15-30 lbs
12-15"
United States
The Ori Pei is a hybrid mix of the Pug and the Shar-Pei. This is one of the designer dog breeds which has produced at least six generations of hybrid canines since its inception in 1970. The hybrid was born in 1970 when Aaron Silver, in the United States, bred a Pug with a Shar-Pei for the purposes of reducing the size and the health problems of his beloved Shar-Pei breed, creating a lovable and playful furry family member cleverly disguised as a couch potato who will melt the heart of anyone in the vicinity.
The Ori Pei is a hybrid mix of the breeding of a Pug and a Chinese Shar-Pei. We can get some limited information for the Ori Pei hybrid itself but we will need to look at the histories of the parent breeds to get a fuller picture of what the hybrid is and what it can be.
In 1970, a gentleman named Aaron Silver in the United States, being a lover of the Shar-Pei breed, was interested in making the Shar-Pei breed smaller in size and eliminating some of the health conditions from which it was known to suffer. He bred a Pug with a Shar-Pei to accomplish this and the Ori Pei hybrid came on the scene. This hybrid, also known as the American Ori-Pei, Pugpei, Sharpug and Pug-a-pei, is one of the older designer breeds bred in America. There are at least six generations of this designer hybrid on the ground, so there is greater predictability in the appearance, temperament and health traits. While it appears to have been created for the purpose of companionship, it is also a great family dog and watchdog.
The Pug, also known as the Chinese Pug, Dutch Mastiff or Dutch Bulldog, is quite an old canine breed which originated in China at least 2,400 years ago. The breed's name origination and meaning is unknown but some believe it is slang for "monkey" while others believe it to be a derivative from a Latin word "pugnus" which means "fist". Regardless of where you think the name emanated, the Pug breed is quite distinctive in its appearance, having stockily built bodies with prominent eyes and were historically favored companions of the monks and royal families in China and Europe. It appears that their original purpose was that of companionship, a function they filled expertly then and continue to this day. The Pug breed moved from China to Europe in 1572 and to England in 1688, gaining the affection of Queen Victoria in the 19th century. Queen Victoria was instrumental in the establishment of the Kennel Club in 1873, this as a result of her breeding activities. The Pug breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1885.
The Chinese Shar-Pei breed, also known as the Chinese Fighting Dog or simply as Shar-Pei, originated in China. It is believed that this canine breed is quite ancient but an actual date of origination is not available due to the lack of records and documentation of dog breeds created in China. The Shar-Pei was owned by peasants for the most part for many centuries, being bred for hunting, herding and protecting tasks. Another activity for which the Shar-Pei was bred was for fighting competition entertainment, an activity in which their loose skin was an advantage, making it difficult for the opponent to get a firm hold on them. The Shar-Pei breed barely escaped extinction when Communist rulers killed thousands of Chinese dogs, believing that dog ownership was a "Western decadence". They eventually were recognized by the Hong Kong Kennel Club in 1960 and, in October of 1970, the American Dog Breeders Association registered the first Shar-Pei. The Shar-Pei was accepted by the AKC in 1988 with full recognition being given in 1992.
Another interesting note: the Chinese Shar-Pei was, in 1978, in the Guinness Book of World Records as the rarest dog breed alive, having only 60 dogs known to be alive at that time. The Ori Pei hybrid itself is recognized by the following organizations: American Canine Association, Inc., American Pet Registry, Inc., American Canine Hybrid Club, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, Dog Registry of America, Inc., International Designer Canine Registry and the Designer Breed Registry.
Your Ori Pei hybrid is considered a low-maintenance canine, being a minimal shedder, he will require weekly brushing and only occasional bathing and shampooing to keep his coat clean. The weekly brushing will remove any loose hair and debris from his coat, which is not considered to be hypoallergenic. Because your Ori Pei hybrid's appearance traits include wrinkles which are contributed from both sides of the bio mix, extra care will be needed to keep those folds between the wrinkles clean and dry to avoid skin irritations and infections which for which the parent breeds are known. This can likely be kept under control with at least weekly cleaning when you brush them.
Additional parts of the maintenance regimen should also include toenail checking and trimming as needed and checking of the ears, with cleaning done as necessary without the insertion of anything into the ear canals. The ear cleaning will reduce the opportunity for infections to develop. When it comes to the teeth of your pet, it is highly recommended that you brush his teeth at least two to three times per week if not daily. Also keeping up with dental exams and cleanings with your veterinary professional will also help to reduce the opportunity for the development of periodontal disease which can cause the loss of teeth over time. The smell and drooling levels are considered low in this hybrid.
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Your Ori Pei hybrid furry family member is an interesting little guy to be sure. Because he is a mix between the Pug and the Shar-Pei, he can, of course, take on the temperament characteristics of one or both parent breeds. Also, because this hybrid has over six generations of breeding behind it, we have some fairly reliable temperament information from owners and breeders which indicate that this hybrid canine is friendly, gentle and easily forms attachments to family members. With some early socialization, this hybrid will get along great with children and other animals, but because he enjoys the chase and challenge, he may be a bother (but not a danger) to the family cat.
This lovable and loving furry family member is also very playful and a delight to interact with, with some really comical ways to entertain. The hybrid is protective of his human family members and their property, though he is described as being well-mannered and fair-tempered. The Ori Pei is intelligent and easily trained, being eager to please his human master. While he enjoys playing mostly inside as well as his daily walks, your Ori Pei hybrid will cuddle and nap virtually on command! He may have "couch potato-ism" down to a science!
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and will play for hours inside the house. He is a canine which can live in an urban or rural setting, and because of his lower activity levels, can live quite nicely in an apartment or condo or family home without a fenced yard. He is a canine who basically barks when he needs to do so, alerting the family as needed. This would be important for those who live in communities having noise restrictions. He doesn't tolerate temperature extremes very well so he'll be quite happy to remain indoors most of the time. Also, because his wrinkles need to be kept clean to be reduce skin issues, keeping him indoors and taking him outdoors for his daily walks and exercise activities works great.
Written by Darlene Stott
Published: 11/04/2017, edited: 08/25/2021
More articles by Darlene Stott
What is an Ori Pei? Ive been looking into pugs, but I don't want a "Pure" bred, because of most issues that come with it; other reasons. I was wondering if this is a mix with Shar pei/pug? and if anyone knew where to get one? or what type of health issues they have?
