Shar Pei Lab Mix – Why This Is the Best Dog For You

Do you want a committed and loyal dog?

A dog who’s good with kids? A dog that’s low-maintenance?

The Shar Pei Lab Mix (also known as Lab Pei) is a mixed-breed dog (du-uh!) with one parent being a Labrador and the other a Chinese Shar-Pei. The medium-sized dog looks similar to a Labrador retriever with heavy wrinkles and loose skin like its Chinese parents.

There are so many questions and considerations! I personally love to do research before bringing a dog to my family so that I can take care of it and treat it right.

Let me share a few things about the Shar-Pei Lab Mix (aka Lab Pei) that’ll help you get to know the dog better.

Ready? Let’s jump in!

What Does It Look Like?

From the looks point of view, the Shar-Pei Lab Mix looks more like its Labrador parent. The dog is medium-built and weighs between 40-60 pounds. It has large overlapping ears, and big almond-shaped eyes (like a Lab parent) but has wrinkles and loose skin (like the Chinese Shar-Pei).

It has a harsh and rough coat and has different colors like black, brown, chocolate, white, etc.

The Shar Pei Lab Mix has an average lifespan of around 8 – 12 years (but I know people who have Lab Peis grow to 14 – 15 years old. So it also depends on how well you take care of your dog).

Basic Behavior Traits: What am I Getting Into?

Every breed has different behavior traits, and you must get a dog that suits your lifestyle and preferences, because getting a dog is a long-time commitment. The Lab-Pei inherits traits from both its parents — The happy, playful, and loving Labrador retriever and the rough, confident, strong-willed Chinese Shar-Pei.

What does this mean…?

● Loving and loyal
Shar-pei Lab Mixes are affectionate and put you before themselves – unconditional love and care. But they will want you to reciprocate the same love from time to time. This is something that they’ve got from their Labrador side.

● Easy to look after
These dogs aren’t too demanding and make the perfect pet for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to spend with the pet.

● Protective
These dogs are protective of their owners but aren’t aggressive toward strangers. They’ll give a warning bark if they feel insecure in a situation but won’t attack unless provoked otherwise.

● Good with kids
The Labrador has a reputation for being good with kids, and the same goes for the Shar-Pei Lab Mix. They socialize well with kids and don’t harm them.

● Adaptable
This is a trait that they picked up from their Chinese parents. The dog can adapt well to new homes and families and, thus, is perfect for you if you move a lot.

● Playful
The dog loves to run around and play and is moderately active in and around the house as well as outside the house. The dog is known to destroy its toys, so you should get him something durable like Kong Tire Chew Toy or Nylabone Chew Toy.

How often will I be taking it to the Groomers? And What About Walks?

Let’s talk grooming.

The Shar-pei Lab Mix has minimal shedding. It sheds about twice a year, like the Labrador but doesn’t need to be groomed every few weeks.

You should give your dog a bath every few weeks (I’d say every 3-5 weeks) so that he’s nice and clean. You can use Shampoo and Conditioners like the OxGord Natural Shampoo and Conditioner.

But that’s just one part of the story…

Since the Shar-Pei Lab Mix is a medium dog, it tends to be on the heavier side (about 40-60 pounds) and needs constant exercise, so you’ll need to take your dog on walks about twice a day.

Also, remember!

Since the Lab-Pei has one Labrador parent, they can get lazy when they put on weight, so keep them moving!

Can they be trained?

Studies have shown that mixed-breed dogs are actually easier to train than purebred dogs, so you don’t have to worry a lot about training them!

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

● Be confident: Since the Lab-pei is a mixed breed, it can be strong-willed and independent like its Chinese Shar-pei parent. The Shar Pei Lab Mix puppy can be cute, but the dog needs a confident master who can give strict commands or else they take over. Be careful not to overdo it, or the dog will develop behavioral problems!

● The dog is good with verbal and hand commands: You can train the dog to respond to both verbal as well had hand commands. My tip would be that you start giving them both verbal and hand commands together.

How to Teach your dog Hand Commands:

● The dog is a Quick Learner: The dog is intelligent and will pick up your commands fast, but will need a little time initially as they tend to disobey at first (something they picked up from the Shar Pei)

Check here: How to train a puppy (Petdt.com)

But What to Feed Them?

If you know dogs, you know the one thing they love more than playtime food! My dog just goes ballistic when he sees food; I’m not even exaggerating.

The dog is an active one and needs a rich diet high in protein, but remember that the dog should not be overfed as they put on fat really quickly and tend to become lazy. You should feed the dog 2-3 cups of dry food daily.

There aren’t any brands that sell foods made specifically for the Shar-Pei Lab Mix; I recommend you get your dog food made for Labradors (since they are half labs anyway). My picks would be Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition for Labradors and EUKANUBA Dry food for Labradors.

As if that’s not enough information….

Do I need to look out for any Medical Concerns?

Hold on! There’s more!!
Here are a few medical concerns that you should be looking out for:

1. Tar in mouth
Take your dog to the dentist because this breed has teeth that attract tartar buildup and need regular cleaning.

You can regularly brush its teeth yourself as well by using dental kits like Sentry Petrodex Kit or Nylacare Advanced Oral Care Kit.

2. Fatty tumors
Feel dog regularly for fatty tumors; they are usually benign but do keep a look out for them and get them checked out.
How to Check for Fatty Tumors:

3. Dry Skin
If you’re living in dry regions, then you should keep in mind that the dog has trouble with dry skin, so do apply fish oil or coconut oil to relieve the skin.

If the dog has extremely dry and itchy skin, then treatments like Pure Paw Nutrition Treatment Oil or Alpha Pet Zone Coconut Oil can be helpful.

4. Ear problems
The dog is susceptible to ear infections, so keep them clean!

What does all this mean?

So you’re finally here!!

To sum everything up, the Shar-pei lab mix is a loving, caring, and affectionate dog that are good with kids. They aren’t high-maintenance but love to go on long walks and are playful. They can be aggressive with toys, so you should get sturdy toys like Kong Tire Chew Toy or Nylabone Chew Toy for them to play with.

Here is a brief synopsis:
● They shed about twice a year, but you should shampoo them regularly.
● Their diet is similar to that of a Labrador, so you can feed them foods like Royal Canin Breed Health Nutrition for Labradors, EUKANUBA Dry food for Labradors, etc.
● Their medical concerns include tar buildup, fatty tumors, dry skin, and ear problems