The Chinese shar pei, the imposing owner of those cute wrinkles, is no longer the world's rarest dog, but is now among the most popular. Its steady base of loyal followers swear time and again that his aloof temperature make him all the more endearing.

The shar pei's skin can be harassed by a variety of conditions in such a way that some sort of preventive care cannot be downplayed. George Muller DVM, one of the pioneers of veterinary dermatology, released a 1991 review of a variety of shar pei skin diseases and proposed the following guidelines for care.

• Frequent bathing (at least weekly)

• Daily brushing

• Immaculate flea control

• Good nutrition

• Clean Environment

Such a plan for taking care of a shar pei is bound to take up plenty of your time. How much of it is our family capable of giving the dog?

The shar pei is also known for guarding its family extra well. This can create problems most especially when guests drop by to visit or when when the dog is to be met by children. If you will be taking care of a puppy, do you think you are capable of socializing the dog properly? Getting an adult dog will mean you need to know more about the dog's temperament. Identify the problem situations.

Just a sampling of considerations are:

• Will the dog try to bite a veterinarian?

• Will the dog welcome its ears to be cleaned, its skin folds inspected, its feet held?

• Can the dog be trusted to allow a perfect stranger on the street to pet it?

• If the dog has something in its mouth that is not suppose to be there, will it allow a family member to take the object away?

The ideal situation is to get a dog that can ace the above quiz. Moreover, a shar pei need to have been bred by an expert who is concerned not only about looks and conformation but a healthy and positive character as well. If possible, meet your prospective dog’s relatives and discuss the issues noted on this page with the breeder.

One area of shar pei grooming that we cannot skip here is how to take care of those wrinkles. The downside to those otherwise cute crannies is that they form excellent hiding places for Staph and other bacteria, thus making more possible the danger of skin fold complications. Under worse situations, the folds around the muzzle may become tender and soon begin to emit odors. The bottom line is still the vitality of regular grooming. The plus point to brushing is that it encourages the skin to produce crucial skin oils that have a protective purpose. Given a choice, go for a less wrinkled shar pei!