Chow Pei

40-60 lbs
13-16"
United States
Chow Chow
Shar Pei

The Chow Pei is a hybrid resulting from breeding a Chow Chow with a Chinese Shar Pei. While both breed parents originated in China, it is believed that the hybrid originated in the United States but the approximate date of origin remains unknown. The Chow Pei hybrid appears to have been bred to be an all purpose working dog, being utilized for farming and hunting, much like its Chow Chow breed parent. The Chow Pei hybrid combines the hunting attributes of the Chow Chow and the guard dog attributes of the Shar Pei, creating a hybrid canine which performs quite well in these tasks and makes a great guard dog for the family. The independence and aloofness contributed by both breed parents can make him wary and cautious of strangers but affectionate and loving with those family members with whom he bonds. As is the case for both breed parents, the Chow Pei is not particularly good with children but early socialization can modify this trait. Your Chow Pei will likely be a larger dog, weighing in at 40 to 60 pounds and standing 15 to 20 inches tall, with wrinkles or loose skin located mostly around the neck. His head will look like the Shar Pei side of the family with ears like those from the Chow Chow side. His coat will be long or short, straight, thick and soft. He is an active canine who needs plenty of exercise to keep his weight under control. The care of his coat will be dependent upon how much influence the Chow Chow parent has in the bio mix, requiring brushing that ranges from once weekly to several times a week to control the moderate shedding which is contributed by both breed parents.

purpose Purpose
Companionship, protection
history Date of Origin
Unknown
ancestry Ancestry
Chow Chow, Chinese Shar Pei

Chow Pei Health

Average Size
Male Chow Pei size stats
Height: 13-20 inches Weight: 40-60 lbs
Female Chow Pei size stats
Height: 14-16 inches Weight: 40-60 lbs
Major Concerns
  • Patellar Luxation
  • Skin Problems
  • Bloat
  • Eye Problems
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Cancer
Minor Concerns
  • Bone And Joint Problems
  • Skin Fold Dermatitis
  • Brachycephalic Syndrome
Occasional Diagnoses
  • Entropion
  • Progressive Retinal Atrophy
  • Glaucoma
Occasional Tests
  • Skin Scraping
  • X-Rays
  • Skin Evaluation
  • Eye Examinations
  • Blood Tests

Chow Pei Breed History

The exact place and date of origin of the Chow Pei hybrid is not known but is believed to have occurred in the United States. The Chow Pei hybrid was created by breeding the Chow Chow with the Chinese Shar Pei and the original purpose is believed to be to create a hybrid canine who is an all purpose working type of dog. The Chow Chow is known to be of an ancient group of dogs, possibly dating as far back as 150 B.C. This breed first came to the United States in 1890, gaining recognition from the American Kennel Club in 1903. The Shar Pei is also of ancient stock; depictions of this interesting breed have been found on pottery thought to be from 206 B.C. The Shar Pei was first used as an aid for herding livestock, as a guard dog, and as a ratter. The American Kennel Club added this dog to its roster in 1992. Since the Chow Chow has superior hunting and working skills and the Shar Pei has superior guard dog skills, this mix has produced a canine which fulfills that original purpose extremely well. The personality traits of both parent breeds, the Chow Chow and the Chinese Shar Pei, are blended, resulting in a dog which is alert, loving, protective and intelligent. The hybrid needs early socialization to learn to interact with children and other animals in the home as he will tend to bond to one or two family members. The Chow Pei hybrid itself is recognized by the Designer Breed Registry and the International Designer Canine Registry.

Chow Pei Breed Appearance

Your Chow Pei will be approximately 15 to 20 inches tall and will likely weigh 40 to 60 pounds when fully matured. While the Chow Pei hybrid can take on the physical appearance characteristics of either or both parent breeds, the Chow Chow and the Chinese Shar Pei, most appear to have wrinkled or loose skin on the head and neck on what amounts to a Chow Chow type of body. The ears resemble those found on the Chow Chow parent. The coat can be long or short but will most likely be soft and thick. The colors you might find the Chow Pei to be can be black, brown, black and brown, dark brown, chocolate, white, sable, albino or brindle. Your Chow Pei might have, for example, a brown head, black face and a white body with brown spots...or any variation of colors. The facial appearance seems to most often be that of a Shar Pei on a Chow Chow body.

