Hunting is one of the most common hobbies of the nobility. Hunting with dogs was especially attractive. Each aristocrat kept a kennel with dogs trained to hunt various types of animals. They didn’t shy away from such fun in Rus' either. There were special dogs trained to herd elk, aurochs, bison (the so-called elk dogs), there were Russian greyhounds and hounds. But, besides them, there was another native Russian breed of hunting dogs, capable of killing a bear or a bull - the Medelyan dog.
Description of the breed
This breed is a true embodiment of Chinese exoticism with spiky and hard hair, like a horse, with a hair length of up to 10 mm. Shar Peis are good defenders of the possessions and property of their owner; they become more distrustful of strangers in the house as they grow older, and can show excessive aggression. Although in appearance the dogs seem shy and harmless due to deep-set eyes and limited vision in the periphery. The big dog may well be alerted by any slight sudden movement and, possibly, manifestation of aggression. This is why children should not be left alone with dogs without the presence of adults.
This breed is a true embodiment of Chinese exoticism with spiky and hard hair, like a horse, with a hair length of up to 10 mm.
The main features of this breed include:
- weight 15-25 kg;
- life expectancy - 11-12 years;
- height - 49-51 cm;
- deep folds in the skin;
- short wool with blue tints;
- round head;
- wide and voluminous almond-shaped nose;
- deep-set dark eyes;
- triangular ears;
- muscular, strong and square body with many folds, which is the distinctive feature of this breed;
- muscular and parallel paws.
The color of the Shar Pei is a monochromatic breed: blue, cream, lilac, red, fawn, black, sable. Light shades or spots on the body and face are acceptable. But usually such deviations are observed in mestizos and albinos who have nothing to do with the tribe. Purebred dogs rarely come in several shades at the same time; as a rule, they are black with brownish-brown, gray tints on the sides. This happens in the summer, when the wool burns out in the sun. With the onset of cold weather, the main color noticeably evens out.
External data
The Medellian dog, famous in its time, had an impressive appearance, with a muzzle resembling a bulldog.
Unfortunately, no description of what the muzzle puppy looked like - one of the names of the Medellian - has been preserved.
Character traits
By nature, this is a completely calm, friendly and balanced dog, and lends itself well to training and socialization in society. Can be a good companion for children, although the puppy must be trained from early childhood.
Shar Peis were previously bred for fighting and guarding needs, so that they could stand up and show aggression towards the offender when they attacked the owner. Raising and adapting a puppy to the outside world needs to be done from an early age in order to achieve the development of some aggressive qualities, but in moderation and with a targeted focus.
This breed is characterized by:
- calmness and balance;
- high mind and intelligence;
- to some extent jealousy towards other pets living together in the house;
- a certain loyalty and caution in character;
- aggressiveness towards other dogs;
- aversion to loneliness and high air humidity;
- intolerance to slushy weather when going outside.
It is unacceptable for the owner to display physical violence and rough actions towards the Shar Pei. They tend to be leaders, but have a rather complex, commanding character. If there are small children in the family and there is no confidence that it will be possible to invest good qualities in the dog, breeders do not recommend purchasing this breed. Still, a pet’s actions can be completely unpredictable.
When purchasing a puppy for training purposes, you need to spend a sufficient amount of time with it. If, as always, it is not enough, then it is better not to purchase such a breed.
From the very first days of living in a family, a Shar Pei can show everyone who is boss in the house if you begin to show excessive gentleness towards him. He will feel like the leader and head of the house, which, of course, will not lead to anything good. All family members should treat their pet equally and not show, for example, such qualities as a wife being strict and a husband, on the contrary, being lisping. You need to try to convince the Shar Pei that his role is to protect the house from dangers and the invasion of uninvited guests. Proper training will ultimately lead to the development of love and devotion in the dog, and it will always repay in kind.
The breed's character is military and stern. Breeders are still working hard to develop character, and they have been successful to some extent. Today, from breeders it is quite possible to purchase a rather wise dog that is not capable of offending a fly. Nevertheless, you need to work hard with her from the first days of her stay in the house.
Saluki
Salukis are long-muzzled greyhounds that are capable of high speeds and have thick padding on their paws to absorb shock when running.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, it was the Saluki that became the fastest dog in the world; she managed to reach the maximum performance of 68.8 km/h.
