The Shar Pei is one of the most popular Chinese dog breeds due to its peculiar appearance, as it has infinite wrinkles that cover its body. But its charm goes beyond appearances, since the Shar Pei has a very special character. Although they are somewhat independent, these dogs are very loyal, calm and protective with their relatives. Therefore, they need to be properly socialized and educated to learn to relate positively with other individuals and with their own environment.
He is also an active and intelligent dog who needs to positively channel and express his energy to maintain balanced behavior and an optimal quality of life. In addition to avoiding the development of behavioral problems, symptoms of stress or boredom. Therefore, if you have decided to adopt a dog of this breed, we invite you to continue reading this article on our site to find out how to train a Shar Pei puppy or adult
Shar Pei behavior
Although there is a certain tendency to speak of common traits when defining the character or behavior of a breed, the truth is that each dog has a unique personality and singular During learning, each dog will need their own time and must always count on the dedication, patience and knowledge of their tutor to internalize and correctly execute the proposed exercises.
Therefore, knowing your dog is the essential first step in knowing how to train it. Remember to dedicate a special time to share with your best friend, observe his behavior, posture and facial expressions. By better understanding the body language of dogs, you will be able to establish better communication and strengthen your bond with your furry friend.
In general, the Shar Pei is a serene and balanced dog, which is more independent than most dog breeds. This does not mean that he does not enjoy the company of his tutors, but rather that he will not always be aware of his attention and will need to have his moments of solitude and tranquility.
However, these furry ones are very loyal to their guardians and show enormous courage when it comes to protecting them and defending them from any threat. For this reason, they can be somewhat suspicious and reserved in the presence of strange people and animals. Likewise, with the correct socialization, your Shar Pei will be able to relate positively to other dogs, people and his own environment.
Of course, we must remind you that the behavior of the Shar Pei is not determined solely by its genetic heritage [1], although it is a important aspect. Education, lived experiences, training, care and the environment are decisive for the dog's behavior.
Therefore, if you want your Shar Pei to be obedient, calm and friendly, you should not neglect his training or socialization. It will also be crucial to offer them adequate preventive medicine and a positive and safe environment, where they can freely develop their physical, cognitive, social and emotional capacities.
Preparing the right equipment to train a Shar Pei
Before you start practicing basic obedience commands with your dog, you'll need to understand what it takes to train a dog. To help you, we offer you an introduction to dog training with valuable information about its fundamentals and basic guidelines. In addition, we recommend that it is essential to know and review the 5 training tricks that every owner should know, as they will help you understand how to educate a Shar Pei at home in a simpler and safer way.
When you feel ready to start training your dog, you should prepare your own training kit, including the following items:
- Collar/Harness
- Regulatory Belt
- Long Strap
- Belly Bag
- Candy and other prizes
- Toys
- Clicker (optional)
Although the clicker is not essential in training, it can make (much) easier the work of the trainer when used well. If you want to know more about this device and learn how to use it to teach your furry, we recommend you read our article on the clicker for dogs.
Shar Pei training according to their age
Training, as well as physical training and mental stimulation of a dog, should always be appropriate according to its age, state of he alth and physical capacityWe will never begin the education of a puppy presenting complex and difficult tasks to execute, because they need to learn progressively
Therefore, we will always start training them with basic and simple commands to assimilate. Little by little, you will be able to increase the difficulty of the exercises, always using positive reinforcement to stimulate their learning and reward their effort. Next, we tell you how to educate a Shar Pei at home according to their age.
How to train a shar pei puppy?
The ideal age to start training your Shar Pei puppy will be from 3 months of age, when he is fully weaned off. Remember that it is essential to respect the weaning period of dogs, as a puppy prematurely separated from its parent may have learning and socialization difficulties, as well as a weaker immune system.
If the puppies were born in your home, you can use early stimulation to encourage their cognitive, emotional and social skills from their first weeks of life. Also, even if you can't start training them at this early stage, you should start educating them from birth. For example, transmitting the rules of conduct that are considered appropriate at home, such as not getting on the couch and not chewing the garbage. It will also be essential that the puppies learn to recognize their name as soon as possible.
In our article on how to educate a puppy step by step, we tell you more about the first education of your furry, from its birth or arrival at home, the first walks and the step by step to teach it to stay home alone and manage their loneliness in a positive way. We also remind you that teaching your dog to inhibit his bite is a key element for his social life, since it will allow him to play and live with other individuals (whether they are dogs, people or other animals) in a positive and safe way. And considering the powerful jaws of large, stocky dogs like the Shar Pei, this training becomes even more important.
Physical activity of puppies should also be moderate so as not to harm their correct physical and mental development. The proposed exercises must be of low impact, but with a high content of entertainment. Play is a key element in the education of all dogs, as it acts as a playful element to stimulate their curiosity and allow them to develop their senses and their cognitive, emotional and social capacities.
Stages of training a shar pei puppy
To help you better understand how to train a Shar Pei puppy, here's a great breakdown of stages to guide your training:
- From 3 to 6 months: the training of a Shar Pei puppy should always start with basic canine obedience commands, such as coming, sit lie down, stay still, get up, walk next to you and not pull on the leash. In this first stage, your objective will be to propose simple and unitary orders, which do not lead to the execution of multiple tasks to achieve success. We should not exaggerate the complexity of the exercises, as this could confuse the puppy and generate a feeling of frustration. It is also advisable to teach your Shar Pei puppy to relieve himself on the street, as well as not neglecting his socialization (we will explain the importance of this period later, in a special section).
