet or
China's Northern Province some 2,000 years ago. The
Shar-Pei was used to herd flocks and hunt wild boar
in China, and was also matched against other dogs
in trials of strength, although its nature is so affable
that it may have had to be provoked to do so with
the aid of drugs. It is not long since the Shar-Pei had
the distinction of being the rarest dog in the world,
but now it is drawing good entries in the show ring.
A very affectionate dog with a frowning expression,
the Shar-Pei is calm, independent, and devoted. Its
coat is never trimmed, and it needs a reasonable
amount of exercise.
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