Interview with Liang Bingzhong
Mr. Liang Bingzhong, is a younger breeder in Guangdong, China. Beside breeding, his profession is in the dog food industry. He is a proud member of CKU and dedicated to promote the Chinese Shar Pei in China.
(translation from the Chinese original)
You are one of the younger breeders in China. Could you tell us how and when you got in contact with the breed?
When I was very young, I have seen many Shar Pei around, as I grew up in Dali/Foshan, what we believed to be the birthplace of the Chinese Shar Pei. In 2002 I started breeding dogs. By chance, I was given a Shar Pei by one of my friends. Thats when I started breeding Chinese Shar Pei.
What do you like the most about Shar Pei?
It is the character and the unique personality that attracts me most. The Shar Pei is very suitable as a family dog with a stable character. Many of the Shar Peis characteristics are very unique.
You were one of the first breeder registering your Shar Pei with CKU. Why did you do that?
I thought it is important. Now, there are already many registered Chinese Shar Pei with CKU. The breeder start to recognize the importance and the number of registrations is growing. We hope that more healthy Chinese Shar Pei will join CKU.
How much do you benefit from the older experienced Shar Pei breeders knowledge like Huang Zhuhua?
Huang Zhuhua has been very persistent and hard working in the conservation of Chinese Shar Pei. He dedicated his life to preserve and protect the ancient dog breed of Chinese Shar Pei. His spirit is an example for all of us, to learn from him is an honor.
You did show your Shar Pei Jixiang at the World Dog Show in Shanghai this year. What kind of impact do you wish to see in the world of dog shows in future when showing more and more Chinese Shar Pei?
This year, we were very happy that our Chinese Shar Pei Jixiang has achieved excellent results at the World Dog Show held in Shanghai/China. On the world stage, more people could see and learn about the native Chinese Shar Pei. Our Shar Pei Jixiang had also been loved by many judges and dog lovers. We happily noted that the original China Shar Pei will be recognized and understood by more people in the field. We welcome everyone wo is interested learning about original Chinese Shar Pei and who wants to help to cultivate our rare and unique native dog breed.
When following social media in the West, we can see some envy and resentment by some people against Shar Pei from China. Some people question the pedigrees of the dogs, some believe CKU is not equal to other countries FCI organization, others believe the dogs are sick with joint and teeth problems. How do you feel as a chinese breeder reading such comments?
After this World Dog Show, the Chinese Shar Pei has received a lot of attention. This is what we hoped for. There are a lot of comments and discussions about Chinese Shar Pei on social media. In fact, all of these discussions and comments have been a very good learning opportunity for us. There are a lot of people who don't understand the original Chinese Shar Pei, they have just learned about Chinese Shar Pei by some random pictures, but do not understand the breed.
In fact, we welcome more Chinese Shar Pei lovers to come to China to learn about the history of Chinese Shar Pei and to help us doing some research and conservation work together. We need to preserve our original Chinese Shar Pei, as it is our heritage.
(note: people who are interested in joining our mutual breeding program or just want to contribute to our conservation work, can contact me here)
Having a dog as a pet is becoming more and more popular in China. How important is it for you to educate people about proper animal care?
In fact, anyone who knows Chinese dog culture knows that dog care has improved greatly.
But the importance of our efforts are continuing advocacy Shar Pei care. We constantly work on educating people about the proper care of a Shar Pei.
Because the better breeders and owners take care of their Shar Pei, the better it will be for future generations. So proper care is very important.
What are your hopes and wishes for our breeds future in China and in the world?
We are full of hope for the future of the Chinese Shar Pei. Such an excellent breed should be well preserved. I wish more people will understand and love the healthy and correct Chinese Shar Pei. I hope that truly getting to know the real Chinese Shar Pei will make people like them and wanting to own one. Let the Chinese Shar Pei bring them great happiness.
Thank you Mr. Liang Bingzhong for this interview, it is a pleasure working with you.
