Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

The Chinese Sharpei

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Chinese Sharpei History and origin:

Formerly known as the Chinese fighting dog, the Chinese Sharpei is an ancient breed who was revered by the nobility during the Han dynasty, around 200 B.C.  The Sharpei and the Chow Chow are the only two breeds with a blue-black tongue; this may point to common ancestry.  The Sharpei has been used as a fighting dog, with loose skin that enables him to swing around and bite even while being bitten by another dog.  He was also used to hunt wild boar and herd flocks.

Description:
The Sharpei stands 18 to 20 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 40 and 55 pounds.  He has a medium-size muscular body, a fleshy face, a curled tail, and wrinkled skin on his face and body, though the wrinkles become less exaggerated as the dog matures. The shedding coat is short, harsh, and prickly to the touch and requires only periodic brushing.  Coat length can vary from extremely short to just over an inch in length.  The color may be black, chocolate, reddish brown, fawn, or cream.

About the Chinese Shar-pei:

The Chinese Sharpei  is an intelligent dog who is loyal and affectionate toward his owner.  On the other hand, he can also be an extremely dominant, controlling, moody breed that can be downright mean and dangerous.  He will bond with only one or two persons and can be very suspicious of strangers.  He is likely to bite if approached or petted by anyone he does not know and respect.  He does not like being petted on the head even by his owner and is not for families with children unless he was raised with them from day one.  The Sharpei is extremely territorial, dog-aggressive, and an excellent watch dog.  There have been cases in which Shar-Peis have literally ripped another dog to shreds.  This breed has a high prey drive toward small animals.

Training must start early and should be firm and consistent.  This breed can be disobedient and defiant and will bite even his owner if so inclined.  Tantrums and uncontrollable behavior often occur during training, particularly when the owner attempts to teach him the “Down” command.  Socializing the puppy is mandatory and is the cornerstone of successfully owning this breed.  Never spoil this breed.  Spoiling creates a bossy, nasty, suspicious dog capable of seriously hurting someone.  The females are less aggressive than the males.  The Sharpei can suffer from hip dysplasia, entropion, hypothyroidism, respiratory problems, and skin allergies.  He drools, snorts, and may snore.  This breed has become very popular over the last decade and has suffered from poor breeding.  Breeders of the Chinese Sharpei  should take a long, hard look at the type of dog they are producing, and endeavor to breed a dog with a more stable, more predictable, less combative temperament.

Feeding:
Recommended feeding for this breed is about 1 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product per day with biscuit added in equal part or 3 cupfuls of complete, dry dog food.

Ideal home:
This breed is best suited in a house with a well-fenced secluded yard.  The owner of a Chinese Sharpei should be a strong, commanding no-nonsense leader who desires a protective, highly discriminating, territorial dog that will be at best reserved with strangers.  The home should be quiet and predictable.  Children will not be tolerated and could get badly hurt, particularly if roughhousing occurs.  The elderly and the disabled should not consider this breed.  Time to train, socialize, and exercise the Chinese Sharpei must be available.

The Alaskan Malamute

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History and origin: The Alaskan Malamute is named after a native tribe called the “Mahlemuts.”  He is closely related to other Spitz-types such as the Samoyed and has been used as a sled dog.  Bred for strength, endurance, and independence, he has the ability to tolerate extremely low temperatures.  Today the Alaskan Malamute is used in sled-pulling competitions, some being able to pull a sled weighing close to a ton.

Description: The Alaskan Malamute stands 23 to 26 inches at the shoulder and usually weighs 75 to 125 pounds, while some are even larger.  He is thick-boned and has a large, muscular body.  The weather-resistant coat is thick, heavy, and of medium length.  The undercoat is dense and insulative.  He sheds abundantly year- round, particularly in early summer.  Regular brushing will keep his coat in good condition.  The color may be black-and-white with an off-white undercoat, red-and-white, or gray-and-white with an off-white undercoat.

About the breed: This is a sociable, affectionate, fast, strong, intelligent, and powerful breed who is always friendly and good-natured but somewhat stubborn. Usually good with children , the Alaskan Malamute does not make a good watchdog, but he does have a high prey drive and will show aggression toward other dogs.  He can be impetuous, dominant, and challenging, and is not the most cooperative breed with regard to obedience training.

Early training is important due to the breed’s size, level of dominance, and aggression toward animals.  The “Come” command is the most difficult to teach a Malamute because of his independent, free-thinking nature, though the females tend to be less dominant and aggressive.  A firm, consistent training technique must be used with this sometimes resistant breed.

He tends to be quite vocal and can be very destructive if not exercised daily.  Though he is friendly, keep in mind that this large breed can knock over and hurt a child during play.  No roughhousing or chase games should be tolerated. The Malamute loves to dig and will create holes all over your yard.  A large kennel with a concrete floor will eliminate this problem.

This breed can be left outside during even the coldest winter.  Although they are almost always good-natured, there are a few cases of aggression toward people with this breed, particularly from the males.  Once this behavior occurs, it is very difficult to modify and usually results in the destruction of the animal.

The Alaskan Malamute lives for only ten to twelve years and can suffer from hip dysplasia, shoulder problems, and bloat.  He loves the cold and will suffer in warmer climates.  He needs exercise, but should not be run long distances due to his weight and susceptibility to hip and shoulder problems.  This breed eats large amounts of food and can develop diarrhea if the diet is changed too rapidly.

Altering can lengthen the  life of an Alaskan Malamute and help prevent aggression and other behavioral problems.

Feeding: Recommended feeding for this breed is 1 ½ – 2 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete, dry dog food.

Ideal home: This big, independent breed needs a  house with a fenced yard or kennel.  He needs a firm, consistent leader who is confident and physically able to deal with a powerful breed.   Training should begin early and should include daily socialization, handling, and grooming.  Spoiling, cautious, and overbearing persons should avoid the Alaskan Malamute, as should the elderly and the disabled.

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