In several German newspapers in 1978, there appeared an article about the Shar-Pei which was described as the rarest of this race (breed).  Several American breeders, so it was reported, were making an effort to keep this breed alive.  
Right away I became fascinated by this, and the only thing which bothered me was this:  The dogs shown were very (falty) folded and extreme in type.  They were not grown dogs but pups which seemed as enclosed in their fur coat as though they were wearing a pair of oversized pajamas.  Unknown at that time was that the fully grown dogs naturally were creased (foldy).  This visual experience too  I    would make much later.
Mr. Weinberg, 1 Vice. of the Club for Exotic breeds e.V. took on the responsibility to contact Shar-Pei breeders in the U.S.A., and sev eral breeders were contacted via mail.  Some did, or would not answer at all, otheres first wanted a deposit, in order to appear on the list for pups.  Pictures were mailed to us that looked far from how a Shar-Pei should look.  Others envisioned a price one would need to pay for a good used car.

Then we received a letter from Ellen Weathers Debo who in detail described the breed and who mailed us several pictures which were very nice.  We felt good and this feeling did not disappoint us.  Together, (Mr. Weinberg and I) decided to purchase the male dog Bedlam´s Lover Boy.  He was black and on his sides had a little grey gradation.  Ellen Weathers Debo described him exactly, she also criticized the dog´s somewhat too soft hair which, according to her, should be shorter.  Bedlam´s Lover Boy was the son of Shir Du Sam Ku, one of the most successful stud-dogs in the U.S.A., and the bitch Bedlam´s Yo Ki  Hi.

Now the waiting game began.  Bedlam´s Lover Boy did not - would not-  arrive.  During that time I began to realize that we had bought a male dog and that with a stud-dog alone,one can not in the future built a kennel.
In short, I called Ellen Weathers  Debo and asked when Boy Boy, thus he was to be called, would actually arrive, and if I in the future could buy a bitch from her.  The lady breeder answered that Bedlam´s Lover Boy was to arrive in a week´s time, and that she had also a black bitch named Bedlam´s Love Song which she would sent along.  She too was a daughter of Shir Du Sam Ku and of the bitch Ausable´s China Blue.

In July 1979, I picked up the first Shar-Pei of Europe from the airport in Hamburg and the great adventure Shar-Peis could begin. Both dogs were enchanting creatures and happy.  Lover Boy had a somewhat softer brush coat and Love Song an extreme horse coat which was not pleasent to the touch.  Both dogs had good eyes, the male a deep blue tongue; his half-sister had a spotty tongue and both had a full mouth of teeth.  At once a large press gathering began and both dogs were featured in most papers. Our pedigree dogs, imported from the U.S.A. were featured for one-half a page by the VDH. The first vice. from the club not only praised but initiated and proclaimed the Shar-Peis as the big winners at the Federal Breeder´s Show (Bundes Sieger Zucht Schau) of 1979 in Essen. The public´s interest was enorm, not only for the dogs alone, but also for their  interest to buy a pup.  

In the meantime did we begin to have contact with Matgo Law  in Hongkong and in the Spring 1980, two males Down -Homes´Cream Zulu and Zambo, sons of Down-Homes´´Prince of Darness and the bitch Dragon Lady Jasmin of Gun Club came to us.  Both males were cream-colored, with strong bodies and very friendly natured. Zambo had problems with his eyes and Mrs. Schlueb from Switzerland who had purchased him, had to take him right after his arrival  for a Entropium operation.  Both dogs had almost no molars  nor pre-molars in their mouth, but brought along as hostess gifts hundreds of black spiders which had attached themselves on the dogs´skin.  
Shortly thereafter came Down-Homes´ Baeng Baeng, a daughter of Down-Homes´Jim Jade and the bitch Down-Homes´Black Wong to Germany to Mrs. Gertrud Schlauderer  in Munich.  Baeng Baeng was fawn-colored and had, in my opinion, serious skin problems, which caused her demise at age 7 months.  Mrs. Schlauderer in exchange received from Matgo Laws the female Down-Homes´Ego, the daughter of the male Down-Home´Royal Zeal and from the same bitch as was Baeng Baeng.

