The breed of Shar Pei is believed to have come from China and was a blessing in disguise for peasants as they readily took rigorous tasks of guarding, tracking, as a ratter, pig hunting, and herding. The dog has pronounced wrinkles and unusually dark tongue closely resembling the Chow-Chow breed. Quite surprisingly, the wrinkles diminish as they age. The name literally means sand skin, which attribute to its rugged, short coat. The coat of Shar Pei is often in black, fawn, cream, red, and many other colors. Some coats are similar to a horse or a bear coat while some have a coat similar to a brush. This is a loyal yet somewhat aggressive breed as they tend to be suspicious of strangers. The dog is a more than average shedder. The breed is highly affected by heat, so they should not be kept in sun for a long time. The reason attributing to this is their heavy wrinkles which fall in folds over the face. They snore and snort, and get slobbery after meals. Kidney failure (amolydosis) leading to fever and swollen hocks syndrome and slight skin problems are among the few health conditions among this breed. Their average life expectancy is up to 10 years.