Representatives of the breed give the impression of well-mannered dogs and have a gentle character.
Gallery: black sharpei dog (25 photos)
Dog care
The Shar Pei is quite clean and intelligent. The breed is suitable for keeping in apartments because it does not grow large, hardly sheds, and does not emit the unpleasant odor characteristic of other dogs. The main thing is to keep your pet clean, give him as much personal space as possible, preferably with a large view around him. You can build a doghouse in the courtyard of a private house, in order for him to fulfill his protective fighting qualities. The main thing is that the house is quite comfortable and insulated from the harsh winter cold.
The dog tolerates snowy winters and heat quite well, so it is quite possible to keep it in private houses and enclosures. She does not require care. It is enough to periodically comb the fur, trim the nails, and wipe the eyes when watery with a dry cloth.
You need to choose the most spacious place for the booth in the apartment. A bed or rug in the hallway, wrapped in a sheet, will do. When buying a dog, you need to purchase a leash with a collar, preferably a leather one, so that it does not break off on the street if the dog becomes excessively aggressive towards strangers.
It is recommended to walk every day, 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening, in order to educate and maintain good physical shape in the Shar Pei. It is good to additionally purchase a veterinary first aid kit and rubber toys in the form of bones, so that your pet’s stay in the house will always be comfortable. When buying clothes, you need to take into account the color of the dog’s coat and the degree of its reaction to cold weather. The most vulnerable spot in a pet is the kidneys, so it is necessary to dress the puppies in slush and protect them from gusts of cold wind.
If a puppy is purchased solely for the purpose of breeding, then before purchasing it is necessary to carefully check its pedigree and the presence of congenital kinetic diseases. This particular breed is often born with hereditary defects and kidney failure. A dog can produce up to 6 puppies in one litter, but veterinarians must check them for diseases in a timely manner.
How and what to feed?
Only a healthy and balanced diet is recommended for Shar Peis with the inclusion of vegetables, dietary supplements, and meat in the diet. Be sure to always have fresh water near the feeding area. Dogs love dry food, but there is no need to pamper them too much; the portions served must fully correspond to the size and weight of the dog.
Many owners prefer to feed their Shar Pei natural food: meat, boiled vegetables. This is quite acceptable, but tomatoes, sweets, chocolate, apples should be in limited quantities. This breed is prone to food allergies and obesity, but sometimes you can still pamper it.
Vitamins and minerals must be present in the diet. You can feed healthy dogs 2-3 times a day, and puppies - in small portions, but up to 5-6 times a day.
Shar-Peis have rather short intestines with thin walls, and improper feeding can lead to rapid distension of the stomach. Giving rough and hard food to avoid such problems is not recommended.
Choosing a pet
It is best to buy a Shar Pei from professional breeders who really know this breed well or know the puppies’ parents. In addition, upon purchase, you will be given a guarantee that the puppy is vaccinated, well-groomed, receives adequate nutrition and does not have any health problems.
It’s good if the puppy has a pedigree. When purchasing, it is advisable to obtain all the necessary information about keeping and feeding the pet from the breeders themselves. It is better to purchase puppies up to 2 months old so that they are playful, lively and not afraid of strangers. When purchasing, it is important to check the cleanliness of the skin, the absence of discharge from the ears and nose, the parallelism of the front paws and the excessive elongation of the body. The puppy should have a well-developed chest, and from the first days in the house he should show special interest in the owner.
When purchasing, you need to immediately decide on the purpose of purchasing the puppy. If he becomes a pet, he should be a cheerful and healthy baby at the age of 2.5-3 months.
If you need to buy a dog for breeding, then you definitely need to check the pedigree, the availability of vaccinations and a list of recommendations from the veterinarian.
If the dog is preferred for exhibitions, then you should pay attention to the setting of the eyes, which should not be set too deep. It is desirable that the ears are positioned towards the eyes, and that there are not many small folds on the legs and buttocks.
