Shar pei lab mix (aka sharpay lab/lab pei)

The Shar Pei Lab Mix dog, also very commonly known by the names of Sharpay Lab dog and Lab Pei dog, is a mixed breed that comes to life when one purebred Chinese Shar-Pei parent is cross bred with one purebred Labrador Retriever parent.

The Shar Pei Lab Mix was first known to mankind a couple hundred years ago, so it isn’t a new designer dog breed, it’s just that it only gained popularity in people’s eyes in recent years.

Shar Pei Lab Mix Recognition

Because the Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is a cross breed dog and not a purebred dog, it’s not officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

However, this doesn’t mean that the Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is a myth that’s not reality, as it is officially recognized as a designer dog breed by the Dog Registry of America (DRA).

Labrador Sharpei Physical Appearance

Size, Height & Weight

The Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is considered to be a medium to large sized dog, standing at an average height of anywhere from 18 to 25 inches tall and weighing in at an average of anywhere from 55 to 70 pounds.

Coat Color

The following is a list that covers some of the most common coat colors that the Shar Pei Lab Mix dog usually comes in.

– White
– Cream
– Dark yellow
– Light yellow
– Gold

Lab Shar Pei Mix Temperament

Train-ability

Thanks to the personality type this dog takes from both its Chinese Shar-Pei and Labrador Retriever parents, the Shar Pei Lab Mix is a relatively easy dog to train, even if you don’t have that much prior experience when it comes to dog training.

Both the Lab Pei’s parents are dogs that thrive on pleasing their owner and following their instructions during training to the T, so you shouldn’t have much to worry about as far as that issue is concerned.

There are, however, two key points that go into making sure you easily succeed in training your Shar Pei Lab Mix dog.

The first critical issue is that you give them heaps of attention, praise and affection during training, as well as making training sessions as fun and interactive as you can.

The second critical issue is that you make sure you approach training them in a firm manner where you make it obvious to them that you’re the “pack leader”.

Shar Pei Lab Mix dogs do have a tendency at times to act stubborn and refuse to follow their owner’s commands in training when they sense that their owner aren’t exactly “pack leader” material, so you’ll want to establish that early on in order to avoid any complications down the line.

Of course, and as always is the case, if you find this all too difficult to grasp or this is your first ever experience with dog training and you’re not too confident you can successfully pull it off, this doesn’t mean that a Shar Pei Lab Mix dog isn’t a good fit for you – you can easily hire a professional dog trainer to take care of all of this for you.

Watchdog Ability

The Shar Pei Lab Mix may make for a decent watchdog with the abilities it has, but it’s definitely not the best cross breed in this category.

If a watchdog is your primary criterion for judging whether you should add a Shar Pei Lab Mix dog to your household or not, then it’s probably best that you look for other options, as there are other cross breeds out there that do a way better job than the Lab Pei.

What you would usually expect from a watchdog is that they spear towards any intruder lurking around your property and then scare them off, while the most a Shar Pei Lab Mix is known to do in general is bark to get your attention.

So, all in all, not the worst of watchdogs out there as they do bark to alert you of something wrong, but not the best of watchdogs either as they only get half of the job done in most cases.

Lab Pei Living Conditions

Kids In The House

Because of its relatively small size and exceptionally sweet personality, the Shar Pei Lab Mix dog makes an excellent addition to households with young children that may want to interact and play around with this cross breed.

Indoors VS Outdoors

The Shar Pei Lab Mix dog isn’t considered to be much of an indoors dog to be frank, so if you’re considering adding one of these cross breeds to your household that happens to be an apartment with no backyard to it, then this dog is probably not the best option for you as they won’t be the happiest they can be.

Shar Pei Lab Mix dogs thrive in properties with a large backyard they can have all the fun they want and play around in, but you best make sure it’s a fenced area or else they can get you (or themselves) into big trouble.

Sharpay Lab Health

The following list summarizes some of the most common health issues and physical problems that Shar Pei Lab Mix dogs are at risk of suffering from during their lifespans.

– Hip & Elbow Dysplasia
– Joint Problems
– Obesity
– Skin Problems

The Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is known to live a lifespan that lasts anywhere between 9 to 12 years on average, assuming of course that they’re provided with everything they need to lead a healthy life from their owner.

Exercise

Because of the potential health and physical problems mentioned above that the Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is at risk of suffering from during their lifetime, it’s extra important that this dog be given all the exercise and physical activity it needs in a day’s time.

Also, and because of the fact that the Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is a medium to large sized dog, this usually means that it’s going to need a bit more exercise and physical activity a day than other smaller sized dogs.

The best type of exercise and physical activity you can give your Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is one that they’ll have most fun doing, which is almost always going to involve some sort of interaction with you (their owner), other dogs they may interact and play around with, or interactive dog toys you’ve bought for them and given them access to.

Shar Pei Lab Mix Care

Grooming

Shar Pei Lab Mix dogs are considered to be light shedding dogs, so they’re a perfect fit for you if you’re looking for a dog that doesn’t make a constant mess around the house and doesn’t need you to dedicate a strict grooming schedule for.

Brushing this dog’s coat a few times a week seems to do the trick just fine for most Lab Pei owners out there.

Feeding

If you plan on adding a Shar Pei Lab Mix dog to your household, then you should be very careful and educate yourself about the ideal dietary plan they should be put on.

Shar Pei Lab Mix dogs have a very high risk of becoming overweight/obese during their lifetimes because of their tendency to easily overeat if they’re given free access to food whenever they feel like it, so you have to be very careful to put them on a limited diet where they’re only given a controlled amount of food and limited amount of calories per day to prevent obesity.

The last thing you want to happen with the Shar Pei Lab Mix dog is for them to become overweight/obese, because this problem combined with their high risk of developing hip dysplasia and joint problems is a combination for disaster.

So, only feed your Shar Pei Lab Mix dog high quality dog food that’s centered around meat and high quality proteins, limit the amount of calories they eat from their dog food a day to ensure they’re getting only their required amount and nothing in excess, feed your Lab Pei small but frequent meals throughout the day instead of one large meal once a day in order to prevent bloating, and you should be good to go.

You should also speak to your veterinarian about your Shar Pei Lab Mix dog’s potential skin problems and ask them what dietary practices you can undertake to make sure these problems remain suppressed, as well as consider feeding them dog food specifically produced for dogs with skin problems if need be.