Spike is a sweetie! He has had quite an adventure in coming to us.  He first started out in Miami Dade Animal Control.  MDAC has an extremly high euthanasia rate and animals are given a very short period of time in which to be adopted.  Fortunately for Spike, he caught the eye of a wonderful gentleman who pulled him just before his time was up.  Spike then spent a couple of months at this kind man's boarding facility while he attempted to find him a home.  Eventually we were contacted and asked to take in Spike.  Well, good gosh, did you look at that face?  Who could say no??

The great thing is that we know quite a bit about Spike already thanks to the folks who have cared for him these last couple of months.  In their words, "Spike is a good dog, potty trained, leash trained and crate trained."  He does well with other dogs but not with children.) Like many puppies who have been abandoned and gone through periods of want, he tends to guard his food and toys around other dogs.  We recommend that initially Spike be fed separately from other dogs but that his owners work with him to correct this behavior since he is still a puppy.  You know, one thing we really don't know about Spike is his breed.  All of his paperwork reads "Shar Pei mix" but I just don't know; his fur is really soft and his ears are all wrong.  When I look at him straight on, he looks just like a French Bulldog, but with pointed instead of rounded ears, and a longer muzzle.  There's also something about him that reminds me of a Basenji.  What do you guess??? 

Are you familiar with the Shar-Pei breed? According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the ancestry of the Shar-Pei is uncertain. It may be a descendant of the Chow Chow, however, the only clear link between these are the purple tongue. However, pictures on pottery suggest the breed was present even in the Han Dynasty (206bc). For many years the Shar-Pei was kept as a general-purpose farm dog in the Chinese countryside, used for hunting, protecting stock, and guarding the home and family. During that time the Shar-Pei was bred for intelligence, strength and scowling face. Later, it was used in dog fighting. The loose skin and extremely prickly coat were developed to aid the dog in fighting, making the Shar-Pei difficult for the opponent to grab and hold on to. During the Communist Revolution, dogs were rescued by a Hong Kong business man named Matgo Law, who appealed to Americans in 1973 though a dog magazine to save the breed. From those few specimens, the Shar-Pei fancy has grown tremendously over the past decades. The Shar-Pei is very loyal to his handler. It is an intelligent dog that does not always follow orders slavishly. Playful, active, dominant, and brave, they bond with their family, but are not unfriendly toward strangers. They make a delightful companion and good watchdogs. The Shar-Pei needs a confident handler. If you are too uncertain, too inconstant, too soft, or too mild in the dog's eyes, it will take over as the boss. These dogs are very clean and almost housebreak themselves. Famous for their wrinkles, Shar-Pei slowly loose their wrinkles as they get older. They generally hate water and try as hard as they can to avoid it. The Chinese Shar-Pei will do okay in an apartment if it is sufficiently exercised. It is moderately active indoors and will do okay without a yard. Because of their padded head, the Shar-Pei is very sensitive to heat. Shade and water must always be available. Provided they get enough exercise, they will be very peaceful indoors. They have a life expectancy of about 10 years.