Some dog breeds have a particularly large number of wrinkles due to their past. Sometimes only on certain parts of the body, such as the face. Typical causes of this are:
- Protection against deep bite wounds
- Allows blood to flow during combat
- Congenital hereditary diseases or genetic defects
- Stores smells for hunting
Basically, the more wrinkled a dog is, the more important hygiene is. Because dirt deposits can lead to inflammation over a long period of time.
Bathing is more of a necessary evil for these four-legged friends. Below you will learn about 23 wrinkled dog breeds and their special features.
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#1 Shar Pei
The Shar-Pei from China is a reserved, skeptical four-legged friend. He was bred and used as a fighting dog. He was sometimes kept as a guard dog. [1]
The dog with the lion-like appearance is available in two different sizes. He is one of the rare dog breeds with a blue-black tongue.
The four-legged friend with the so-called “sand skin” does not get along well with heat or cold. It often suffers from skin inflammation and is so rare that it is now almost extinct.
In 1973 there were only 60 registered examples. The four-legged friend has a life expectancy of 8-10 years. He is less suitable for beginners and needs early training.
The Shar-Pei has a weak hunting instinct and can cope with little exercise. In general he is rather distant and shy. He doesn't get along well with children or strangers.
Fun fact: When these wrinkled dogs shake themselves, people around them don't look bad. Finally, it sounds like someone is about to be whipped.
#2 Neapolitan Mastiff
The Neapolitan Mastiff is a hunting and guard dog from Italy. The 70 kg dog usually has black or dark gray fur. It is also about 75 cm high. [2]
The average life expectancy of these four-legged friends is 7 years. In exceptional cases they still live to see their 10th birthday. Dogs do not tolerate heat or cold well.
Because of their dominant, stubborn character, these four-legged friends are not suitable for beginners. They often appear stubborn. They are unsuitable for the apartment.
Neapolitan Mastiffs are dogs with wrinkles on their faces. They behave very calmly in the house and like to be outside where they can guard the house and yard.
The four-legged friends love to patrol and report any suspicious noise with a deep bark. Overall, they are quiet animals with a weak hunting instinct.
Fun fact: These large dogs are among the clumsy ones. It's normal for them to often lose their balance or bump into your furniture when climbing stairs.
#3 Ca de Bou
The Ca de Bou is a wrinkled dog breed from Mallorca, Spain. The four-legged friend was bred for dog fighting. Today he is primarily used as a guard dog.
The four-legged friend is courageous, self-confident and loyal. He barks little and gets along with a moderate amount of exercise. However, his hunting instinct is very strong.
The Ca de Bou is very trusting towards the family. He is territorial, protective and requires a lot of attention. The four-legged friend doesn't like loneliness.
The Ca de Bou is only partially suitable as a house dog. He should be socialized early and used to children as a puppy. It's not a beginner's dog!
Other pets are almost never tolerated by the four-legged friend. The four-legged friend is reserved and skeptical towards strangers. Overall, he can be trained mediocre. [3]
Fun fact: There are actually people who make a pros and cons list before buying a dog. On a blog we came across three advantages and 17 disadvantages of this breed.
#4 Dogue de Bordeaux
This type of mastiff originally comes from France and is also known as DDB. The Dogue de Bordeaux is particularly popular as a guard dog. She barks little and is very strong. [4]
In the past it was therefore used to pull wagons. It is the 70th most popular dog breed worldwide. Their life expectancy is 5 to 8 years.
When fully grown, such a Great Dane weighs around 68 kg. It should therefore not be in the hands of beginners. In general, this four-legged friend is difficult to train.
What's also visually striking about this dog with lots of wrinkles is that shoelace-like drool regularly hangs out of their mouths.
The four-legged friend also doesn't like loneliness and hardly tolerates strangers. However, the big dog gets along well with his own family and children.
Fun fact: With this breed, you should wear rubber boots around the house – because they are masters at drooling.
#5 Pug
The pug is a gentle, playful little dog. He sheds a lot and is moderately easy to train. He has a weak hunting instinct and barks little.
The four-legged friend is an ideal lap dog. He is a loving, wrinkled dog breed from China. It is now one of the 30 most popular breeds worldwide. [5]
This dog is the ideal companion for families. He develops a particularly close bond with children. He also needs a lot of love and attention.
The little four-legged friend sleeps around 14 hours a day and copes well with moderate exercise. He is friendly towards strangers and does not like loneliness.
The pug also tends to be overweight and has a hard time coping with heat or cold. He likes to follow his owners wherever he goes.
