Shar-Peis are an extremely old breed of dog famous for their extremely bristly and wrinkly skin.
They were originally bred by the Chinese for use in dog fights. Their wrinkly skin meant that if they were bitten the opponents would get a mouthful of skin rather than muscle.
Although originally fighting dogs Shar-Peis are in fact very docile and would have to be drugged to ensure that they were aggresive during the fights.
Shar-Peis are very unusual dogs because they sweat rather than pant to cool down. This sweat can collect in the folds in their skin and provide an ideal evironment for bacteria to develop. This means Shar-Peis are very prone to skin infections and need to be thoroughly washed very frequently. The fact that they are now bred specifically for their wrinkly skin has accentuated this problem.
Shar-Peis used to be incredibly rare and as a result were often inbred this has led to them only having a life expectancy of eight years.
Shar-Peis are notouriously difficult to train but are extremely loyal.