Shar Pei is an oriental and calm dog. She quickly remembers commands, although she can refuse to carry them out at any time without reason. Puppies need to be taught socialization from the first days of their arrival in the house. Some patience and perseverance from the owner will still be required. As they grow older, the puppies will gradually learn to listen and understand the commands of their owner, and will become loyal and trained. It is quite possible to achieve what you want, but working with your pet must be done daily. It is necessary to accustom the dog to commands and not to use physical corporal punishment in case of its misconduct or pranks, otherwise you can get an overly aggressive healthy dog, which is also not very good.
Medellans
THE LAST OF THE MEDELANS
The enraged bull broke out of the pen, then a huge Medellin was released on him. The dog, walking heavily, caught up with the bull and hit him in the butt with his chest, the bull hit his head into the snow - he fell to his knees and could no longer get up...
I first read about the Medellian dog from Alexander Kuprin, in the story “Sapsan’s Thoughts about People, Animals, Objects and Events.” Later I came across the memoirs of P. I. Bogatyrev, published in the collection “Moscow Antiquity. Memoirs of Muscovites of the last century." Bogatyrev talked about the Medellians who were kept by his father in the so-called “animal baiting” - it was located not far from the Rogozhskaya outpost.
“The Medelian dogs,” he wrote, “were huge: from ears to tail, seven quarters in length, an arshin and an inch and a half in height, and up to seven pounds in weight,” that is, 125 cm, 78 cm, 112 kg. Among them were dogs that went after the bear alone.
One of the stories told by the author literally blew my mind. The enraged bull broke out of the pen, trouble could have happened, then a huge old Medellin named Swan was released on him. The dog, walking heavily, caught up with the bull and hit him in the butt with his chest; the bull hit his head into the snow - he fell to his knees and could not get up, since the Swan was already sitting on the back of his head. The people who approached threw ropes over the bull's horns and tied it to the cart.
We published P.I. Bogatyrev’s story in the magazine for dog breeders “Nika,” which was published in the early nineties. He was accompanied by a request - if anyone has information, share it with the editors.
An officer from Leningrad, Sergei Bobyr, who was interested in the history of dog breeding, responded to this publication. The article he sent contained many interesting references to references in the literature about this breed. For example, in the “New Encyclopedic Dictionary” of Brockhaus and Efron, published at the end of the 19th century, it was noted that honeydews have a huge head and powerful jaws, of which “The lower one protrudes forward, which allows the dog to breathe without unclenching its teeth when it digs into the hunted her animal." And in the “Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary” by N. Berezin it was stated that “medelyanki are similar to bulldogs.” Of course, from that time.
But what was especially interesting was the detailed description of the breed found by S. Bobyr, reminiscent of modern standards, compiled in 1914 by a prominent dog handler of that time, V. Priklonsky: “Head: huge, with a highly developed skull with a wide forehead and a uniform nape; the forehead fracture is noticeable, but not as pronounced as in a St. Bernard; wrinkles on the forehead and cheeks, especially when lowering the head.
Muzzle: wide, short, blunt and deep, with strongly pendulous lips (jowls). The correct bite in dogs is pincer-shaped (“on the front incisors, the tooth should touch the tooth”).
Nose: very wide with well developed nostrils.
Eyes: dark, in light-colored dogs light yellow, “blooded”, with overhanging eyebrows; the expression is angry and scary.
Ears: Medium size, close to the head and not set too high. Ears that were “on cartilage” and laid back were considered vicious, because this indicated an admixture of Great Dane.
Neck: Quite short, very muscular and very voluminous, with a strong poll and a very well developed pendulous dewlap.
Shoulders: rounded, very broad and muscular; very strong specimens have slanting shoulders, like those of a bulldog.
Chest: wide and deep. Back: Strong, with extremely strong rump and wide withers.
Legs: fore and hind legs set wide apart, with the forelegs being mostly tufted; rear ones with strong levers without a dewclaw (“wolf”) toe; paws are large and strong.
Tail: very strong and long, set low, does not rise high when the dog is excited, and is always lowered when calm. The bone and the entire build of the dog are unusually massive.
Coat: short, thick, dense, coarse, with dense undercoat in winter; the hair on the neck and tail is slightly longer.
Color: all colors, not excluding black and motley (forelock), but preferably gray with tan (wolf), blanzhe (pea) with a dark muzzle, a darker colored back and a gray tail; dark and light red, dark brown with tan marks, etc. However, white marks are acceptable everywhere.
