OWNING A DOG IS NOT FOR EVERYONE
Deciding to get a dog is a truly exciting moment in the life of a person or family. It is also one of the most significant. Unfortunately, some people make the mistake of confusing a dog with a toy, and they get a dog as an impulse purchase to satisfy the pleas of their children, without thinking through the very significant and permanent consequences of dog ownership.

These purchases very often end badly, for both the owner and the dog. Once the novelty of the dog wears off, the children often turn their attention to other 'toys'. The adults meanwhile are left with the daily responsibility of feeding, exercising and socialising the dog. And if they weren't particularly interested in the dog to begin with, this responsibility can quickly wear very thin. The end result in many of these cases is that the dog is relegated permanently to the backyard, sometimes even tied up, without access to the family, or without regular exercise or attention. The family is burdened with a responsibility they wish they didn't have, and the dog is miserable and confused.

Are we trying to turn you off getting a Shar Pei? Absolutely not! We just urge you to think very hard about whether having a Shar Pei is going to be the right decision for you and your family. Getting a dog because the kids want one is generally not a good reason, unless the parents truly want one too. And it's not the sort of decision that you can make, thinking, 'Well, let's try it, and if it doesn't work, we can always get rid of it.' Getting a dog is not like growing a moustache -you can't just shave it off again if you don't like it!

A DOG IS FOR LIFE
In many ways having a dog is like having a child. They require your time, your attention, your money and your affection. A Shar Pei can live for up to twelve years or longer, so it's very much a long-term commitment. As the saying goes, a dog is for life! It is important that everyone in the family understands and accepts this responsibility, right up front.

WHAT ALL DOGS NEED
Dogs will vary in terms of the amount of attention they require. However, at the bare minimum, every dog needs the following:

• Daily exercise, either around the local streets or ideally in a park or leash free area. A dog that is well exercised will be much more contented and happy during those times when they are left alone, and so won't tend to cry or bark.Twice daily food and clean water
• Shelter from the weather i.e. sun, wind and rain
• Their own doggie bed, inside the home (garage or laundry is fine)
• Annual visits to the vet for vaccination, heartworm and check up
• Regular worming and health checks
• Safe accommodation, such as boarding or home sitting, when the family goes on holidays
• Lots of love and attention!

For experienced dog owners, this checklist is well known and understood. But if you are contemplating getting your very first dog, it is important that you are comfortable with, and can commit to providing ALL the items of the list. If not, then it may not be the right time for you to consider getting a dog.

OUR DOGS DESERVE THE BEST OF HOMES
Many of the dogs that come to Shar Pei Rescue haven't had the best of starts. Some have been physically abused, many have been physically and emotionally neglected, and many of them have been virtually abandoned in backyards to live lonely lives, until the owners finally tire of them and dump them - often at pounds to be killed, or even worse, in streets or parks to fend for themselves.

While we believe that all dogs deserve a great home, this is especially true for Shar Pei Rescue dogs, so we will always try to look for home environments that we think the dog will enjoy and feel comfortable in.

SHAR PEI ARE MOST COMFORTABLE SLEEPING INDOORS
Occasionally people looking to adopt a Shar Pei will explain that the dog will be kept permanently outside, including sleeping in a kennel or an outdoor bed. Other people will say that they intend to keep the dog in a pen or enclosure.

For Shar Pei Rescue dogs, we don't think that this is the best environment for them, Dogs that are kept permanently outside while the family life is going on inside have little chance of integrating with the family. Dogs that are continually subjected to the cold by sleeping outside, particularly in winter are more prone to health problems, as well as the daily misery of being cold and lonely.  Shar Pei make loyal companions and need to be given the opportunity to feel part of the family.

For these reasons, we look to place the dogs in homes where the dog will spend at least some part of the day inside with the family, and where he sleeps inside the home (a laundry or garage is fine).

CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR SHAR PEI RESCUE DOG

Security

Check your Fences, both over them and under them!
A good number of the dogs at Shar Pei Rescue ended up at the pound simply because they escaped from home, (often habitually!), so good security is absolutely paramount.

The fence or gate that might be adequate for keeping in a child may be completely inadequate for keeping in a dog.  Motivated dogs can find all sorts of places to escape from the property, especially when left alone, so it is critical that you do a thorough inspection of the property BEFORE bringing home the dog.

Make sure fences are high enough

A common way for dogs to escape is by jumping or climbing over the fence. It will of course vary from dog to dog, but generally a fence lower than one metre is likely to be a potential escape route to many dogs.  Although Shar Pei are generally not climbers there is always an exception to the rule.

Check for gaps under the fences

The other place dogs often escape, and which people tend not to think about, is the gaps that exist UNDER the fences. Even small gaps can be quickly expanded via the efforts of a determined dog. The best way to look for these gaps is to literally get down on all fours, and crawl around the boundary of your property. The most likely spots are gaps between the fence and the ground, especially with colour bond type fences. Very often these gaps can be plugged with bricks or stones. Look also for gaps between a fence and a gatepost, or at corners where two fences meet.

Restrict access under the house
You should also check that the dog won't have access to get under the house, or if he does, that this access doesn't provide an escape tunnel to the street. Lattice panels are a good way to plug these gaps.

Check your property BEFORE you choose a dog
Doing a thorough check of your property BEFORE you choose a dog will help you to select a dog that is suitable for your home. It will also minimise any chance of the dog escaping your property. At the very least, an escape may cost you an expensive and inconvenient trip to the pound to collect him. At the worst, it could end in a tragic end for your dog, if he is hit by a car, something you want to avoid at all costs.


TEMPERAMENT

As with most dominant dog species, Shar Pei can be a pleasure or a nightmare depending on the amount of training and socialisation received.  Shar Pei rescue test every dog for suitable temperament before offering the Shar Pei for adoption.  We do not offer aggressive dogs for adoption however we recommend that you continue your Shar Pei training program.



MEETING YOUR PROSPECTIVE SHAR PEI

We are a not for profit organisation and we rely very much on volunteers to manage our adoptions.  For that reason we don't always have people available to handle adoptions unless you make an appointment.  Also, many of our Shar Pei are in Foster care so we may need time to arrange for your chosen Shar Pei to be available to meet you.

We try and handle most of the initial adoption enquiries by email and phone and then we will make an appointment for you to come and meet some of the Shar Pei.

4 simple steps to adopt a Shar Pei:

1. Select a Shar Pei from the website.
2. Complete the online Adoption Application form or download an application form and email it to us.
3. Discuss your needs with us and make an appointment to meet your Shar Pei.
4. Complete an Adoption Agreement form and take your new shar pei home.

1. Selecting some Shar Pei from the website

This website lists all the dogs that we have available for adoption.  We keep this website up to date every day with new dogs coming in and removing dogs as they are adopted.

We recommend that you identify at least 4 or 5 dogs that you might be interested in meeting.

Many of our Shar Pei have been rescued from Council pounds so you need to assume that they are NOT toilet trained. Although Shar Pei are generally very clean dogs and toilet train themselves at a young age you should assume the worst and be ready to toilet train the Shar Pei. 

You will see photos of the Shar Pei and a brief description of its temperament. Because many of our dogs are rescued from the pounds we have no history on them. The description we give is what we have observed since the dog has been with us and is a guide only. It is really important that you and all members of your family, including any other dogs, meet with the doggies to make sure you all get along.

Special Needs Dogs

Some of the dogs that come to Shar Pei Rescue have a ‘special’ quality. They may have a physical disability, such as deafness or poor eyesight, or they may have been particularly abused or neglected by their previous owners. These dogs require special attention, dedicated owners and a greater investment of time and effort to their long-term health needs. If you feel you have the qualities to become a Special Needs parent let us know and talk to us about the dogs that interest you.

