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

By Jacquelyn Kennedy
Updated on

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).

Shar pei lab mix 1

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

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About the author

Jacquelyn Kennedy

PetDT was founded by Jacquelyn Kennedy, a dog lover and pet admirer. She built the website to provide pet owners with information, experiences, and opinions on breeds, temperament, personalities, health, nutrition, products, and care.

16 thoughts on “Shar Pei Lab Mix – Why This Is the Best Dog For You”

  1. i am looking to buy a dog and have shortlisted the lab pei. i want to know how long they live. Thank you.

    also i like your style of writing. keep it up

    • The life expectancy of the average dog is about 12 years, with a typical range of 8-16 years.
      I think ,Quality of life is always more important than quantity.
      I have also seen dogs really suffer in their later years and the time just comes when you are no longer hoping they will live forever. Enjoy the moment. Gloom and doom thinking will only be passed on to your dog.

    • I have a Shar-Pei lab she’s 10 years old and has now come down with liver cancer I think her days are very numbered she is the best dog I have ever owned and the smartest Almost Human like never had any real issues so I have two wipe her eyes out frequently she is very protective Everhome and car

    • while sites say 8 to 10 yrs….even up to 12.
      My Lab Pei , Rusty is 21.
      I got him in 2002 and the nurse I got him from said he was 5yrs old then.

  2. i own a lab and am thinking about getting a lab mix. will they get along okay? one of my friends has a mix and he really doesn’t like other cats/dogs… i’m confused….

    • Depends on what the mix is…..and how the animals were socialized.
      While a Lab Pei is an amazing dog in its own skin even they can be wrecked by isolation…..or cruel handling. But I must say that in the times my Rusty has been tested he has been alert to strange dogs and people but has never been the aggressor. He was very strong and fast and smart when young. (21 now so age has made him more woobly) A pit bull once tried to attack him and he grabbed its muzzle in his mouth and held the pit until we could rescue him.

  3. Had one for nearly 17 years. Awesome dog. Great with kids,cats and other dogs. Very protective with our son but not aggressive towards others. Best dog I’ve ever owned. Extremely smart

  4. My Lab Pei is 21 years old. He is a bit hard of hearing and does have cataracts. He can still prance when happy. If you DO NOT get this type of dog in a normal fairly active family
    .with some room to run …you are a fool. Rusty has been the best dog I have ever owned! If you contact me I would be happy to share pics and info on my beloved dog.

  5. Where can I find a website that sells labpei puppies or even breeders in canada who sell some? I’ve been looking everywhere online to find some with no luck. thank you

  6. My LabPei is 7, going on 8. I adopted him from the local shelter.

    TLDR: Best dog I have ever owned, and definitely will be looking in to this mix again once my boy passes.

    I have never met a more fiercely loyal, and protective dog. He was abused so he is very wary of strangers. His bark is bigger than his bite, but if he feels the need to be protective (a friend snuck up on me while we were walking, and scared the lights out of me) and will snap out of defence/protection (no teeth to skin contact). They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks… well this guy picked up many commands and behavior training ( I.e. don’t jump on the door, just sit and bark when you want to come in). And I have never seen a dog calculate how high to jump to get through a bent fence. He is good with kids, most likely from prior events before me adopting him. He is a totally affectionate goof ball and acts like he is 9 months old. He has tons of energy but also loves to sleep in and relax on the couch.

    In terms of health he is in great shape. All though he does have horrible seasonal allergies (in which he will live on Benedryl to counter the red eyes and itchy skin in the fall and spring) and gets an ear infection every new season.

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