Environment plays an integral part in the socialization aspect of  this breed. In most cases, with a few
exceptions a Shar-Pei can become aggressive inadvertently because of the actions of either  the breeder or
the owner.  Here are a few tips in understanding the functions of behavior in the breed and how to control
or improve various abilities.  Let me explain here that Shar-Pei are truly "people dogs". This breed of dog
need,  want and desire companionship and human interaction  If you just want a dog for the "back yard"
then a Shar-Pei is not a breed for you. It is not uncommon for this breed to suffer separation anxiety.  If
left alone for long periods will attempt to dig out to reach companionship, or in some cases, develop
behavior problems of destruction or aggression.

It is true that  the very early days of  an newborn puppy can have a lasting impact in the behavior of the
pup for the rest of his life. From birth to 10 days, a secure environment of warmth and food helps to keep
the puppy quiet and calm. If the mother does not enjoy her pups and does not stay with them as she should
then the puppies get attention only after their crying has caused the mothers milk to drop, forcing her back
to the nest. As a result the pups become fussy and irritable. In raising  puppies, I keep the dam in a quiet ,
room away from the activity of the family...why? Because Shar-Pei are so socially attached to their owners
that in some cases they would prefer the company of their human companion to that of  the puppies..If the
new mother is allowed easy access to humans  she will tend to spend less time cleaning and caring for the
puppies..tending to them only when they start crying.  So I keep the door shut, play  the music softly,
provide plenty of food and fresh water.  The whelping room should be warm without being too hot, there
should be plenty of moisture in the air so a vaporizer may be necessary depending on the area of the
country you live.  The  new mom should be allowed outside at regular intervals to go "potty" and returned
back to her room after a few minutes of play and spoiling.. Letting her have the run of the house in the
first couple weeks could caused her to complain and not stay with the young pups. If she has nothing to
distract her,  she will spend the time cleaning and feeding the puppies. Occasionally a mom will simply
not take care of the pups as she should . If  the possibility of illness has been ruled out and then realize
that the mom just simply does not have the mothering instinct  This dam probably should not be bred
again.  Quite often, if the mom is fighting an infection  then she will not want to nurse or clean her pups
as she should.  As long as I have been raising puppies, I find it necessary to put a new mom on antibiotics
to prevent mastitis and other bacterial infections.  Most Vets will balk at putting a new mom on
antibiotics, but experience again and again has proven that is prevents alot of  unnecessary problems .
Remember quiet puppies are healthy pups..crying pups are not.

From 10 days to three weeks is another developmental period and  depending on how hungry the puppies
are and how hard they have to fight to get and stay at the nipple will develop various levels of demanding
behavior.  Around 3 weeks starts another period of development associated with learned behavior , the
eyes open and began to adjust.  The pups learn to walk, hear sounds and noises and begin interact with
littermates. Biting and being bitten is also part of the learning process . It is not uncommon to hear
puppies cry out as their ears are being tested..eventually the biting action and the pain are put together
associatively..As the pups develop,  many lessons are taught by the mother. While some moms are more
tolerant than others...some with continue to lay, care, clean and nurse the pups for weeks after the birth
while other moms with not tolerate the pups with their needle sharp teeth and start the weaning process.
Instead of laying down to nurse the pups the mom will stand only long enough to reduce the milk and
leave. If a pup is not aggressive enough it will not get enough milk and stay hungry. This is an important
time to observe all the pups in the litter and make sure they are provided with additional food. At
aproximately  2 weeks after birth,  Shar-Pei pups begin to open their eyes and cut teeth.. By the eighteenth
day after whelp the eyes should be wide open. If the eyes are not open by this time, it will be necessary to
have the  unopened or squinty eyes tacked by your Vet This is a good time to start mixing a gruel like
meal that will be easy for the  young pups to eat and digest.  Again, the more well fed, calm and quiet the
pups are the more well adjusted they  seem to be as adults.  Hungry pups are more irritable. More
aggressive by nature in order to get and stay at the food source. It is also important when changing the
litter papers to leave something of the previous whelping material such as a towel so that the pups have
something familiar in which to related to after being returned to a clean whelping area. The only abilities
a puppy is born with is  to smell, taste and seek warmth . If  a newborns' security is violated  there can be
a last impact of insecurity or aggression  for the rest of his life.

Transition is a very important word in raising well adjusted puppies. From one week to another things are
always changing. The sleepy pups which did little except nurse and sleep now start to explore. Sometime
between 2 and 3 weeks they will crawl out of their whelping box ( if you are using a small childs wading
pool) I found that if you provide them with a step up back into the pool --like a pillow, the young pups will
now leave the "nest" to go to the potty and return on thier own accord. There is something unusual about a
Shar-pei mothers' behavior that is necessary to mention here.  Very few mothers with go and pick up a
stray pup and bring it back to the whelping box. She will just let it lay where it is and let it cry. Hopefully
you will hear the pitiful wailing of the pup and rescue the little creature and return it back to the nest. I
find that the larger wading pools will keep the pups in the nest for another  week or two.  Remember, from
one week to the next thing change rapidly. Between 2 and three week, feeding time is very messy as they
walk in the food and get it all over them. Around 4 weeks they finally learn not to get "in" the food to eat
it. You will hear occasional miniature barks and growls..all part of the development process. From 3 to 5
weeks the pups begin to interact with each other in playful periods. This is the time I begin the "potty"
process. However this depends alot on where you live and what time of year it is. Around 5 weeks after
birth the pups are now acting more like  miniature dogs. Thosed "favored" pups --and you know what I
mean here--the ones that are pick up and held more, are distinquishly more "social" that the ones less
handled.

