"This is a picture of Pig, my Lab Pei at 5 years old, about 20 inches tall and weighing in at 75 pounds. Training and socialization were key to her excellent behavior. She is my amazing sweet girl who has boundless energy, patience and loves everyone. She is very loyal to me and my family and wants to be were we are at all times. She is confident and agile with excellent recall and manners but can show her stubborn Pei streak from time to time. She loves to travel and enjoys swimming and rolling in the mud but is just as happy to nap on her dog pillow at home for hours. Oh! And snow, she loves snow and ice more than anything else. She is very good with kids, cats, dogs (as long as they show no aggression towards her family), small animals and other people. She is protective when someone (adult) approaches when we are out of the house but listens well and accepts loves and pets once I give her the command to stop, she has never barked at a child, ever. Even as a 6 month old puppy she sat nicely and let three year olds love on her. She is not a vocal dog unless something is wrong, otherwise, she is pretty silent. She is extremely sensitive to tone, I use my stern voice and that is all it takes for her to know she did something wrong, heavy hands are never good but especially with this girl. She can smell a bit and gets dry skin if I don't use oatmeal shampoo but she loves loves the water so bathing is very easy. She sheds about a 7 on a scale of 10, 1 being the least amount of shedding as possible. She is very food motivated and is extremely willing to please, training was a breeze with her but be careful, the Lab side can bring on obesity daily quick. My girl has had Entropion and needed 2 surgeries for eye tacking, one when she was 6 months old (when I found her) and another when she was 4.5 years old. Due to the length of time her previous owners let pass without eye tacking, she struggles to see some things if they are in shadow or reflect light. I love my Pig and think everyone should have a dog as amazing as her. This breed can be a challenge if you don't know how to be the pack leader. Shar Pei's are not for 1st time dog owners even though the Lab mellows out the intense protection desire and stubbornness a Pei has. This mix will still have these traits, just in lesser intensities."
The Lab Pei is not a purebred dog. It is a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Shar-Pei. The best way to determine the temperament of a mixed breed is to look up all breeds in the cross and know you can get any combination of any of the characteristics found in either breed. Not all of these designer hybrid dogs being bred are 50% purebred to 50% purebred. It is very common for breeders to breed multi-generation crosses.
Brooklyn the Labrador Retriever / Chinese Shar Pei-"Brooklyn was rescued from a breeding situation. She was tied to a stake in a rural area, and was chronically pregnant and producing puppies. She was out in the weather 24/7/365, and was in rough physical shape. When rescued, she was about 2 years old based on her vet exam. On July 7th we will celebrate 10 years together. Brooklyn is too intelligent for her own good, very sweet, inquisitive, loyal, and loving. I truly believe her mission on earth is to give love and healing. After having her for 2 years I began training her for therapy dog work. She took to it immediately. She has always had an affinity for those injured, ill, or disabled. Our travels have taken us to local hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, and patients at home on hospice. She has been my partner at work for the last 6 years, with the last 2 years coming to the office with me. She was my "administrative assistant." She has also been my partner as we foster cats from our local rescue, and has raised 1 stray of her own. They are very close. I feel she exemplifies both the best traits of the Lab and Shar Pei. This picture is Brooklyn at the beach when she was about 3 years old."
Koda the Lab / Shar-Pei mix at 6 months old—"This is my dog Koda at 6 months old. I found him in the street at about 6 weeks old. He was flea infested and had worms so I took him to the vet that day. He is now healthy and happy. He is extremely active, loves to chew everything and has to sleep in the bed with me. I can't go anywhere without him or he whines. I think he is so adorable! He has a curled tail with black on the tip and some dark spots on his tongue, his ears are floppy and he has some white on his chest. At first he hated the bath but now he is learning to love the water and swims at the beach!"
"These are my two Shar-Pei / Labrador Retriever sisters adopted from the pound. They were found as very young puppies, walking along the freeway together. They are littermates, but couldn't be more different! Kazu (the black one) is very loyal, follows me around the house, gazes at me, etc. She's very excitable and has trouble—after 5 years—understanding that jumping when someone comes in isn't okay. She's a very happy dog who even wags her tail when she eats."
"Wanda the yellow Shar-Pei / Labrador Retriever mix seems more like a Shar-Pei. She's quite aloof and bossy. Her affection is on her terms and she's the only dog I've ever seen who sulks. She does love to play, however, and frequently brings her rope to me, wags her tail, looking for some playtime."
Dexter the Shar Pei / Chocolate Labrador Retriever mix at 1 year old-"Dexter is full of energy, but can relax and hang out when needed. He loves to jump and play in the water. He is wary of strangers but once he knows you, he loves you."
Dexter the Shar Pei / Chocolate Labrador Retriever mix at 1 year old
Dexter the Shar Pei / Chocolate Labrador Retriever mix at 1 year old playing in the water.
Lucy the Lab / Shar Pei mix as a puppy at 3 months old-"This is our dog Lucy. She is a black Lab / Shar Pei mix. We didn't really know what to expect with this hybrid, because there are few out there. She has turned out to be a terrific little dog. The puppyhood was difficult, and she displayed typical Lab behaviors. Lucy would chew on everything and everyone! Now that she has passed the one-year mark she is really coming along. Lucy is extremely friendly, loves children and other dogs, and rarely barks. She is loyal, but not jealous, and is very smart. She responds well to both verbal and hand commands, and is a great exercise partner. One negative, though she has the great Shar Pei wrinkles and short hair, she does shed quite a bit. I wish that more people knew about this great hybrid! We feel very lucky."
Lucy the Lab / Shar Pei mix as a puppy at 7 months old
"Cooter is a Shar-Pei / Yellow Lab mix. We got him from the local animal shelter when he was 8 weeks old. He was housebroken in less than 2 weeks. He is one of the smartest dogs I have ever encountered, and very affectionate. His only problem is he is extremely skittish. Since he has never been mistreated here, I can only assume it is just his nature. But I am still very glad we chose him. We have 19 grandchildren, so it was very important that whatever we got, it had to be good with them. He has both been great with all from 20 years, right down to newborns."
