![]() Nevertheless, because of their strength and appearance, these dogs were introduced to a combat role at a later time in history. C., has researched ancient Chinese manuscripts and insists that the Sharp Pei's original purpose was for use as hunting dogs and that their principal quarry was the mongoose. But in China there is no record of the dogs of the Han Dynasty ever being used in such fashion. Under the Romans, European dogs were often trained as fighters, matched either against others of their kind or against bears and lions. It is interesting to note that the time of the Han Dynasty in China corresponds rather closely to the time of the Roman Empire in Europe. Although then not quite so wrinkled as now, the rugged, foursquare look, the tail wheeled over the back, and the celebrated warrior scowl are lifelike to an amazing degree. ![]() These dogs portray, unmistakably, the same breed we know today. Anyone who harbours a tendency to doubt the antiquity of the Shar Pei has but to examine the Han dog figurines. One such statuette is on display in the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Avery Brundage Collection, as the "Chinese Tomb Dog." And there are others in private collections. Fortunately, many of these Han statuettes have survived to this day and may be seen in such places as the Louvre and the British Museum. 220), artistic fired-clay statues and statuettes depicting the life of the era were very popular, and the dog was a favourite subject. Has this to say about the history of the Shar Pei: The following excerpt from the book The Chinese Shar Pei by Paul Strand and Eve C. Shar Pei proved to be no match for these fiercely aggressive dogs, breeding of Shar Pei was neglected and their numbers decreased rapidly. They selected dogs with vicious temperaments and crossbred these dogs to produce bigger, stronger and more ferocious dogs. Fortunately for the breed, some of the gamblers and fight promoters brought in dogs from the west, including Mastiffs, Bulldogs and other similar breeds. Given alcohol and other stimulants, the dogs were pitted against each other as a popular sport. Because the Shar Pei had strength, stamina and determination, they were frequent favoured contestants. The Shar Pei was used at one time for dogfighting in the gambler's haven in one of the villages, Dai Lek, near Canton in Southern China's Kwantung Province. He was bred for intelligence, for strength, and for the valued "Warrior Scowl" that increased his menacing appearance and helped to frighten the barbarian thieves, against whom the farmers were always at war. The Shar Pei was used for hunting wild boar, and protecting the livestock from predators, but mostly he served as guardian of his master's home. Over 2,000 years ago the Shar Pei was prized as the all-purpose, general utility dog kept by peasant farmers in the southern Provinces of China, bordering the South China Sea. The Cantonese still prefer the larger size dog which they call "High Head Big Horseā Since 1949, the traditional Shar Pei has lost its size, becoming smaller in stature. The mouth when viewed from the top should either be in the shape of a roundish roof tile, commonly known as "Roof Tile Mouth" or should be shaped with a wide jaw in the shape of a toad's mouth, known appropriately as "Toad Mouth." Both types of mouths were developed to give the dog a firm bite. While the marking of 'Longevity' appears in the large cat family such as tigers and lions, it only appears in the mastiff breeds of canines. The wrinkles on the forehead form a marking which closely resembles the Chinese symbol for Longevity. The Chinese describe the Shar Pei head as "Wo Lo Tau" or "Calabash"-shaped head. Because Hong Kong is the first and only place of origin from which these dogs were originally shipped to other parts of the world, the Hong Kong Kennel Club has a natural desire to protect and promote this breed. Prior to the mid-1960's there were sufficient numbers of the traditional type of Shar Pei in Hong Kong. This was, fortunately for the breed, eventually ceased after other fighting breeds were brought into China from the West. ![]() These dogs were, however, at one time bred and used mainly by the working class Chinese and gamblers for the fighting ring. It is interesting to note that the Chinese call any dog which is used to protect property or people as 'fighting dogs' unlike the UK or US designation as 'working dogs'. Known in China for the past two thousand years, the Shar Pei is a hunting and watchdog, originating in a region near Guangzhou (Canton) in the village of Dai Lek. Regardless of whether one is referring to one dog or to several, the word is still the same 'Shar Pei' since the Chinese language has no plurals. Wrinkles', the Shar Pei has been likened to a dog wearing very baggy clothes. Pronounced 'shah pay', this dog's name means 'sandy paper' or 'sand skin' and should have a bristle feel to its coat.
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