The next level of behavior is very important for a Shar-Pei . Around eight weeks, puppies  reach a type of
cognitive development and they "learn to fear" the unknown. For example, a crumpled up bag on the
living room floor may cause a fearful dog to go into a barking fit over the bag. This is the time NOT to
frighten the pup over the bag ( no matter how tempting or funny it may seem ) It is time to carefully show
the pup  that it is not there to hurt  them. This is the time to teach them about as many varied situations as
possible, such as new people, places and things...unfortunately this is also the time one has to be more
careful of viruses and illnesses as this is the time that there could be very little protection of natural
immunity from mom or  vaccinations. This is a perfect time to show plenty of love,  petting,  touching,
gentle playing  and a soft voice this is very helpful to  the development of a well socialized adult...It is also
helpful to change the noise in the whelping room from radio to TV in order to help the pups get used to
the human voice. If at all possible, pups should have access to going "potty" outside immediately after
meals. The door to the whelping room should now be left open, blocked with a gate. This is so the puppies
can start the socialization process with the members of the family. A mother Shar-Pei should not be
trusted around other dogs without human supervision as long as she is nursing her pups. Playtime with
the pups should never to too over stimulating. Shar-Pei should never be "rough housed with". Just like
excessive tickling to a human child can be cruel..over stimulation to a puppy can cause a pup to develop
aggressiveness. This is the time to introduce them to cats, pet birds etc...then it will not seem different to
them as adults. Pups raised in the house and underfoot tend to have better temperaments than those raised
in a kennel, out building, basement or garage.  All the pups from the litter should be handled and talked to
daily. I believe that in many cases separating Shar-Pei from their littermates and placing them into good
caring homes by  7 weeks helps the pup adjust better . Pups that are separated earlier than later  learn to
bond with humans more than , let say, a litter that remains together for a long time..that litters'  learned
behavior becomes more dog -oriented. This is not a recommendation to separate whelps too early ..before
5 or 6 weeks.
 
When the mom decides she does not want to be nursed on, she will "flea bite" the baby puppy and forced it
to the ground..then leave. She does this action only while the pups attempts to nurse and stops as soon as
the pup becomes submissive.  This interaction helps develop the social levels which dogs understand and
accepts..levels of submission or dominance as the case may be.

As a pup grows and develops he will continue to advance into various levels of learned behavior. Again,
security plays an important part in how the dog reacts to new things, places and people.  Around 3 to 4
months of age is a good time to take the pup to a "puppy socialization class". Of course a bad instructor
could do more harm than good so make sure you feel comfortable with any instructor you may consider. It
is advisable to attend and watch a couple classes before entering your puppy. Aggressive or brutal
treatment is not for a Shar-Pei.  They are considered "soft learners" Inotherwards,  a stern voice works
better than brutal punishment. Consistency in any training is important.  Repetition while "having an
enjoyable time" is necessary. Patience is truly a virtue.  Suddenly, around  4 months, pups can  go into
another fear period. This is a specially important period where it is necessary to show a fearful puppy that
"He has nothing to fear except fear itself." If you are seeking a dog for protection, a Shar-Pei comes by his
ability naturally. They are very alert to changes around them. They watch the doors and the windows like
is a matter of life or death..They want to know where everyone is in the house. They are naturally curious
and socially interactive. With these abilities plus a natural territorial temperament they make excellent
guard dogs, alerting the owners to anything unusual around the home without the possibility of an
unprovoked attack on a friend or relative. If you have ever had the opportunity to watch a Shar-Pei while
he is barking at someone..you will see that his natural tendency will be to bark and back away..seldom
will a well balanced Shar-Pei bark and lunge forward to attack.. This behavior is more common with an
ill-adjusted  Shar-Pei.

Many Veterinarians accuse Shar-Pei of being mean and aggressive. What actually is happening here is
the Shar-Pei was not socialized properly to new situations and becomes fearful when taken to the Vets. He
has to deal with unusual smells and perhaps the crying and barking of other dogs which alert him to
"danger". My best recommendation is to find a Vet who likes the breed and is not afraid of them. Also a
Shar-Pei has a difficult time bonding to new owners and may be more aggressive if put into a new home
after he matures. It takes someone with patience and the temperament not to "take it personally "it the dog
does not warm up to him immediately.  Given enough time the Shar-Pei should adapt and adjust.

A final note on behavior. There are plenty of excellent resource books on training and behavior that can
provide a wealth of information on the physics of canine psychology. If you are having any unusual
problems there should be an solution ,somewhere, for  the type of problem you are experiencing.