Shar Pei Puppies: Adopt or Buy in Australia?

Should you adopt or buy a Shar Pei?

It depends on whether it has to be a puppy, and on how much health risk you can carry. A puppy from a registered breeder gives you known parents and a breeder you can question about eyes, ears and fevers in their line. An adult from rescue gives you something a puppy cannot: you can see whether its eyelids have needed surgery, how its skin and ears are, and how it behaves with strangers and other dogs.

The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase suggests the RSPCA or a reputable rescue first, and if you go to a breeder, making sure they are registered, visiting where the puppies were born and meeting the parents. Our guide to adopting a dog in Australia covers the rescue process step by step.

Reference only, not quotes. Figures read on 11 November 2026; breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them, so check with them.

How much is a Shar Pei puppy from a registered breeder?

Too few breeders publish a price to give a range. In November 2026 we read 9 Shar Pei breeder websites. Only one breeder whose own site shows membership of a state canine body published a price: $4,000 for a puppy, the same whatever the sex, colour or register type. The others gave no price, asked you to make contact, or showed no membership on their own site. Prices on listing sites are left out, because membership and dates cannot be checked there. We found no Australian Shar Pei breed club with its own website and no club guide price.

Reference only, not quotes. One breeder is not a range, and prices change, so ask several breeders and check with the rescue. RSPCA NSW says its fees cover desexing, microchipping, vaccination and a health check. The dog cost calculator covers the first year after the price tag, and with this breed it is worth setting money aside for eye and ear care.

What does the breed standard say?

Dogs Australia places the Shar Pei in Group 7 (Non Sporting). Its standard, last updated 9 October 2012, is unusually direct about the features that cause trouble.

From the Dogs Australia Shar Pei standard, read 11 November 2026. The standard also tells breeders and judges to be mindful of features that could harm the breed's health, welfare or soundness.

Read that table as a buyer's checklist. A breeder who sells heavy wrinkling, very loose body skin or “extra wrinkly” puppies is selling exactly what the standard calls highly undesirable. Dogs NSW adds that the breed comes from the Guangdong province of China and was used in the past for tasks including hunting, herding and protection.

Which health problems should you ask a Shar Pei breeder about?

Three come up again and again in the breed bodies' own pages and in the research: in-turned eyelids, Shar Pei fever, and ear and skin trouble. Dogs NSW says a thoughtfully bred Shar Pei should have few health issues, but that the breed can be prone to skin conditions, entropion and “yeasty” ears, and that Shar Pei Autoinflammatory Disease (SPAID) is of particular concern because affected dogs often live short lives.

Sources: Dogs Victoria, Dogs NSW and the Dogs Australia standard, read 11 November 2026. This is a buying checklist, not veterinary advice; a dog with a fever, swollen joints or a sore, weeping eye needs a vet.

How common is entropion? Very. A Royal Veterinary College study by O'Neill and colleagues (2023) looked at the records of 1,913 Shar Pei under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013. Entropion was the most common diagnosis, at 17.88% in that one year, followed by otitis externa (ear canal inflammation) at 16.36%. Eye, skin and ear disorders were the three biggest disorder groups. The authors linked entropion strongly to the breed's thickened, folded skin, and wrote that almost one fifth of Shar Pei receive veterinary care for it each year. The study is from the UK, so the exact numbers will not carry over to Australia, but the pattern is clear.

Where the wrinkles and the fever come from. A 2011 genetics study by Olsson and colleagues found DNA duplications unique to the Shar Pei, near a gene called HAS2, linked both to the breed's thick, wrinkled skin and to the inherited fever. It found that hyaluronan, a substance that builds up in Shar Pei skin, is raised, and describes the fever as unprovoked episodes of fever and inflammation that carry a risk of amyloidosis, a disease that can lead to kidney or liver failure. The authors suggest that selecting for the skin folds may also have selected for the fever, so ask about fever in a puppy's relatives rather than accept a promise that it cannot happen.

Life span. Dogs Victoria gives an average life span of 9 to 10 years. In the UK study, the 190 Shar Pei that died had a median age at death of 7.28 years, and cancer (15.44%) and kidney disorders (13.24%) were the most common recorded causes among deaths with a known cause.

Our Shar Pei health issues guide and the guide to Shar Pei skin and coat care go into day-to-day care.

Is a Shar Pei or Shar Pei cross a restricted breed?

