Thursday, January 21, 2010

Chinese Shar Pei

This Chinese Shar Pei was being walked by his owner on the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, FL. I've always been fascinated by these wrinkly dogs. They look so soft and cuddly. This one, for some reason looked sad to me.

Shar Peis are known for their wrinkled skin and bluish tongue. At one time, they were a rare breed. Today, they are getting to be more common. The younger the dog, the more wrinkles they have. As they mature, they grow into their skin and some of the deep wrinkles disappear. Their fur is very course and bristly.

Shar Peis were bred in China as fighting dogs, but due to their prohibitive cost, they're now kept as guard dogs. They are extremely loyal and protective of their families and can become quite aggressive.

Settings used to create this image: ISO 400, 1/80 at F5.6, +1/3 exposure compensation to keep the shadow detail, aperture priority and partial metering off the dog. Focal length was 135mm with my trusty 50-250mm lens.

6 comments:

Mango said...

Ah, Loyce, my kind of photo!!!!!!! Wonderful shot and interesting info. Thanks!!!!!! On my way to Safe Harbor!

What Karen Sees said...

What a great portrait of this most photogenic breed. Love how how zeroed in close on his face. You always have such interesting facts to go along with your posts!

Unknown said...

Whooo hooo! See you soon.

Unknown said...

Thank you, Karen. I can't wait for your next Tuesday Tech Post. :)

Jim S. said...

Nice closeup of such an interesting face. I see some of what you see in his expression. He looks concerned about something.

Unknown said...

He sure does look concerned. I just hope he's not an abused dog. They're so cute. I don't understand how people can hurt any animal.