Height: As for the size of the medals, the larger and longer they are, the more valuable. Moreover, by size it is not necessary to mean that the Medellian has high legs, which add height to the dog, but make it long-legged. On the contrary, a Medellian should be squat, stocky and, in proportion to his body, rather have low legs. In view of this, in relation to his constitution, it is more correct to apply the expressions “larger”, “more massive”, but not taller, to the Medellian. Therefore, the Medellian, even if he is very large, still, in comparison with his body and its depth, he should rather have short legs.”
Medellians were used primarily for baiting hunting, which was facilitated by the impressive size, extraordinary strength and courage of these dogs. At the same time, the Medellians were not evil. Contemporaries considered them smart and very affectionate to their master. Master of Veterinary Sciences L. Busse in the book “The Dog in its Main and Secondary Breeds” noted that Medellian dogs have the same one-sidedness as all large dogs in general: they love peace and allow small dogs to play with them - until until they lose their patience.
Where did this breed come from in Rus'? There were several versions on this matter. In the “New Encyclopedic Dictionary” of Brockhaus and Efron, it was stated that Medellian dogs descended from ancient Assyrian and Egyptian dogs, which in ancient times first penetrated Greece, then the Apennine Peninsula, then spread throughout Europe.L. Busse argued that the Medellin was a native British breed that came to Europe in the 2nd century, when Britain was conquered by the Roman Empire - the Romans, “having found this breed there, tried to breed it.” According to both of these versions, the name “Medelian”, otherwise “Mediolan”, comes from the ancient name of the city of Milan - Mediolan.V. Priklonsky objected to the statement about the Italian origin of the Medellians, “since in this case they would have existed in Italy, or at least left behind some racial traces, or at least memories. This is not the case, and in general people abroad have no idea about her, considering her Russian.”
I managed to find interesting information about the Medellians from L.P. Sabaneev. In his book “Hunting Dogs,” chapters from which were posthumously published in 1899 in the journal “Nature and Hunting,” he argued that the Medelyanka is “a Russian variety of Molossians.” Now more than one reprint edition of this wonderful book has already been published, and in the early nineties the name Sabaneev was known only to professionals. Unfortunately, in those years I was not able to continue the topic; the prepared article never saw the light of day. Nevertheless, the topic of Medellans continued to interest me all these years. After all, we are talking about a unique breed. Apparently, it was bred in pre-Mongol Rus'. Probably, one of the ancestors of the Medellians were mastiff-shaped dogs brought from Italy. They most likely crossed with indigenous Russian wolf-like dogs, which resembled modern huskies—they had pointed ears, dry muzzles, and thick fur. Dogs of exactly this type are depicted, for example, on the frescoes on the stairs of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, built by Yaroslav the Wise. These dogs, distinguished by their height and strength, were especially valuable and were the property of the princes and their warriors. It is possible that the Medellians were not bred on purpose. Dogs living in kennels sometimes had the opportunity to interbreed with each other. It is clear that large dogs could only interbreed with large ones. Short-haired Molossians in combination with thick-haired aboriginal dogs could produce offspring that formed the basis of several Russian breeds. Lighter, sharp-faced descendants gave rise to the ancient Russian hounds and similar breeds used for rutting animals. And heavier dogs with a short, wide muzzle and a bulldog-like bone structure began to be used for baiting. At the same time, only the most powerful dogs could survive and give birth to offspring - they were transformed into a breed called Medellian. Perhaps, over time, it will be possible to find new materials that will confirm or refute this hypothesis of mine. However, one way or another, by the 16th century Medellians had become one of the most beloved breeds among kings and princes. They were kept in the royal menageries. One of these menageries, located near the Kremlin, on Red Square, existed under Ivan the Terrible, Fyodor Ivanovich and Boris Godunov. This is how this menagerie is described by the plenipotentiary ambassadors from the Polish king to the Russian Tsar, who visited it in 1671 (quoted from A.V. Shargin’s essay “History of the Zoo”): “On the 14th day of February, by the grace of the Tsar’s Majesty, we were on an amusing courtyard, purposely built to that place in a decent place, which has a kennel in a special courtyard, much fortified with a fence, with different gates built for different animals.” There