- From 6 to 12 months: when your puppy already knows how to execute the basic exercises correctly, you can include new commands in the training her. At this time, we recommend teaching him to bring objects and greet people properly. In addition, you can include other tricks that you like, such as "roll" or "give the paw", always respecting your dog's learning times and using positive reinforcement to encourage him to continue learning new tasks.
Training an adult shar pei
Having completed the basic level of canine training with your Shar Pei, you can enjoy and surprise yourself with the intelligence of your furry in an advanced training. Starting him in Agility will be an excellent decision to keep him physically and mentally stimulated throughout his adulthood. On the other hand, searching is highly recommended to stimulate your sensory and cognitive capacity. In addition, you can teach him fun tricks, dog sports or memory games.
Again, if you consider that you do not have enough time or knowledge to deepen the education of your Shar Pei at home, we recommend you go to a dog training centerto have the guidance of a professional in advanced training.
The socialization of your Shar Pei will be key in his training
Puppy socialization is key to achieving an obedient, balanced and self-confident dog. During the socialization period, your Shar Pei will learn to relate positively with people, with other animals, and with his own environment and its components. This will prevent the appearance of fears and many other unwanted behaviors, such as fear or anxiety.
Ideally, your Shar Pei should begin to socialize during its early stages (between three weeks and three months of life), but after completing its first cycle of vaccinations and deworming (usually, around three months of age) we should continue to offer him positive experiences with other people, dogs, animals and environments. It is during this period of their lives that dogs form their basic notions of coexistence with other individuals, in addition to showing a more flexible character, which favors learning.
However, it is also possible to carry out the socialization process when your furry is an adult, always having patience and applying positive reinforcement to stimulate it. To help you, we recommend reading our tips for socializing an adult dog.
Physical activity and mental stimulation for Shar Pei dogs
Although not exactly a hyperactive dog, like the Border Collie or the Belgian Malinois, the Shar Pei also needs to maintain a active and he althy routineto manage a he althy weight, burn energy and maintain a balanced behavior. A sedentary Shar Pei, who does not practice exercises or walks daily, may present symptoms of stress or boredom, in addition to having greater difficulty concentrating and correctly learning the commands you want to teach him.
For this reason, the training of your Shar Pei must necessarily include physical activity and cognitive trainingdaily. In addition to walks outside, you can consider the possibility of starting him in some canine sport or exercise. Also, if you are wondering how to play with a Shar Pei at home, we will teach you 6 activities to have fun with your dog at home, and we also suggest you practice intelligence games to stimulate their learning capacity and their senses without leaving home.
As you will see, Shar Peis are intelligent and sensitive dogs that need dedicated and patient tutors, who have availability of time and space to provide them with an optimal quality of life. They must also receive adequate preventive medicine throughout their lives, to stay he althy, active and happy. Therefore, remember to take your Shar Pei to the veterinary every 6 months, respect his vaccination card and regular deworming. In addition to offering the specific care that this breed requires to preserve its good he alth and avoid common skin problems in Shar Pei.
6 keys to train your Shar Pei correctly
To end this complete guide to Shar Pei training, we offer you six basic tips that every owner should know and apply:
- Training requires consistency: Your Shar Pei will need your patience and commitment to help him assimilate the commands, one by one. Training is a constant and gradual process, where each exercise must be properly absorbed, memorized and executed perfectly. If you feel that you don't have enough time or patience, you can find a professional trainer to help you train your Shar Pei.
- Knowing when and how much to teach: Obedience commands must be trained daily, but always in short sessions. The ideal is to allocate 10 to 15 minutes for each training session with your furry. If you overdo the length of each section, you will tire and fatigue your dog, which is counterproductive to his learning.
- Understanding how to teach: the exercises must be practiced one by one to allow their comprehensive understanding and perfect execution, without confusing or overloading the dog. It typically takes 3-10 days for dogs to fully understand, associate, memorize, and execute each command. However, the exact time may vary depending on the dog, the complexity of the exercise and the dedication of each tutor. Let's not forget that our commitment is key to stimulating the cognitive abilities of our furry friends, and facilitating their learning.
- Choosing the ideal place to train: choosing the right place to teach is just as important as respecting the frequency and duration of the sessions of training. It is important to avoid noisy places or those that have an excess of stimuli (such as aromas, sounds, people, dogs, other animals, etc.). A quiet place will help your dog to concentrate on her training and to understand commands more easily
- Using positive reinforcement to educate and stimulate: Positive reinforcement is the best method to teach and stimulate the intelligence of your Shar Pei. Unlike aversive methods, such as positive punishment, dogs respond much better to this type of training, they learn more quickly and show fewer signs of stress. [2] Remember that exposing your best friend to contexts of high stress and/or intense fear harms their he alth and can favor the development of numerous behavioral problems, such as aggression, fear or phobias.
- Review the exercises already learned: each command taught must be reviewed to confirm your learning and avoid forgetting. The ideal is to reserve 1 to 2 days of the week to review and reinforce the exercises already memorized.
