Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Advice on a Shar Pei Rescue Dog

By Melissa Coleman

Giving a pet a second chance at a good life is always a wonderful thing to do and when you take in a Shar Pei rescue dog you are doing a wonderful and humane thing. It will take some time but after a while, when your Shar Pei rescue dog starts to feel comfortable in your home, the real personality of your dog will shine through and you will start to see the traits that make a Shar Pei so unique. But in the meantime there are things you can do, and behaviors you should watch for, while your dog is settling in.

Give your new Shar Pei rescue dog some space and let them look around their new home a little. The first thing you are going to want to make sure is that they know they are in a new home and not still in their abusive situation. Just let them see their new surroundings and take it all in.

When your Shar Pei rescue dog is getting adjusted to your home you need to reduce the commotion, noise, and sudden movements that are going on in the home to give the dog a chance to get used to your home. A Shar Pei does not like a lot of sudden movements and can get a little confused and even frustrated when there are a lot of things going on and a lot of activity coming at it. So for the benefit of your new dog you may want to keep the clatter down for a little while until the dog gets used to its new home and new family.

The Shar Pei is one of the most intelligent dogs there is and they take to training very well. However an abused Shar Pei is going to be cautious at first and may seem like they are hesitant to be trained. Be patient and do not punish the dog. You should use only positive reinforcement when training your dog and also be prepared for later on when that hesitation can turn to boredom as your dog gets bored of the repetitive nature of training.

There is an aggression with the Shar Pei that comes from its original breeding as an intelligent fighting dog. However they are also fiercely loyal to their family and once they develop that habit they become a wonderful family pet. But your Shar Pei rescue dog may come to you with some of those aggressive behaviors still intact as defense mechanisms from their abusive past. Love and patience will work through that as the Shar Pei is smart enough to move on to a better situation so just give the dog time and it will come around.

Anything you try to teach a Shar Pei rescue dog will eventually sink in and the dog responds very well to training. But you need to exercise patience and have a little respect for what the dog has been through before you can really make your new dog the loyal family pet it wants to be.

Melissa Coleman has published hundreds of articles on dogs, including Shar Peis. The Shar Pei has a sketchy history at best. By learning Shar Pei information, there will be fewer Shar Peis abandoned.

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