Hi there in reply to your question i have a few things to ad. all breeds have there own problems gentetically as well as the shar-pei but not all shar-pei will have anything wrong with them and the same with all other breeds out there i have owned shar-pei for 30yrs and i am also a breeder of the shar-pei we have never had allergies in our pei but again that doesnt mean never could happen. the only issue we have ever had and in only one of our pei's was really bad entropia but again as my vet says all purbred dogs have there own issues not just the pei. also shar-pei are definatly not an outside dog not many dogs actually are and all dogs need shelter and companionship. keep in mind that its not a good idea too buy a dog for a child but for the whole family. as children can quickly loose intrest in any pet and its usually the adults that end up taking care of the said animal so unless you are buying the dog for yourself as well it probally isnt a good idea. also researching a good breeder one who stands by the breed and there pups and will replace a pup if anything happens (genetically) is a good idea. dogs are expensive and take alot of care.