Dog breeds with folded skin
Excess skin on the body of animals appears as a result of selection. Basically, all breeds of such dogs are ancient or restored from ancient ones. At that cruel time, dogs worked, they were hunters, and the folds of their skin helped them in the battle with a seasoned beast. Breeds with folded skin include:
- Shar Pei;
- mastiff;
- pug;
- English bulldog;
- bloodhound;
- bassed.
To one degree or another, all these animals have folded skin, and the champion among them will be the Shar Pei, which is called a plush dog for its soft coat and numerous folds throughout its body.
Dog breeds with skin folds
There are hundreds of breeds in the world, each with its own special qualities and characteristics. A special group are pets with folds, which you cannot pass by without being touched.
Shar Pei
The weight of the animal is 18-25 kg, height 45-50 cm.
Chinese breeders were involved in breeding Shar Peis. The breeders set themselves the goal of creating a good guard and protector. The dog had to be strong, capable of participating in dog fights. The Shar Pei's skin is its armor.
Previously, owners tried to instill in the dog aggression and fighting qualities. Now the Shar Pei is used as a companion.
Males are usually larger than females. The body is covered with numerous wrinkled folds. The coat is short, hard, without undercoat.
Shar Pei
The breed standard identifies the following coat colors:
- black;
- lilac;
- cream;
- white;
- deer;
- chocolate;
- blue;
- red.
The dog has a developed intelligence, but a complex character. The dog treats strangers with distrust. The Shar Pei is loyal to its owner. He treats children leniently and forgives all pranks. Has a bold, courageous character. The animal will be happy in a city apartment and in a country house.
Shar Peis are not prone to damaging property. They handle long-distance travel well. The breed is suitable for families with children and people leading an active lifestyle. A puppy costs 10 – 60 thousand rubles.
Breed defects include large ears, a low-set tail, a spotted tongue, and long and soft hair.
English Mastiff
Height can reach 70-75 cm, average weight varies from 80 to 100 kg.
One of the oldest breeds. According to scientists, mastiffs were known back in ancient Babylon and Egypt. Dogs were used to guard and protect homes. They were distinguished by their viciousness and severity. The modern breed standard highlights other character traits.
English Mastiffs are calm, balanced pets and do not bark without a reason. For children, the animal will become an excellent nanny, will accompany and protect the child. Suitable for family people. The dog is sincerely devoted to his owners and the home where he lives. He is wary of strangers, but will not attack without reason.
Mastiff is a lazy dog. I run in the morning with my owner, she would prefer to lie on the sofa. It is distinguished by its love of water procedures and swimming.
The standard does not establish the exact dimensions of the animal. The length of the body exceeds the height at the withers. The coat is thick, hard, with a soft undercoat. Standard colors: brindle, apricot, fawn-silver. Life expectancy is 11-13 years.
The cost of a puppy is 8-60 thousand rubles.
The breed has minor disadvantages: the dog snores at night, slobbers, and sheds often.
English Mastiff
English bulldog
The height of an adult dog is 38-40 cm, weight 21-25 kg.
The ancestors of English bulldogs are considered to be Old English mastiffs and Viking dogs (Alans). Dogs were bred for corralling bulls and dog fighting. In 1835, England introduced a ban on bloody entertainment using dogs. The breed was on the verge of extinction, but English breeders were able to preserve it.
Bulldogs have a strong build. They have developed muscles and strong bones. Short, thick coat, soft to the touch. The colors vary, but must be clean and even. The spots are pronounced and clearly defined.
Colors allowed by the standard:
- ginger;
- red and white;
- spotted;
- brindle;
- white.
English Bulldogs are sensitive and loyal companions. They treat children well and participate in all games. The dog has an extraordinary mind and is capable of making independent decisions if the situation requires it.
They are demanding of other pets and can dominate. The animal is emotionally dependent on communication with humans. People who are rarely at home are not recommended to own a breed.
The cost of puppies varies from 10 to 50 thousand rubles.
English bulldog
Bloodhound
Weighs 40-56 kg, height 58-68 cm.
The breed was bred for hunting. Bloodhounds have a well-developed sense of smell. The dog is used for rescue and search work and in police service. Representatives of the breed are considered to be the oldest dogs that were known in Ancient Babylon.
