Shar Pei, todays featured breed dog

The Shar Pei is a breed of dog that originated in China and has the distinctive features of deep wrinkles and a blue-black tongue. The name (沙皮, pinyin: shā pí; English name probably derived from British spelling of Cantonese equivalent sā pèih) translates to "sand skin," and refers to the texture of its short, rough coat. As puppies, Shar Pei have lots of wrinkles, but as they mature, the wrinkles disappear as they "grow into their skin". Shar pei's were once named as one of the world's rarest dog breeds by Time magazine and the Guinness Book of World Records, and the American Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1991.

Shar Pei come in many colors: red (rose), sand, cream, black, and blue, and have the same characteristic blue-black tongue of the Chow Chow. Loose skin and wrinkles cover the head, neck, and body of puppies, but adult Shar Pei most often grow into their skin so that these features are limited to the head, neck and whithers.

Shar Pei usually come in two varieties: one is covered in large folds of wrinkles, even into adulthood (the Western type), and the other variation's skin seems tighter on its skin, with wrinkles just on the face and at the whithers (the original type).

Small, triangular ears, a muzzle shaped like that of a hippopotamus, and a high set tail also give the Shar Pei a unique look. For show standard, "the tail is thick and round at the base, tapering to a fine point" (AKC standard February 28, 1998).

The Shar Pei also comes in three coat types, Horse, Brush and Bear Coat.

The Horse Coat has short bristly hair and is closer to the original Shar Pei breed in looks and coat type than the Brush or Bear Coat. The Horse Coat is generally thought to be more active than the Brush Coat.

Brush Coats have a slightly longer coat and are softer to the touch than the Horse Coat. The Brush Coat is generally thought to be more of a 'couch potato' than the Horse Coat.

Unlike the two coat types above, the Bear Coat does not meet breed standards and therefore cannot be shown. The coat is much longer than the Brush and Horse Coat, so much so, in most cases you can't see the famous wrinkles. A Bear Coat can occur in any litter.

The plural of Shar Pei is actually Shar Pei.