In the summer of 1980, we got the bitch from Down-Homes´Pak Pak Chu, a daughter of the male Down-Homes´Quicksilvea and the bitch Down-Homes´Milky W Star II.  I was so shocked when I looked  and saw this sad bundle of dog at the airport.  My first trip was to the vet.  Cramps and a bloody diarrhoea  shook this poor animal.  An at the spot transfusion saved her life.  After these many bad experiences we decided not to import any more dogs from Hongkong.  Down-Homes´Pak Pak Chu had a very short coat of hair, (horse coat), a good head with a little polstered fang, ears that were too large, clear open eyes, a deep blue tongue and a complete set of teeth.  Her body was compacted with straight  front legs and first rate angled hind quarters. She was cream-colored and proved certain of good hereditary succession.  She died two month before her 13th birthday and was, after her arrival and her rescue in Hamburg never sick.

By  now the Club of Exotic Pure Breds e.V. had received from the VDH the permission to care and to control the Shar-Pei breed. One could think of breeding.  The kennel “Tsihmao´s was founded.  The name means “Porcupine, “ the impression I had when I first held my first Shar-Pei in my arms.  Joachim Weinberg and I decided together to raise this breed.  Bedlam´s  Love Song came in heat and it was planned to mate her with Bedlam´s Lover Boy.  A difficult task because Lover Boy behaved bungling and awkward.  Finally it worked and on the night from the 22 to the 23 of September, 1980, the big occasion happened. The first Shar-Pei litter in Europe was borne.  Three males and one female.Three black and one cream-colored pup. Bedlam´s Love Song,  in the meantime renamed “Tam Tam³ was an excellent mother, she was examplary and provided well for her offspring.  Two of her males went to privat homes, one I kept.  This one had, at the beginning of the 7th months, skin problems and died at 9 months on rectum degeneration.

The female Tsihmao´s Ah Ling went to Mrs. Anneliese Broekel, who founded the breeding station “Dah-Let´s.  Out of the first breeding of Ah-Ling with Down-Homes´Cream Zulu came Lux. Ch  Da-Let´s-Asha who later  pregnant was exported to England, where she., still in quarantine, gave birth to 8 pups, and 7 of them she successfully raised. Mrs. Broekel bred only 5 litters in all before she unexpectedly passed away.By now the second litter was planned by us and on March 10,1981, Bedlam´s Love Song became 4 males and 2 females  after Down-Homes´Cream Zulu.

Following that,  Mr. Weinberg and I ended our combined breeding association.  He took Love-Son and Cream Zulu and the bitch Tsihmao´s Boom Boom, with whom he founded his breeding station “King-Fu´s³  In this station 10 Shar-Peis were bred.  Successful dogs from this kennel went later to Italy, France, Spain and England. Ch. Tsihmao´s B´fuo-Shi went to Ursula  and Baldur Ross who founded their kennel called “Samurai´s.³ Out of this first line came Samurai´s Ah Tang Li, he proved himself a good progenitor.  His sibling Samurai´s A Feng Zeng of Tsihmao´s was exported to England, and there became for four years top stud-dog with numerous prizes as well as numerous descendents.

Friedrich Dutzi imported 1981 , the male dog Down-Homes Gam Guard and the female Down-Homes Lok EE from Hongkong.  During the same year the female Down-Homes Ho EE was also imported from Hongkong by Guenter Sawatzki.  In 1981 became Down-Homes´Pak Pak her first litter after Bedlam´s Lover Boy.  There were 5 pupsout of which were one each male and  one female spotted.  The spotted male went to Berlin to be privately owned, and the female I gifted  to someone in Denmark.  There she became the ancesstress to the very successful kennel “Starmaker,³  later “Rabjerg³ von B. Madsen and S. Rabjerg.  Out of this litter originated also the very successful black male dog Ch. Tsihmao´s Chuan Hey, who exhibition-owned went to Berlin.  The female Tsihmao´s Chin Se went to the Broekel´s kennel “Da-Let´s.³

In the between time had Mr. Weinberg,  together with Dr. Huber worked out a standard (norm )and had submitted the same to the FCI.  This standard (norm) was accepted at the 1981 Worldexhibit as interim standard (norm).  Thus was the Shar-Pei breed given the possibility to attain a national title.  This standard (norm) was modeled after the Koowlon a Hong Kong Association Standard and was binding all FCI countries.  In 1982 did Down-Homes´Pak Pak have her second the D-litter after the Worldchampion ´81 Down-Homes´Cream Zulu.