The dog has powerful muscles, harmonious, strong bones. The skin is thin and elastic, hanging in folds and wrinkles in the head area. The ears are long and covered with short silky hair. The coat is short, thick, close to the body. Acceptable colors are black and red, red, brown and red.
A puppy costs 45-80 thousand rubles.
The dog has unlimited love and devotion to his family. The Blandhound behaves well with children, allowing any pranks. Often the dog has to be protected from the child. There is no aggression or malice, but some individuals may be timid and shy.
The dog is indifferent to other pets; coexistence rarely brings conflicts.
The breed is susceptible to congenital eye diseases. The owner should pay special attention to the pet's eyes.
Bloodhound
Pug
The average height of a dog is 28-32 cm, weight 4-8 kg.
The breed appeared about 3 thousand years ago in China. Dogs were used as companions. It became widespread during the reign of Napoleon. His wife adored pugs and never parted with her pet.
The coat is short, soft, shiny. The color should be uniform: gray, peach, black, beige. Pugs have well-developed muscles and a stocky build.
A distinctive feature of the pug is its kind character. The dog loves his family and children infinitely. Pugs are energetic and sociable dogs who like to be in the center of events.
The pet has a developed mind and good intelligence. Problems may arise during training due to the dog's stubbornness. Despite their small size, pugs selflessly protect their owner, showing aggression towards the offender.
You cannot shout or deliberately provoke your pet into aggression. Pugs have a weak heart, and a fit of rage can result in suffocation and a heart attack.
Pug
Shar Pei
There are smooth varieties of these animals. Scientists analyzed the skin of both representatives of the breed and came to the conclusion that they have a different gene sequence and the mutation caused the folds in Shar Peis, which was fixed by breeders. It is interesting that in humans, who were wrinkled from birth, they found the same genome structure.
Appearance
Shar Peis were originally bred to hunt wild boar .
The ferocious, bulletproof animal attacked the dog with fury. The dog's numerous sagging and fluttering folds were a distracting element that was difficult to grasp, and the barking animal dodged the huge carcass. The dog was small in size, up to half a meter tall and weighing 20-25 kg due to its skin, it seemed huge. Short and stiff hair, the “sand skin,” added to the effect by slipping out of the boar’s mouth. Later, all these properties of a dog with folds were used in the Shar Pei as a fighting dog. Excess skin saved the insides of the animal in a mortal fight between dogs.
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blue tongue from the Chow Chow, and mastiffs gave it fighting qualities and independence. A sufficient layer of subcutaneous fat promotes skin gliding.
The Shar Pei has a wide variety of colors, but the main color is always the belt on the back and there is a mask on the face.
Disappearance of a dog
In the last century, the communists came to power in China, while at the same time the country's billions of people were starving. One of the objects of persecution as a “parasite” was the Shar Pei. They destroyed it so zealously that in the 70s they included it in the Guinness Book of Records as the rarest breed. The revival began with single copies on the initiative of the Americans, and the stuffed dog was restored with minor changes in appearance. The American version of the Shar Pei has shorter paws and a softer coat.
A square body, a short neck that cannot be identified, and a frowning muzzle due to the structure of the eyes creates a threatening image. However, the character of the four-legged friend is calm and balanced. He is distrustful of strangers and does not make contact with them well. The Shar Pei's tail is curled into a ring.
Breeding work continued for decades, and the folded breed has now spread throughout the world.
Behavior in society
The dog is a guard, watchman and devoted friend in the owner's family. She is calm in character, but shows aggression towards unfamiliar relatives. Therefore, dog training should begin at an early age. Like any dog with fighting tendencies, the folded dog must go through a good obedience school and obey its owner. In a family, a well-bred dog is distinguished by kindness and intelligence.
Features of dog breeds with folds on the muzzle
Excess skin on the body of pets appears as a result of selection - improving the breed of animals through crossing and artificial selection. Most of these breeds existed in ancient times. Back then, people constantly used dogs as assistants during hunting in order to get food and survive.
Almost all animals have folds on their skin, but the most wrinkled dog is the Shar Pei, which is popularly called the plush soft dog.
Mastiff
The old breed originated from the ancient Dogo de Milo from Central Asia.
The Mastiff was considered a hunter and warrior. He could replace two legionnaires in battle and engage in mortal combat with tigers and bears. The powerful animal uncontrollably went into battle. With the soldiers, like a precious trophy, the dog came to Britain. The size of the quadruped is impressive. With folds hanging from the muzzle and body, it weighed 100 kg and its mass could immobilize anyone. The heavyweight has excellent reflexes, which makes his attack much more effective.