is also a story about baiting a bear: “...then they let another one on a rope, he no longer dared to fight with people, for which purpose they let two Medelyan dogs, of which there were many, and greyhounds at him, who broke with him for many hours during breaks... » In the second half of the 19th century, this breed began to gradually disappear. Partly because with the abolition of serfdom, maintaining kennels became unaffordable for many. And partly due to the fact that in the second half of the 19th century, baiting of bears and bulls was prohibited. According to the memoirs of P.I. Bogatyrev, Moscow persecution was closed in 1866 or 1868 by decree of the Moscow Governor-General. Medellians increasingly began to be used only as guard dogs, and the breed gradually degenerated. The same thing happened that usually happens with any purely working breed of dog if it does not find use. At the beginning of the 20th century, attempts were made to preserve the breed by mixing Medellians with mastiffs and short-haired St. Bernards. However, the First World War began, then the revolution. At that time, several dozen beautiful domestic dog breeds disappeared in Russia, including the Medellians. While working with materials concerning this mysterious breed, I read the description given in V. Dahl’s “Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language”: “MEDELAN DOG, Medelyanka, female, one of the largest breeds: large-headed, blunt-snouted, smooth-haired; looks like a bulldog,” and suddenly she imagined this dog. First in general terms, and then, making sketches, in detail.
After numerous sketches and sketches, I took up my brush and tried to depict the Medellin - this ancient Russian mastiff - on canvas. The way it corresponded to the existing descriptions of the appearance and character of this dog, including the detailed description of V. Priklonsky. What happened is for the viewer to judge. This painting, called “The Last Medellin”, will be exhibited for the first time at the Moscow International Art Salon “Central House of Artists-2002”, in the Central House of Artists from March 15 to 24, 2002. The address of the Central House of Artists is Krymsky Val, 10. The exhibition of my works will be on the second floor, in room No. 11. The painting “The Last Medellin” was included in the Salon catalogue. Now I am trying to collect materials that could allow us to reconstruct the appearance of other extinct Russian dog breeds: muzzle, moose dog, Russian straight-running hound, thick-dog greyhound, Old Russian Shepherd, etc. I would be grateful to everyone who can tell me any information about them, and also, of course, about the Medellians. Perhaps someone still has old books, notes, drawings, etc.
CAT and PES No. 1/2002
Marina EFREMOVA
email
Modified February 3, 2010 by akva
Disease susceptibility
Mandatory vaccination is carried out for puppies upon reaching 1 year of age. Vaccinations should be carried out annually to protect Shar-Peis from various diseases and support immunity. When buying a pet, you need to be able to identify the primary signs of disease yourself and provide proper first aid if suddenly a veterinarian is not nearby. The main thing is to identify and prevent the development of the disease at an early stage.
This breed has many diseases: typhus, fever, mastocytoma, seborrhea, plague, food allergies, hypothyroidism, demodicosis, glaucoma, upward turning of the eyelids. That is why it is important to promptly detect defects or the development of a disease, undergo treatment and rehabilitation courses in a timely manner, and take your pet to a local veterinary clinic.
During the period of socialization and raising puppies, the owner needs to be patient. Shar Peis can be overly playful and stubborn. Only the right approach to them will allow them to quickly become accustomed to going to the toilet and not damaging things or furniture. You need to start training your puppy from the first days of his arrival in the house. You can start a general training course from 3 months, thereby socializing your pet and teaching it normal and adequate communication with children and animals.
If the Shar Pei meets all the parameters and has no defects in appearance, then you can purchase a 2-month-old puppy from a breeder or in nurseries for 5-15 thousand rubles.
Cryptobullology based on Leo Tolstoy's Bulka: 2 comments
Thank you for such an interesting study! We were looking for an answer to the question: what kind of bulldog did Tolstoy have: English or French? We came across your reasoning. Thank you!
Tatiana! We Bulldogs are always happy to help! Even if Tolstoy did not write about us, as it turned out)))
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Paramon Second
English Bulldog, author of the blog: “Only a bulldog can be better than a bulldog!”
[more about the author. ] Paramon the First (RIP)
English Bulldog, founder of the blog: “They don’t become bulldogs, they are born!”
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