I kept Tsihmao´s Deng Hsiou.  He, later on, became champion.  His brother Deng Yee was exported to Holland´s kennel  Hadimassa and became there a successful stud-dog.  His sister went to England to Nigel Marsh and Terry Purse, and his brother Deng Ho went also to England  to the Ligget´s kennel “Heathstyle.³

By 1982, England had entered onto the Shar-Pei  scene.  Heathstyle´s Dandelion came from the U.S.A., and he was the first Shar-Pei in Great Briton. The first and only female which came from Hongkong and which was recognized by the Kennel Club, was the female Down-Homes´Junoeque of Heathstyle.  In my oppinion was she the best Shar-Pei which I have ever seen from Matgo Law.  Sorry to say, she did not become very old.  After an exhibition  Heather Ligget  found her,dead, she was poisened.

Out of the first litter from these two Enlish people I got the male Heathestyle´s Dragonwort, who proved himself a good show as well as stud-dog.

The female Ch. Tsihmao´s Nua Mulan, owned by Isabelle Pizzamiglio, was the first champion of Italy.  Ch. Tsihao´s Hu Tie also proved a good breeder with her son Tsihmao´s Pu Yi, who too was exported to Italy.  He, together with Ch. Nua Mulan, had an important influence on the Italien Shar-Pei breed (race).

The first international champion female Tsihmao´s Hung Pao Shi lived in Denmark.  Mrs. Gertrud Schlauderer in 1982,  imported the female Bablo´s Mei -Lo and then the male Bablo´s Shogun from the U.S.A.  The latter became VDH-Champion and proved himself in southern Germany a sucessful stud-dog with 50 descendants.  Out of the first litter of Bablo´s Shogun and Down-Homes´Ego became the World-Champion Winner of 1985 in Amsterdam Chung lieh Tu´s Anchin San.  His father Shgun came to be 11 1/2 years old.

Hans Peter and Isolde Brusis started their kennel “vom Oekonom" with the female Wong Tschi Hi from Kuku Hoto.  She was bred and reared in Switzerland and a daughter from Down-Homes Gam Guard and Down-Homes´LOK EE.  named Wong Tsch Hi.

Baerle was a successful show female and her descendants were worthy of note.  In the meantime , Mrs. Ella Eid from the kennel “Kwun Tung´s"  had discovered her  interest  in the Shar-Pei and imported from Switzerland Mei  Lings Biao, daughter of Ch. Down-Homes´Zambo and Ho Wun Swiss.  From the first litter, after Heathstyle´s Dragonwort , only one female named Kwun Tung´s Al Jen was realized.  Later, Ella Eid  cross-bred "vom Oekonom" dogs in order to fasten their head type.   Eva  Maria Kemper already had bred Afghans successfully.  She began her Shar-Pei breeding with a female from the kennel “ von Kuku Hoto" and imported the male Gold´s Bi Go Quai from the U.S.A., a son from Yu Me-Te Man of Tzo Tzo and  Down-Homes´Oriental Pearl.

Bi Guai turned out to be  one successful stud-dog. With his daughter Gouma di Domus Animula  Petra Mahret began, by the side , to successfully breed bullterriers with her  kennel “Ordensjaeger.  In the first liter, after Ch. Bedlam´s Lover Boy, had Gouma a beautiful  medal  hunter and tempel herder, he  was also a dominant stud-dog.  His son Ch Tsihmoa´s Pu Yi was the second champion of this breed in Italy.  Mr. Mahret, after another litter with her female,gave up breeding further Shar-Peis.

1985 some Shar-Pei breeders split away from the Club for Exotic Breeds e.V. and founded the I German Shar-Pei Club 1985 e.V.  To date I have been unable to ascertain whether or not the split has benefitted the Shar-Peis in Germany. Still, the Shar-Pei breed has established itself in the German world of dogs. But not to the extent as has been the case in the U.S.A.