Eye Color Possibilities
brown Chow Pei eyes
Brown
Nose Color Possibilities
black Chow Pei nose
Black
brown Chow Pei nose
Brown
Coat Color Possibilities
black Chow Pei coat
Black
brown Chow Pei coat
Brown
white Chow Pei coat
White
sable Chow Pei coat
Sable
brindle Chow Pei coat
Brindle
Coat Length
coat
Short Medium Long
Coat Density
coat density
pin
Sparse Normal Dense
Coat Texture
coat texture
Chow Pei straight coat texture
Straight Wiry Wavy Curly Corded

Chow Pei Breed Maintenance

Your Chow Pei will likely require moderate levels of maintenance. Most often the coat is soft and thick and may be either long or short and, as such, will require brushing several times a week to remove loose hair and debris to keep it clean and healthy. This weekly brushing requirement will likely increase during the seasonal times of increased shedding. Bathing is only required about once a month unless it is needed more often due to his activities outside. This monthly bathing should reduce the “doggy” smell which can accompany canine ownership. Generally, the ears of the Chow Pei resemble those from the Chow Chow side of the bio equation and, as such, will need some routine monitoring for cleanliness and infection but not overly so unless your Chow Pei inherits the folded-over earset of the Shar Pei side. Of course, attention to toenails, teeth and eyes will be required to keep your pet healthy and happy.

Brushes for Chow Pei
Slicker Brush
Slicker Brush
Comb
Comb
Deshedder
Deshedder
Nail Clipper
Nail Clipper
Brushing Frequency
fur daily fur weekly fur monthly
Chow Pei requires weekly brushing
Daily Weekly Monthly

Chow Pei Temperament

Your Chow Pei temperament can take on the attributes of either or both of the breed parents, the Chow Chow and the Chinese Shar Pei. These are the personality attributes being reported by other Chow Pei owners: alert, loving and affectionate, protective and intelligent. Your Chow Pei will not naturally be good with kids or strangers so, to modify this trait in your Chow Pei, you will need to begin socialization with children and strangers as early as possible in his life. He will likely be more friendly and comfortable with other pets in the home than with kids and small children but socialization will help him adjust to other pets as well. He is intelligent but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be easy to train as both parent breeds are quite independent. It will require copious amounts of patience and perseverance to complete the task of training your independent Chow Pei. Your Chow Pei is a fairly active hybrid and will need moderate to high levels of exercise to maintain good health. Your Chow Pei is not generally a hybrid which is guilty of excessive barking, sounding the alarm when he is scared or disturbed. He is, however, guilty of high levels of wandering and roaming as he follows his nose to investigate the various interesting scents in his environment. Keeping him on a leash when outside is in everyone’s best interests. He does tolerate solitude fairly well so, for those owners who are away for longer periods of time (such as working outside the home), his independence allows him to fare well alone, though he would probably much prefer the presence of those with whom he has bonded.

Chow Pei Activity Requirements

Your Chow Pei is a fairly active canine and will require several daily walks to keep him healthy and happy. He can survive in an apartment or condo but it is then incumbent upon the owner to assure he gets adequate exercise, both physical and mental, opportunities. Games of physical and mental challenge are best to exercise both his physical abilities as well as his high levels of intelligence. Daily walks, games of fetch, frisbee and obedience training will keep him well exercised. He does best when he has a fenced yard in which to roam and run. He can live in either urban or rural settings in an apartment, condo or house. The type of climate in which he is best suited depends upon when parent breed has the most coat influence in the bio mix. The Chow Chow coat is better suited to cooler climates while the Shar Pei coat is better suited to warmer ones.

