Shar-Pei Colors: Rarest to Most Common

Shar-pei are unique-looking dogs originally bred in southern China and used to guard property. These medium-sized dogs have deep wrinkles, broad muzzles, blue-ish tongues, and small eyes and ears. Shar-pei come in a wide variety of colors, but today we will be examining only those recognized as standard colors by the American Kennel Club. Let’s dive in!

Blue/Lilac Dilute

Blue is one of the rarest standard colors in shar-pei. In fact, blue is typically considered a rare color for most dogs. Obtaining a blue shar-pei takes careful breeding. Of course, when this coat variation does occur, don’t expect a pup the color of cobalt.

In dogs, blue is actually a dilution of black, so the “blue” dog’s coat is more blue-grey or grey-silver. Still, it’s a stunning look for shar-pei, especially with their unique blue-black tongues.

Lilac shar-pei may appear similar to the blue varieties. This coloring is created by diluting both the chocolate gene and the blue gene, according to Dogs Planet. Lilac dilutes often have pinkish tinges to their face and feet.

Chocolate Dilute

In dogs, ‘dilute’ refers to a puppy that receives a copy of the d² mutation from its parent, resulting in a lightening of the pigments that produce the dog’s coat color, writes Paw Print Genetics.

This often results in the hairs around the nose, feet, and nails being pink or a similar color to the rest of the coat, according to Dogs Planet.

In shar-pei with the chocolate dilute coat, this results in a rich, distinctive light brown color. Chocolate dilute shar-pei also have a face that is the same color as their body.

Apricot Dilute

In the same vein as the chocolate dilute, apricot dilutes carry a genetic mutation. This gives them a pale coloring with pinkish fur around their face. However, some parts of the apricot dilute shar-pei’s fur may have a darker apricot color.

Brown

Brown is a relatively common and lovely color in this breed. A brown shar-pei may be solid brown throughout its coat or have darker brown or black fur on the face or around the nose, which sets it apart from the chocolate dilute.

Black

Black is a striking color in shar-pei. Dogs with this variation often have sleek, solid-colored coats with noses that match and dark eyes and nails. Shar-pei can also be black sable, which is a color pattern that generally means the dog’s hair is lighter at the base than it is on the tip, according to World Dog Finder.

Cream

Cream is a very common shar-pei color recognized as a standard color by the American Kennel Club. This attractive color is a pale yellow hue, like white mixed with just a touch of yellow. Cream dilute shar-pei often have a nose coloring that matches their coat and a pinkish tint to their face.

Red

Red coloring can come in a number of variations in shar-pei. For example, shar-pei may be solid red, which appears more as a red-brown color. They may also be red sable, as well as red fawn or the rarer five-point red.

According to National Pure Bred Dog Day, the five-point red color variation gets its name because the dog’s nose, tongue, paws, anus, and the area around their eyes are reddish in color, while the base coat is a deep red fawn. 

Fawn

Fawn typically refers to a yellowish-tan color when used to describe a dog’s coat. It is the most common color for shar-pei and encompasses variations such as light fawn, dark fawn, and red fawn. In some dog breeds, fawn is used interchangeably with the term Isabella.

Summary of Shar-Pei Colors (Rarest to Most Common)