Not by name. The Shar Pei is not on any state or territory restricted, prohibited or prescribed list we read on 11 November 2026. The lists cover the same five import-banned breeds: the American Pit Bull Terrier (or pit bull terrier), Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Japanese Tosa and Perro de Presa Canario (NSW and Western Australia also cover any other breed that cannot be imported), as the NSW, Victorian, Queensland and South Australian pages show, and the ACT has no restricted breeds at all.

Shar Pei crosses appear in rescue listings, and a cross is judged on what it is, not what it is called. In NSW a council can declare a dog restricted if it is assessed as a cross of a restricted breed, and Western Australia's rule also covers mixes. If you adopt a muscular cross, keep the rescue's paperwork and breed description. Our Staffy vs pit bull guide has each state's rules in full. Any dog of any breed can be declared dangerous or menacing after an incident.

Official pages read 11 November 2026. General information, not legal advice; follow the link for your state before you rely on a detail.

What do Shar Pei in rescue look like?

Often adults and crosses. Across the rescues and pounds we aggregate, Shar Pei are often listed as adults, and some listings are Shar Pei crosses. Purebred puppies are rare across the rescues we aggregate, so if a puppy is the only option, a breeder is the realistic route.

An adult has advantages with this breed in particular. Ask the rescue:

• Eyes. Has the dog had entropion surgery, or does it have watery or sore eyes now?
• Ears and skin. Any ongoing ear infections, skin infections or special diet?
• Fevers. Any episodes of fever or swollen hocks while in care?
• People and dogs. How does it meet strangers, and how does it get on with other dogs? Dogs NSW notes Shar Pei can be suspicious of strangers and misread by other dogs.

Our city guides cover adopting a Shar Pei locally: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

How do Shar Pei puppy scams work?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites and fake social media and marketplace profiles to sell popular breeds and pets that do not exist. Its advice: view the pet in person, ask for a video call if you cannot visit, check the breeder is legitimate, and compare prices, because a very cheap pet is likely a scam.

• “Rare” coats and sizes. Bear coat, flowered or miniature Shar Pei are outside the Dogs Australia standard, which allows only solid colours (not white) and a harsh coat. A premium for them buys a marketing word, not a rarer breed.
• “Extra wrinkly” as a selling point. The standard calls excessive body skin highly undesirable, and the research links folded skin to eyelid problems.
• Papers from another registry. Dogs Australia names several registries that are not affiliated with it and cannot issue its certified pedigrees. Check the breeder's membership with the state canine body yourself.
• No breeder number. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT each require an identifying number in puppy ads. Look it up on the official register, not through a link the seller sends.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the full state-by-state table of breeder numbers and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone. A registered breeder makes sense if you want a puppy raised from day one, if you have watched the listings for months without finding a Shar Pei that suits your home, or if you want a breeder who will take the dog back if your life changes.

1. Registration. Check the membership with Dogs Australia or your state body, and your state's breeder number on the official register.
2. Honest health talk. Ask about entropion surgery, fever episodes, ears and skin in both parents and their relatives. A breeder who says “never had a problem” in this breed is worth questioning.
3. Moderate dogs. Look for parents with open, comfortable eyes and moderate wrinkle, as the standard asks.
4. The mother, in person, and where the puppies are raised, before any deposit.
5. A written contract covering register type, desexing, health problems and whether the breeder will take the dog back.

Is a Shar Pei the right dog for you?

The breed bodies describe a loyal, clean, independent dog. Dogs NSW calls the Shar Pei a loyal, devoted and affectionate family member that is naturally clean in the home and not generally destructive, and lists about 40 minutes of exercise a day. Be honest about four things.

• Independence. The standard says independent. Expect a dog that thinks for itself; reward-based training from day one helps.
• Strangers and other dogs. A protective, reserved dog needs early socialisation and calm introductions.
• Vet bills. Eyes, ears and skin can need ongoing care. Budget for it, and look at lower-cost vet care options.
• Heat and skin. Watch skin folds and ears in humid weather, and ask your vet what routine suits your dog.

Not sure it fits? The what dog breed am I quiz and the adoption readiness check each take a few minutes.

Find a Shar Pei near you

• Shar Pei for adoption in Sydney
• Shar Pei for adoption in Melbourne
• Shar Pei for adoption in Brisbane
• Shar Pei for adoption in Perth
• Shar Pei for adoption in Adelaide

See the Shar Pei breed page for every listing. Considering another breed? Our American Staffordshire Terrier, Bull Arab, Basset Hound, Bull Terrier, Rhodesian Ridgeback, German Shorthaired Pointer, Koolie and Bernedoodle guides cover them the same way.