Fun fact: Did you know that there are four-legged friends who snore as loudly as a chainsaw? The pug is definitely one of them.
#6 English Bulldog
The English Bulldog is a friendly, stubborn dog with wrinkles on his face. The reason for this was that the bulldog was previously bred as a fighting dog. [6]
The many wrinkles used to protect the dog from getting blood in the eyes during fights. English Bulldogs are also very broad and muscular with an underbite.
The former fighting dogs are also ideal family dogs. They bark little, have a weak hunting instinct and can cope with little exercise.
The bulldog type also gets along very well with children. You form a particularly close relationship with them. They are friendly towards the family but independent.
English bulldogs are lazy animals. They are sensitive to heat and cold and often suffer from breathing problems. They generally tolerate strange dogs and pets.
Fun fact: There are the craziest world records. Including the world record that “Otto” holds: the bulldog crossed the longest tunnel to date on a skateboard.
#7 German boxer
The German Boxer is a four-legged friend with a confident, cheerful nature. It lives between 9 and 15 years and is one of the 11 most popular dog breeds in the world. [7]
The brown dog breed is easy to train, requires a lot of exercise and has a moderately strong hunting instinct. Boxers shed a lot and bark moderately.
They are also ideal family dogs. They are protective, patient, loyal and loving. They are also suitable as guard dogs. Four-legged friends can be kept in the apartment.
Boxers have a hard time staying alone. They have difficulty coping with heat and cold and often get cancer. The wrinkled dogs get along well with children.
Their short snouts allowed them to hold onto their prey and breathe at the same time. The playful four-legged friends need around 3 years to “grow up”.
Fun fact: What do boxers and billy goats have in common? A hard stubborn head and the peculiarity of hitting balls with his “horns”.
#8 Bloodhound
The Bloodhound is a less trainable four-legged friend from Belgium and England. This four-legged friend has the best nose among dog breeds. He is therefore the ideal sniffer dog. [8]
The dog with many wrinkles has around 300 million olfactory receptors. This means his nose is 60x better than that of humans. He is ideal as a hunting dog.
The Bloodhound specializes in deer and wild boar. The active four-legged friend needs a lot of activity and a moderate amount of exercise. It is unsuitable for keeping in apartments.
His temperament is friendly, trusting and open towards strangers. The four-legged friend is also a pack animal. He loves having dogs around him.
The big animal also gets along well with children. Worldwide, the four-legged friend is in 50th place on the popularity scale. These dogs like to nibble and drool quite a bit.
Fun fact: These dogs have such a fine nose that they can sniff out from 10 km whether you have washed or not.
#9 Olde English Bulldogge
The Olde English Bulldogge paradoxically comes from the USA. It is a wrinkled dog breed with a weight of 36 kg and a height of 43 cm at the shoulder. [9]
The four-legged friends bark very little and have a moderate hunting instinct. They require little exercise and are less easy to train. Her nature is alert and playful.
These four-legged friends behave trustingly toward their families. They are territorial and also make good guard dogs. They are ideal for keeping in the apartment.
They are adaptable and get along very well with both children and other dogs. The medium-sized four-legged friends are also well suited for seniors.
The wrinkled four-legged friends sleep a lot. They also drool. In the past they were also used for dog fighting. The four-legged friends are ideal as family dogs.
Fun fact: Even when they are puppies, these four-legged friends are already “old bulldogs”.
#10 Fila Brasileiro
The Fila Brasileiro is a muscular dog from Brazil. The four-legged friend weighs up to 50 kg and was previously bred as a guard and hunting dog. He has a good nose.
This makes it a good hunting companion for large wild animals. In the past, however, it was also used to hunt down escaped slaves. “Hold and arrest” is his motto.
This means that this four-legged friend grabs its prey, bites down and doesn't let go again. Because it is potentially dangerous, it is banned in many countries.
The Fila Brasileiro is a dog with wrinkles on his face. He needs a lot of socialization, especially if he is to live in a household with children.
The four-legged friend is unsuitable for city life. He often reacts aggressively to strangers and has a strong hunting instinct. This dog also needs a lot of exercise. [10]
Fun fact: Did you know that there are tiger-like fur patterns? In dogs, this coat color is called “brindle”.
#11 French Bulldog
The French Bulldog is a playful, sociable four-legged friend. She was bred to be kept as a domestic dog. She has little hunting instinct and barks little. [11]
The wrinkled dog breed is suitable for beginners. She…