The name Clumber Pei is a combination of the names of its two parent breeds: the Clumber Spaniel and the Chinese Shar-Pei. The Clumber Spaniel is believed to have originated around the time of the French Revolution. Clumber Spaniels, descended from Alpine Spaniel cousins and possibly the Basset Hound, were introduced into Europe when Adrien Maurice de Noailles moved his kennels from France to Clumber Park, the estate of the Duke of Newcastle, found in England. Admired for excellence of retrieving and scent, the breed was brought to North America in the 1800s, but was not given the chance to showcase its skills, leading to a decline in popularity. Clumber Spaniels were added to the American Kennel Club roster of purebreds in 1878. The Clumber Pei’s other parent breed, the Chinese Shar-Pei – as its name suggests – originated in China. The exact origin is difficult to pinpoint because of obscure breeding records. Many believe it is a relative of the Chow Chow while others think it is closely related to the Thai Ridgeback. Regardless, it is commonly accepted that the Chinese Shar-Pei was around as early as the Han Dynasty in 200 B.C. Chinese Shar-Peis were employed as farm and guard dogs, as well as hunters and fighters. Many died off during the Communist Revolution in China, but the few Chinese Shar-Pei that remained were bred in British Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the 1970s, Matgo Law, a business man from Hong Kong, authored an article that urged Americans to rescue the Chinese Shar-Pei from extinction. Since then, the population has grown significantly in North America and was recognized by the AKC in 1992. It is likely that the Clumber Pei’s two parent breeds were mixed in the late 1990s to early 2000s, making it a relatively new hybrid breed. Currently, the Clumber Pei is not recognized by the AKC.