2. Completing the adoption Questionnaire form

You will find the both the online application and the downloadable bersion at the bottom of this section of the website.

The application will help shape your thinking about the sort of dog that is best for you. It asks questions relating you home, lifestyle, family and most importantly, what you are looking for in a Shar Pei. Your answers will help us in discussing with you, the suitability of the dogs you have chosen, given your lifestyle. We ask you to add as much information as you can to help us match you with your new doggie.

The application can be emailed to us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3. Discussing your needs with us and making an appointment

Once we’ve received your adoption application we will call you to discuss the form and the suitability of the dogs you have chosen. It also gives you the opportunity to discuss with us any concerns you may have about adopting a Shar Pei. We may also make suggestions of other dogs you might want to consider that may be appropriate for your living arrangements.

Once we’ve had that discussion we will make an appointment for you to meet the dogs. Our adoption centre is in Tyabb, Victoria at 10 Janeallan Court. You will find instructions on this website of how to find us.

It is really important that you and all members of your family, including any other dogs, meet with the Shar Pei to make sure you all get along. You need to make an appointment that suits your whole family.

Some of our Shar Pei are in Foster homes so we may need to make an appointment for the dogs Foster Carer to bring him/her to meet you. This may take a little while so please be patient as we make these arrangements.

If you are renting or living in a unit or townhouse we ask that you are ready to bring permission to have a dog from your landlord or body corporate with you to the appointment.

4. Meeting some of our Shar Pei and adopting

You need to allow at least an hour or more for your appointment so that you and your family have a good chance to spend quality time with the dogs. You will be asked to take each dog that you are interested in meeting for a walk to see how you all get along. It is really important to ensure that you bond well with the Shar Pei and that he or she likes you and your family.

Once you have chosen a Shar Pei (and we are satisfied that you are able to meet each others needs) you’re ready to adopt.

You’ll be asked to sign an adoption agreement, to sign a microchip transfer form and to pay for the dog. We provide you with documentation on the dog’s health records as well as basic tips on care, food, toilet and other training.

Our adoption costs vary between $300 and $800 depending on the age and sex of the dog. The payment goes part way to recovering our basic veterinary costs of desexing, C5 vaccination, heartworm test and microchipping.  We do not currently have EFTPOS facilities and can only accept cash of electronic transfer of funds.

We can’t hold dogs once they have been adopted so it is important that you are ready to take the dog on the day (make sure you have a lead and some old towels for your car!.  If required we can supply leads, collars, beds, etc at well below retail price)

5. After the adoption

This is the best part of all, when you take the dog home and introduce him/her as the newest member of your family.

Let Your Dog Settle In
There are some good tips and guidelines about helping your new family member settle in to their new surroundings and we urge you and your family to read as much information as you can find on Shar Pei.

It's most important to understand that many of these dogs have been at Shar Pei Rescue for some months or even longer. They may not have been toilet trained - some have never even seen inside a lounge room before! Most have been used to living in kennel conditions with little one-on-one attention, and so the experience of concentrated attention from the family will be new and a little unsettling for them. So please be patient with them! Give them some time to settle in, to leave a few unwelcome gifts on your floor, and to feel comfortable. Almost always they will settle in within a week or so. Please Tag Your Dog!

PLEASE keep your dog tagged at all times. Many dogs have escaped on day one, before the owners have had a chance to have a new identification tag engraved.

It's not unusual for Shar Pei to go off their food for the first few days so don't panic if he/she won't eat.  If you have any concerns feel free to give us a call.

4 Week Settling In Period
There are rare occasions when the dog and the family don't suit one another. That's why Shar Pei Rescue offers a 4 week settling in period. If within this period, you feel that this dog is not for you simply bring him/her back for a full refund or to try another dog.

Please note that Shar Pei Rescue will ALWAYS take back a dog, regardless of how long you have had the dog however we can not guarantee that you will be compensated.  If you have had the dog for some time a surrender fee may apply.