Activity Level
low activity medium activity high activity
Low Medium High
Rec. Walk Mileage Per Week
10 miles
walk mileage
Minutes of Activity Per Day
90 minutes
activity minutes

Chow Pei Food Consumption

Cups Per Day
3 cups
cup per day cost cup per day cost cup per day cost
Daily Cost
$1.20 - $1.40
food bowls daily cost
Monthly Cost
$34.00 - $45.00
food bag monthly cost

Chow Pei Owner Experiences

Ever
4 Years
2 People
House
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Walking
Chasing sqerlls
Very loving real faithful
7 years ago
Nora
2 Years
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Hide & Seek
Had her 6 weeks she is 2years she is very loving and good with my 10 year old girl follows me everywhere likes cuddles sleeps by front door when we go to bed doesn't like strangers to approach us when we go for walks and will stop and wait for them to pass before we continue our walk
7 years ago
Casper
10 Years
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Beach
Walking
Hiking in the bush
'Casper' affectionately known as 'Big Bear' is a very loving and loyal dog. We got his as a rescue when he was six and he is now ten. The only 'downfall' is that he barks at anything that moves outside. His bark is big and scary to others but he is super friendly and loves meeting everyone. He has a bed next to mine in my room but sneaks the occasional sleep with Mum night when he can. He does have a skin condition which causes itching and scratching but other than that he is amazing and loves being part of and involved with family activity. My other two dogs which are both Shih tzus love Casper and he is best friends with my girl Shih tzu 'Lucy.' I would get another one in a heartbeat but 3 lovable pooches is enough at this n stage.
4 years, 4 months ago
Tokyo
11 Months
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
It’s to late to train him now but his extremely naughty (hoping it’s just a phase) He keeps pulling the washing off the line Running out the gate And biting and jumping the people he loves He also produced a lot of saliva
4 years, 1 month ago
Jake
10 Years
4 People
Apartment
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
I’ve had my Jake for 10 years. He was rescued from a puppy mill and I adopted him when he was 6 weeks old. He has a longer coat and started off looking more Shar-Pei than chow chow, now he favors the chow chow more. He is the greatest dog I’ve ever owned. I have two kids that are 5 and 1 and he does well with them. He definitely is protective of his babies and his mama. He gets to sleep where ever he wants but the craziest place he sleeps is in baskets of dirty laundry. He does require a more natural food or else he will be sick. I also think he has developed a skin condition as he scratches all the time. I wouldn’t trade him for anything. Adopting him was the best decision I have ever made!
4 years ago
Katy
9 Years
3 People
Condo
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Socializing was a big must with Katy. She is extremely protective of the house but friendly once she properly introduced. She gets the same skin irritation mentioned by everyone else here. It’s a food allergy. I wasn’t able to pin it down exactly but stopped the issue by just making her food. It’s a simple diet and her skin irritation went away. She seems to do well with a schedule.
3 years, 10 months ago
Poppy
2 Years
3 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Walking and playing with the children
They are a stubborn breed , they are very intelligent and very loyal to family members , but they can be hard work introducing them to other dogs and strangers
3 years, 6 months ago
Animal Expert Question Icon
Question - New pet
Question

I am in my 40s and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 38. My husband and I had a Chow Shar Pei mixed breed in the late 1990s before my Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. We now have 3 children ages 19, 16 and 12 so desire to introduce our family to pet adoption.

Answer
Hello there. You don't actually ask a question so I'm not 100% sure what advice to give If you are asking if pet adoption is advised then, absolutely, it is ethically preferable to buying a pup. If unsure how it will work out, you can foster first to see if it works for you and your family. Breed wise, this depends on how active your family is, what size your home and garden is, what physical traits you like etc. As your youngest child is old enough to be sensible and help with training, many breeds and criss breeds would be suitable including Labradors, Spaniels and Terriers. If you want a less active breed, consider a toy dog such as a Maltese.
3 years, 8 months ago
Book me a walkiee?
Pweeeze!
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