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A characteristic representative of the folded breed is the Neapolitan Mastiff . It is he who has wavy skin that can be pulled back and folded. The dog is huge, reminiscent of a rhinoceros, walking slowly and imposingly. It is impossible to look at this passing miracle without smiling.
However, the breed in Britain acquired other qualities, and the habits of an aristocrat appeared. The Mastiff carries itself with dignity next to its owner. He does not pay attention to his brothers and with all his appearance makes it known that he is peaceful. But his dormant fighting qualities will make him a fierce defender of the family at any moment. Probably, watching the walk of the owner and the pet, a strong determination arose that the dog resembles the owner. The mastiff barks extremely rarely.
Can dogs have their whiskers trimmed?
As can be understood from all of the above, trimming the mustache is not a good idea, since it negatively affects the nerve endings, in addition, it significantly reduces the dog’s sensitivity and ability to interact with the outside world.
The problem is often that some owners deliberately remove whiskers from dogs that participate in exhibitions. At the same time, there is no discussion about the benefits and harm for the animal’s body. Such actions have an extremely negative impact on the pet, especially if they do it regularly.
The dog not only begins to have difficulty navigating, but also becomes nervous and irritable. The animal's hearing and sense of smell are dulled. This is because the brain receives unreliable signals.
There is no need to pay attention to the natural process of hair loss. If a dog's whisker falls out, it's okay; a new one will soon grow in its place.
Important! It is strictly forbidden to touch the whiskers of puppies that are not at least 2 months old. Otherwise, serious harm to the animal's nervous system can be caused.
It is better not to touch the puppy's whiskers.
Bloodhound
The Belgian hunting breed has now acquired all the qualities of a domestic pet. The breed is characterized as large:
- individual weight - 50 kg;
- height at withers - 65 cm;
- character is capricious.
However, if you are lucky enough to purchase a Bloodhound puppy, it will be a family member whom everyone loves. He is active and will play endlessly with children, affectionate and patient with adults. It seems that he is a full member of the family and understands the situation without words.
The dog does not know how to be offended , he is hospitable and knows how to behave perfectly. At exhibitions he evokes universal admiration. A beautiful, well-mannered dog is the pride of the owners. That is why the breed is common in aristocratic houses all over the world. Such dogs are raised only with affection; violence is an unacceptable method.
English bulldog
The name already shows that the breed was bred and registered in England. This is a watchman, and his territory is under special control. Small sized dog:
- height at the withers - up to 38 cm;
- weight - up to 25 kg;
- body shape - short stocky.
The original purpose of this breed is to hunt animals. It was popular entertainment. The dog attacked the bull, grabbed it in the muzzle and did not let go until the animal was on its feet.
In 1835, this type of entertainment was banned, and the dog with its qualities remained out of work. The selection that was carried out softened the dog’s temperament and adapted it to life in the family. But the breed requires serious training without the use of violence. The dog does not tolerate disrespect. If there are small children in the family, then it would be better for them to stay away from the bulldog so as not to inadvertently awaken aggression.
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Due to their qualities, bulldogs cannot live in every family , and where there are children and other animals, this representative dog with folds needs to be allocated a special place in the room.
Pug
This breed belongs to German breeders. It comes from Chinese dogs with a flat face and bulging eyes. The ancestors of the pug were the short-haired variety of these dogs. They were not as wrinkled as modern pugs. The journey of decorative dogs took place to Europe through Turkey and the Netherlands.
Pug dogs can live up to 15 years , and their size is:
- weight of an adult male - up to 7 kg;
- height at the withers - up to 30 cm;
- Features - a beautiful pattern has been created on the face with folds.
The dog's coat is smooth and shiny, its tail is ringed, and it walks, slightly swaying its pelvis. The hilarious face can depict any emotion with its facial expressions and beg for an extra piece of goodies, for which it then suffers. The animal is prone to obesity. When caring for an animal, you should especially pay attention to the condition of the eyes, since this breed has genetic problems with vision.
Therefore, it would be correct to visit a veterinary hospital and follow the doctor’s recommendations. A problem for a homebody can be excess weight and weakening of the muscles of the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, feasible leisurely walks with your pet are required. The structural features of his head and body are such that the dog cannot withstand heavy loads.